This meditation is a contemplation on satisfaction.
It is a contemplation on contentment.
There are so many forces in our culture that drive us not to be satisfied,
Not to be content.
Many of those forces firstly define contentment,
Happiness,
Satisfaction,
And then assure us that we do not have it,
And then sell us something,
Be it a bread box or a car.
And there are many,
Many stories in our culture that assure us that contentment is outside ourselves.
It is in possessions,
Status,
Roles,
Or your job.
If only I fill in the blank,
Then I will be happy.
Well,
Let us explore contentment and satisfaction as a way of being,
As an internal state,
Not dependent on external things.
Can we get in touch with a feeling of satisfaction and contentment?
Take a long,
Slow breath.
Enjoy that breath.
Feel comfort and nourishment.
Release that breath and arrive fully in time.
Here you are,
No longer planning to be here,
No longer getting here.
Here you are.
Bring your full attention to space.
Allow your eyes to explore the space that you are in.
If you are indoors,
Allow your eyes to explore every corner of the room,
Every object in the room,
And perhaps there are other people in the room.
Can you be satisfied with this space?
Have a sense of satisfaction as you sit in this space.
Can you be content with its protection,
Its comfort?
Can you feel it as complete?
Bring your attention into your body.
Notice your feet.
With a long,
Delicious breath,
Bring full attention into your feet.
Have a sense of appreciation for the hard work that your feet do for you.
Allow any unease in your feet to soften and release.
Can you feel a sense of contentment and satisfaction in your feet?
Bring your full attention to your legs,
Your lower legs,
Your knees,
And your thighs.
With a long,
Delicious breath,
Drop your full attention into your legs.
Can you feel contentment,
Satisfaction with your legs,
Appreciating the work that your legs do for you?
And allowing yourself to feel satisfaction,
Contentment as you bring softness and ease into your legs.
Bring your full attention to your hips and your lower back.
With a long,
Delicious breath,
Drop your attention into your hips and lower back,
Releasing any unease you find there,
And allowing a softness and a sense of satisfaction and contentment in your hips and lower back.
Bring your attention into your belly.
For a moment,
Imagine the many,
Many internal organs working through your belly,
Working all day,
Every day.
Can you feel a sense of completeness,
Satisfaction,
Contentment with your belly?
Bring your attention into your lungs,
Your upper chest,
Your upper back,
And shoulders.
With a long,
Delicious outward breath,
Drop any tension or unease.
Allow softness in your lungs,
Upper chest,
Upper back,
And shoulders.
And invite a sense of satisfaction,
Ease,
And contentment into your body.
On the next long,
Delicious release of breath,
Allow your attention to fall into your arms,
Hands,
And fingers,
Noticing the hard work they do for you all day,
Every day.
Can you feel a sense of satisfaction and contentment in your arms,
Hands,
And fingers?
Allow softness,
A releasing of any unease.
Allow imagine or visualize a sense of satisfaction,
Contentment in your arms,
Hands,
And fingers.
Bring your attention into your neck,
Your head,
Your jaw,
Eyes,
And forehead.
With a long,
Delicious outward breath,
Allow your neck,
Head,
Jaw,
Eyes,
And forehead to release any tension,
To soften,
Allow any unease to dissipate.
Can you feel a sense of satisfaction and contentment in your neck,
Head,
Jaw,
Eyes,
And forehead?
The next long outward breath,
Scan your body from the top of your head to the tip of your toes,
And offer satisfaction and contentment to your body.
Stepping aside from any messages of dissatisfaction,
Even stepping aside from any unease that might be in your body at this time,
Simply offer satisfaction,
Contentment into your body.
Bring your full attention into your thoughts now,
And allow your thoughts to settle.
Have a moment of appreciation for the diligent work that your mind does for you,
Offering up thoughts for you to mull over,
To enrich your life and guide you.
And with this sense of appreciation for your thoughts,
For your mind,
Allow your thoughts to simply settle,
Like leaves on the bottom of a pond.
Let them settle.
Bring your attention fully into your feeling heart.
Allow yourself to sense what satisfaction,
What contentment feels like in your heart.
Feel it,
Vision it,
Imagine it.
How does it feel in your heart to be satisfied,
To be content?
Imagine how it can feel to have this sense of satisfaction and contentment all the time,
No matter what is happening around you,
That sense of satisfaction and contentment sits inside you.
It is within you,
Rather than something to be attained externally.
Wrap your feelings,
Wrap your arms,
Wrap yourself around that sense of satisfaction and contentment.
Sit with it for a few breaths now.
Recognize that satisfaction,
Recognize that contentment is an inner state that you bring with you everywhere you go.
You can bring it to every situation that you are in,
Especially when something seems imperfect to you.
Practice sitting with satisfaction and contentment and allow that energy to soothe and soften you.
So as you rest actively deep into your feelings,
Recognize that it is an inner state that you realize is not members.
