Hello friend and welcome to this guided practice on equanimity.
Equanimity is the ability to remain calm and balanced in the face of challenges and difficulties.
It is a skill that can help you cope with anxiety and stress and restore your sense of well-being and peace.
In this practice,
I will guide you through some steps to help you calm down and regulate your nervous system when you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed.
You can always pause or stop this practice at any time if you need to.
Before we begin,
Please find a comfortable position where you can sit or lie down.
You can close your eyes or keep them open,
Whatever feels best to you.
Take a moment to adjust your posture and relax your body.
Take deep breaths.
Notice how you are feeling right now,
Without judging or trying to change anything.
Just observe your physical sensations,
Your emotions and your thoughts.
Now take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth.
As you breathe out,
Let go of any tension or tightness in your body.
Do this a few more times,
Breathing deeply and slowly and releasing any stress or worry with each breath out.
As you breathe,
Bring your attention to your heart center,
The area in the middle of your chest.
Imagine that there's a warm and soothing light in your heart,
Radiating love and compassion for yourself and others.
Feel this light expanding and filling your whole chest with warmth and comfort.
You can also place your hand over your heart if you like to feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest as you breathe.
Now,
Repeat these words silently or out loud to yourself.
I am safe.
I am okay.
I am here.
Say these words with kindness and sincerity as if you were talking to a dear friend who is going through a hard time.
I am safe.
I am okay.
I am here.
Notice how these words make you feel.
Do they bring any relief or calmness to your mind and body?
If not,
That's okay too.
Just acknowledge whatever you are feeling and keep repeating these words.
I am safe.
I am okay.
I am here.
As you say these words,
Also listen to my voice.
I am here with you,
Supporting you and guiding you through this practice.
You are not alone.
You are connected to me and to many others who care about you and who are going through similar experiences as you.
You are part of a larger community of people who are learning to cope with anxiety and stress in healthy ways.
Now,
Let's move on to the next step of this practice,
Cultivating equanimity.
Equanimity means having a balanced and calm attitude towards whatever is happening in your life,
Whether it's pleasant or unpleasant,
Desirable or undesirable,
Expected or unexpected.
It doesn't mean being indifferent or passive,
But rather being aware and accepting of the reality of the present moment without resisting or clinging to it.
To cultivate equanimity,
We need to recognize that everything in life is impermanent and changing.
Nothing stays the same forever.
This includes our thoughts,
Feelings,
Sensations,
Situations,
Relationships and even ourselves.
Everything arises and passes away in a constant flow of change.
This can be both comforting and challenging to realize.
The key to equanimity is to accept both sides of this reality,
The good and the bad,
The joy and the sorrow,
The gain and the loss,
Without attachment or aversion,
Without craving or fear,
Without expectation or disappointment.
To accept them with openness and curiosity.
To help you practice this skill of equanimity,
I will invite you to repeat some phrases silently or out loud to yourself.
These phrases are based on the four Brahma Vyaras,
The four sublime attitudes of loving-kindness,
Metta,
Compassion,
Karuna,
Sympathetic joy,
Mudita and equanimity,
Upika.
They are May I be happy.
May I be free from suffering.
May I rejoice in the happiness of others.
May I be at peace with whatever arises.
Let me repeat them.
May I be happy.
May I be free from suffering.
May I rejoice in the happiness of others.
May I be at peace with whatever arises.
You can pause this recording and write them down in a notebook.
As you repeat these phrases,
Try to feel their meaning in your heart.
You can also visualize yourself and others who are important to you in your mind's eye and send them these wishes as well.
You can start with yourself,
Then move on to someone you love,
Someone you like,
Someone you are neutral about,
Someone you have difficulty with.
And finally all beings everywhere.
As you do this,
Notice if any thoughts or emotions arise in your mind.
Maybe you feel some resistance or doubt or maybe you feel some joy or peace.
Whatever you feel,
Just acknowledge it and let it be.
Don't try to push it away or hold on to it.
Just observe it as it comes and goes,
Like a cloud in the sky.
If you find your mind wandering away from the phrases or the images,
That's okay too.
Just gently bring it back to the present moment,
To your breath,
To your heart and to the phrases.
Remember that this is a practice,
Not a performance.
You are not trying to achieve anything or get anywhere.
You are just cultivating a quality of mind that can help you deal with life's ups and downs.
Now,
Take a moment to check in with yourself again.
How are you feeling right now?
Has anything changed since you started this practice?
Do you feel any different in your body,
Your emotions or your thoughts?
Just notice whatever is there for you right now.
As we come to the end of this practice,
I want to thank you for joining me today.
I hope this practice has helped you calm down and regulate your nervous system when you were feeling anxious or overwhelmed.
I hope it has also helped you cultivate some equanimity and balance in your life.
Remember that you can always come back to this practice whenever you need it.
You can also use these phrases as a mantra or a reminder throughout your day.
May I be happy.
May I be free from suffering.
May I rejoice in the happiness of others.
May I be at peace with whatever arises.
When you're ready,
You can come back to your breath and gently open your eyes.
Take a moment to stretch your body and look around you.
Notice how you feel right now and what is happening around you.
I wish you all the best and hope to see you again soon.
Namaste.
