Welcome.
Welcome to living from the heart.
I've been reflecting lately about our world situation and how it's calling for a lot of acceptance.
And then today a dear friend of mine sent me this poem by Lyn Unger and it's called The Way It Is.
One morning you might wake up to realize that the knot in your stomach had loosened itself and slipped away and that the pit of unfulfilled longing in your heart had gradually and without your really noticing been filled in,
Patched like a pothole,
Not quite the same as it was,
But good enough.
And in that moment it might occur to you that your life,
Though not the way you planned it and maybe not even entirely the way you wanted it,
Is nonetheless persistently,
Abundantly,
Miraculously exactly the way it is.
So thank you to Lyn Unger for that poem.
So I'm going to offer you a meditation on relaxing in to your life exactly the way it is.
Exactly the way it is.
So just making yourself comfortable,
Letting your eyes close,
Letting your eyes close and resting into the darkness,
Resting into the darkness.
Just allow your body to be comfortable.
Allow your body to be comfortable and at ease.
And just see if you can rest in to your body exactly as it is.
Taking some really generous breaths.
Let yourself sink in.
Let yourself sink in.
Let yourself sink in.
Let yourself sink in.
Releasing any tasks,
Any thoughts about the past or the future.
Just let yourself sink in.
Every breath allows your body to soften and to relax.
Relax into this moment as it is.
And I know that it can be tricky.
And I know that I've had thoughts about how things could be or should be,
Might have been.
Perhaps you have too.
And what would it be like,
What would it be like,
Sweet friend,
To open to the deep embrace with your life exactly as it is,
Even with our world changing so fast.
Even with the things that challenge you.
Maybe you're challenged physically.
Maybe you're challenged by thoughts in your mind.
Thoughts about yourself and how only if you had made this choice,
Your life would have gone that way.
And what if you made just the right choice,
Even though things aren't exactly as you had imagined.
They generally are not really what we imagined.
And so right now,
If you can open,
Softening through your heart,
As the heart is the place where true acceptance resides,
Where you can be in right relationship to whatever shows up.
And I know this is challenging.
I know.
I do know.
You are not alone.
I know.
But we are not alone.
We are here together.
So take a big breath into your heart and make room.
Make room.
Make room for yourself to be exactly as you are.
For your friends,
Family,
For the world to be exactly as it is.
And in order to do this,
You've got to open wider.
Open wider.
Just feel yourself breathing into your heart,
Allowing your heart to expand,
To make room for you to accept things as they are.
Accepting physical discomfort.
Accepting unrequited love.
Accepting great loss in our world.
And relaxing.
Trusting that things are exactly as they are.
That there is no mistake.
Breathing and making room,
Allowing the space of your heart to expand,
To make room.
And I'm going to give you a few minutes to rest and be in your own radiantly expanding heart,
Gently and kindly.
Your heart will open of its own accord.
And I'll be here with you,
Holding the space,
Resting into this heart,
Allowing the heart to expand.
And it's happening moment to moment,
Together.
After all,
There's only one heart.
Only one heart.
And I will call you back soon.
And I will be here with you,
Enjoying communing with your own heart,
Letting it expand naturally.
And I will be here with you,
Enjoying communing with your own heart,
Letting it expand naturally.
And I will be here with you,
Enjoying communing with your own heart,
Letting it expand naturally.
And I will be here with you,
Enjoying communing with your own heart,
Letting it expand naturally.
A a a a a a a a a Just breathe.
Breathe into your heart.
Perhaps noticing how the space of your heart may feel more expansive.
You're open.
Softer.
And then just as an experiment,
We'd like you to think of a situation,
Or maybe a moment,
Where it was challenging to accept things exactly.
The way they were.
We'd like you to invite that moment into your heart,
Into a space of generosity,
Acceptance,
And love.
Maybe you invite it in as an image,
Or a felt sense,
Or you can place it inside of a little bubble.
And bring it gently inside your heart.
Take a moment.
See if you can welcome it.
And welcome a challenge of the moment.
And let it shift.
Allow the story to be rewritten.
Recognizing that things are exactly as they are.
That's right.
So take a big breath.
And just feel if maybe something has changed.
And I want to invite you to listen to this guided meditation again and again.
And to use this practice of welcoming.
Welcoming things into the heart and allowing them to shift and transform.
Creating more space for you to live your life in peace and freedom.
So thank you for your attention.
Thank you for being a part of this wonderful community of meditators worldwide.
Thank you.
Many blessings.
