All right,
So,
You know,
At the very end we're gonna do what we've been kind of doing last month and this one month.
We're gonna do a little bit of moments of silence.
We'll kind of evaluate to see how that goes based on the time is what I mean by that.
But during that time of silence I always do like to give a focal point because it's it's sometimes impossible.
Sometimes we can go to these lovely places but sometimes we can't.
And so at the very end we're gonna do a mantra and I just want to explain it now and spell it so that when you hear it later you might have already seen the words in your head.
So we'll do an inhale shanti,
S-h-a-n-t-i,
And then an exhale of vira,
V-i-r-a.
So shanti means peace and then vira means strength and power.
And it says that shanti vira not only brings peace but it brings strength to be peaceful in circumstances where it might not be in where it might be instinctual to retaliate.
It gives you the courage and clarity to be your true self in all situations.
So like I said we'll work on that one at the very very end.
I just wanted to explain it first and then spell it.
I like knowing sometimes how these Sanskrit words are spelled because it helps me pronounce a little bit better so I just want to share that in the beginning.
Can you spell it again?
Oh yeah absolutely so shanti,
S-h-a-n-t-i and then the exhale will be vira,
V-i-r-a.
And I can send you guys this little blurb about it at the end too in case you want to practice this.
All right so beginning to settle into your pose and then beginning to close your eyes.
Before I yeah before I do these meditation classes I always do a little bit of a meditation myself and actually if you want when you close your eyes to kind of stretch a little bit even if you're lying down maybe just by if you're seated you can move your neck side to side maybe if you're lying down to stretch your arms overhead you can even interlace your hands and maybe pull the hands to one side and then the other.
So I'm just giving you options maybe just kind of stretch a little bit.
I find that sometimes when we first sit down it's not always the easiest to just kind of settle into everything so if you need to kind of stretch and move allow yourself to do so for a couple minutes and then we will gently begin to start to find our spot.
So really settling into your pose.
Fidgeting and moving till you make yourself very very comfortable and beginning as we always do by checking into the body into the breath.
So starting to bring our awareness into the physical space of the body.
Some of us find it easier to start by focusing attention on the breath while others might find it a bit easier to focus on physical sensations of the body.
So whatever is easiest the simplest way to capture your attention to find a focal point and you can do all of the above.
Maybe starting with the breath and then expanding to the physical body.
I'm just taking a little bit of note as you are starting to slow down and bring your focal point inward.
Are you finding that it is difficult to bring yourself inside?
Are you finding that maybe you're dropping right into it and finding a focal point is easier for you this evening?
Maybe even it's hard for you to even notice how you're feeling or even find the breath and all of this is okay.
Every day is completely different.
This is this point when we are compassionate with ourselves.
Meeting ourselves exactly where we are and just doing our best.
Now if you have not moved on to your breath I'd like you to start focusing on the breath.
Really watching the inhale as it travels in through the nose down the torso.
Do you know how long this inhale is?
Where is that point within the body that it switches from inhale to exhale and then travels back up and out again?
We're going to count down from the number 10 each of our exhales.
Beginning with 10 inhale,
Exhale 10,
Let go and soften with each exhale and then moving on to 9 inhaling and 9 exhale as you soften a little bit more.
So keep traveling down all the way until you reach zero.
And with each exhale you become a little bit more relaxed,
A little bit heavier.
You soften and let go a little bit more than the number before.
Making your way down to one and then zero.
Really feeling the body completely surrendering.
Completely letting go and softening.
Now beginning to bring your attention right at the nose and we're going to work with the breath just for a little bit.
When you inhale I want you to imagine as if this beautiful light is coming in through the nose.
And so this light could be the color white or maybe it's gold and sparkly.
Maybe your light is blue or a soft pink.
So any color that feels the most bright,
The most healing.
Beginning to imagine that light traveling in through the nose and then it'll start to travel up the front of the head,
Up towards the forehead.
Feeling the entire space with this bright beautiful light,
The color that you chose.
Feeling the entire crown of the head and from that space beginning to travel down.
This light will travel and fill.
The entire top of the head,
All the way down into your neck.
This healing beautiful light travels down through the throat,
Into the shoulders.
Filling every cell,
Healing every ounce of your body.
Beginning to travel down the arms,
Through the upper arms,
Moving past the elbows into the lower arms and all the way down into the fingertips.
Sparkling that light all the way down through the entire arm.
And the light also continues to travel down through the torso,
Filling the chest,
The upper back,
Moving down the torso,
Through the ribs,
Down into the belly.
Knowing that the color that you have chose is exactly what you needed today,
Healing you.
Radiating through your entire body,
Permeating every cell.
The light continues to travel down through the ribs,
Down through the pelvic floor,
Into the thighs,
The knees,
Down into the lower legs,
The ankles and all the way down to the soles of the feet.
Knowing that this light is traveling through the entire body,
Moving any stagnation,
Filling you with deep love and gratitude,
Healing your entire being.
And when you inhale,
This light brightens,
Shines through the whole body.
And as you exhale,
It sinks deep within the body,
Permeating every aspect,
Your muscles,
The bones,
The cells,
The fluid.
Staying with this inhaling of the bright,
Beautiful light as it shines even brighter than you could have ever imagined.
And then as you exhale,
It sinks deeply into your being.
Now beginning to direct your attention into your heart center,
Center of the chest.
I want you to begin to imagine as if there are shutters opening up into this heart center,
Just like shutters on a window.
They open up as you begin to travel to your heart chakra,
The cave of your heart.
As you travel in,
This light has shined all the way into this cave.
It shines the way as you begin to travel all the way to the back of the cave.
And as you travel to the back of the cave,
You turn towards the center and notice that there is a purple flame right in the center,
Just like a candle was shining in this area,
But the flame is the color purple.
And as you see that flame shine,
Beginning to place in anything that is not helping your being right now into that flame.
You can be specific by naming anything and placing it inside the flame.
Or maybe just knowing that whatever you're putting in is exactly what you need to get rid of and not having to necessarily name it.
So anything that is keeping you from being your true self right now,
Placing that into the purple flame and knowing that you have put in everything in there that you need to today.
And as you stay inside of this space,
Beginning to see the word trust entering into the heart space,
Into this cave with you.
Knowing that there is a certain power behind the word trust,
A certain energy behind this word that just makes you let go.
Continuing to imagine this word trust traveling into your heart cave.
Maybe even imagining the word trust fills this space and it starts to incorporate into the light of the entire being.
So the energy from this word might just start here,
But then that energy meets the light that has filled the rest of your body,
Filling you totally with this word trust.
Knowing that you can always tap into this word,
Leaving it here in your heart space.
You may be to find another day.
And then traveling back to the breath one more time,
Noticing your inhale and your exhale.
The next time you inhale,
Silently repeating the word shanti,
Peace,
And as you exhale,
Silently repeating vira,
Strength.
And we will stay here with our breath with this mantra.
As we finish out,
Just for a couple moments of silence.
Inhaling shanti and exhaling vira.
Finishing up where you are with the mantra and then releasing it after you exhale.
Noticing how the physical body feels.
Noticing if there was any shifts from when you first began.
Even noticing if there was a shift within the mind a little bit.
Reminding yourself that this feeling at the very end of meditation is always attainable.
Even if you just pause and tune into your breath,
Just recite a mantra.
Beginning to fully come back into the body.
Noticing the physical body supported by the props behind you or below you if you're lying down.
Notice any sounds that you might hear around you in the room where you're located.
Starting to gently bring yourself back to here in this room.
If you're lying down,
Stacking one hand on the heart center and then the other hand on top.
And you can keep your eyes closed as we do this.
And if you are seated,
Bring your hands into prayer and non-jali mudra in front of that heart center.
With your hands on this space,
Bring your attention back into that heart center one more time.
Maybe even tapping into that word trust,
Knowing that it's in there.
And whenever you need it,
You can call upon that word again.
Sending yourself a message of light,
Of love,
Of gratitude.
And as you do notice how the physical body feels.
So again,
Something else that has,
That takes little time,
That has effect on the body.
We're just sending ourselves a positive message.
We can bring a little bit of light into the physical body.
The light in me honors the light in you.
I am deeply grateful that you have all joined me this evening.
Namaste.
