So as we begin,
As always,
You can be seated,
You can lie down.
And as you start settling into your pose,
I really want you to become as comfortable as possible.
Maybe leaving any of those last minute jitters out.
Making sure that you are well supported.
Placing any blankets under knees if you're lying down.
If you're seated,
Supporting the back.
And then if you have not done so already,
We'll begin to close our eyes.
So at this point,
I want us to just begin to release any expectations.
So I know that sometimes when we talk about silence at the end,
It might seem a bit intimidating.
Let's just release any expectations of our day,
Of this moment.
Even if you came in here saying,
I really want X to happen when I meditate today.
Let's just let that go.
Let's just let it all go.
The really key part of meditating is being as present as we possibly can.
And so let's begin to bring ourselves into our rooms,
Listening to perhaps any sounds that we might hear around us.
And if you can,
Try not to get wrapped up into a sound.
So you can just listen to it.
But maybe if you can,
Don't necessarily really analyze it.
Just notice that if you notice you're getting wrapped up in it,
Maybe just start to explore a little more.
Listen to a different sound.
We're just beginning.
And so if you do get wrapped up in the analyzing,
It's okay.
Now beginning to feel our physical bodies.
I want you just to begin to feel the support either behind you or below you.
If you're lying down,
Can you allow the body to become a little heavier so that you can deepen that connection,
Knowing that you are fully supported.
And then moving inward a little bit more,
Noticing the physical body.
So for some of us,
It's easier just to start with the breath and just notice our inhale and exhale.
Other people,
It's easier to notice physical sensations in the body.
So what I mean by that is just noticing maybe your jaw feels tight.
It feels really relaxed because it's supported.
So you get to choose right now,
Which one calls to you first.
So not getting stuck if you always have a go-to in previous meditations.
Whatever one calls to you now in this present moment,
Which one first calls.
And we are just beginning.
And yes,
We are finding stillness,
But as we are exploring our physical bodies,
Something just needs to move or shake or even just kind of flail to get something out.
Just let that happen.
And after you do maybe move that other part of your body or anything,
Notice if maybe you feel a bit more settled.
Now let's begin to expand on our breath.
We're going to do our three-part breath.
So first,
I just want you to bring attention into your belly.
Noticing when you inhale,
The belly rises and expands.
And when you exhale,
This area gently falls down towards the spine.
Staying with this area,
Just noticing the physical movement with the breath.
Now I'm beginning to travel up the body where your ribs are located.
And then we're going to do the exact same thing.
So when you inhale,
Notice the ribs actually gently begin to expand,
Separate slightly.
And then when you exhale,
The ribs begin to come a little bit laterally closer together.
So staying with this part of the body,
Noticing the expansion of the ribs with the inhale.
And then the gentle descent with the exhale.
Then we're moving upward to the final third part.
It is the chest located below the collarbones.
And the same exact thing.
So when you inhale here,
Notice that the chest rises slightly.
And with the exhale,
It gently falls.
And then staying here for a couple breaths.
Now we're going to put that together.
So when we inhale on the next breath,
Inhale,
Belly,
Ribs,
Chest.
And then exhale,
Chest,
Ribs,
Belly.
Then the inhaling begins at the bottom,
Belly,
Ribs,
Chest.
And then descending back down with the exhale,
Chest,
Ribs,
Belly.
So trying to make this movement with the breath as fluid as possible.
Just kind of tracing up through each area,
Not necessarily stopping in the three parts.
And if my speed that I began with is too slow or was too quick,
Change it so it works for you,
So you feel really comfortable.
Noticing if there was any shifts within the physical body as you're breathing.
Can you relax?
Can you soften and let go?
Now moving on to that guided meditation,
The cave of the heart.
Beginning to offer your love and respect and gratitude to the light.
Whatever that might mean for you.
Feeling a deep sense of within your body of gratitude.
Gratitude for all the experiences that have led you to this moment.
All the people you have met.
All the love that you share with yourself and others.
And then beginning to see a flame,
Just like a little fire or an inner light between your eyebrows.
This is our third eye,
Where we find guidance of great light.
And then beginning to imagine that light from the third eye between the eyebrows,
Traveling down to your heart center.
So that's located at the center of the chest,
Next to the physical heart.
And in this area,
I want you to imagine that you're standing at a door that opens up to the cave of the heart.
The cave of your heart.
And although this passage is dark,
Walk through guided by light.
When you reach the back of the cave,
You see a beautiful lake,
In which grows a blossoming lotus flower with eight petals.
And on each petal,
There is a flame.
Start with that first flame,
That first petal directly in front of you.
Extend your love and gratitude to this flame shining on the petal,
Which is the earth element.
May the earth element,
The solid matter within you and outside you,
Be nourished by the flame and the healing power of the flame.
Now move clockwise to the next petal,
The second one.
And there is another flame shining on it.
Extend your love and gratitude to this flame.
You can even imagine as if a light shines on this.
This is the petal of the water element.
May the water element within you be guided and nurtured by the healing power that flows from this flame.
And move to the third petal and the flame shining on it.
This is a fire element.
May the fire element within you and with outside of you be nourished and healed by the universal light.
Move to the fourth petal and the flame shining on it,
Which represents the earth element.
The force of animation.
Chronic force.
May the air element within you and outside the world be fully nourished,
Guided,
And healed.
Moving to the fifth petal and the flame shining on it.
Extend your love and gratitude to this flame that is the space element.
May you experience oneness with this flame.
May the space within you and outside you be guided and nourished.
Moving on to the sixth petal.
This flame is a sense of individuality,
The small self,
The individual self.
May the wall of duality that separates you from you dissolve.
May this flame of the I am oneness of your individual self be guided and nurtured.
Now come to the seventh petal and the flame shining on it.
This is the flame of the lunar self,
The feminine within us,
The tenderness and kindness.
This is the forgiving,
Loving,
Embracing part of the divine.
May this tender,
Kind lunar energy within you be guided and nurtured.
Then come to the eighth.
This is the flame of the solar energy,
The masculine energy of strength,
Vitality,
Willpower,
Determination to become,
To be.
May this force within you and with outside of you be nourished and guided.
Finally coming to the center of that lotus flower,
Another flame.
By this time,
All the other eight flames join each other in one big flame.
This is the totality of the known world,
The totality of existence.
May this totality,
Your existence composed of earth,
Water,
Fire,
Air,
Space,
Individuality,
Lunar and solar energy become one with you.
May this flame in the cave of the heart be nurtured and guided.
Staying within this meditation,
Allowing yourself to travel wherever you might like to,
Where I will offer you a mantra to use as a focal point.
Shree Hum,
S-H-R-E-E,
Hum,
H-U-M.
It is a mantra that brings the totality of ourselves to pure bliss.
So maybe inhaling Shree Hum,
And then exhaling Shree Hum,
If that works for you.
Allowing yourself to stay settled,
Continuing to let go,
Surrender,
Release.
Maybe staying with inhaling Shree Hum,
And exhaling Shree Hum.
If you're using the mantra,
You may release it.
And if you have traveled off somewhere,
Starting to bring yourself back into this space,
Coming back to the breath,
Coming back into our bodies,
Feeling ourselves supported by the surface below us,
And coming back to the room,
Listening to the sounds again.
If you are lying down,
Stacking one hand on top of the other on that heart center,
If you are seated,
You can bring the hands into prayer.
Noticing how you feel right now.
Accepting exactly how you feel.
Reminding ourselves that sometimes it's easier on some days to meditate than others.
Some days we go to a really deep place that we didn't even know existed.
And sometimes it's hard to even just stay within our bodies.
Even practicing for many years,
I still have moments that sometimes I can't even stay in my own body and be with the physical.
So being gentle on yourself and meeting yourself exactly where you are today.
And as I said in the very beginning,
Taking that as information just about ourselves,
About where we are this week or this month.
And so if you are feeling balanced and continuing,
What were you doing?
And if you're feeling a little off,
Then maybe you need to put in a little extra work during other times of the day.
Bow to the space behind your hands,
That heart center,
And praise yourself for coming today,
For being exactly where you are right now,
For taking care and nourishing yourself.
And be gentle on yourself wherever you are today,
This evening,
This week,
This month.
From my heart space to yours,
I am deeply grateful that you all have joined me this evening.
Namaste.
