Allowing space for pain.
Find the most comfortable position for you now.
Maybe you are sitting or maybe laying down.
Check in and ask yourself,
What does my body need right now to be so deeply comfortable that my mind,
Heart and spirit can relax,
Focus and listen.
Take a few moments to settle and sink into this comfort,
Relaxation and ease.
Take a full breath in through your nose,
Filling your lungs and belly.
And breathe out through your mouth,
Fully releasing,
Emptying and letting go.
Fully inhaling filling your belly and lungs.
And fully exhaling,
Releasing,
Letting it out.
Breathing in.
.
.
Breathing out.
.
.
Your breath and mind starting to slow down now.
Your body softening.
And just allow your breath to do what it does naturally.
Just breathing in and out at your own pace.
If your mind becomes distracted,
You can always point its way back to the breath.
Whatever pain you are experiencing right now,
Past,
Ongoing or raw and new,
Personal,
Relational or the collective,
I invite you to allow space for it all.
Pushing it away,
Ignoring,
Numbing or distracting only provides surface,
Temporary relief.
During this meditation,
We are not going to attempt to understand,
Dwell on,
Relive,
Solve or fix anything.
We are simply going to invite any pain or discomfort to be present and allow space for it to be.
Like a tiny flower just breaking out of its seed,
Pushing its way through the rocks and up through the mud before we know what it is or what it could become.
Perhaps it is a weed and in order to protect the balance of the entire garden or forest,
We at some point may need to excavate deeply down to its roots to remove it.
Or perhaps it is causing small tremors in the ground as it bursts through a less than ideal environment,
Breaking apart from the inside,
Seeking the right conditions,
Nourishment and space to become whatever it might transform into.
We don't need to know the why,
How or what.
All we need to do right now is observe and allow it to exist.
To breathe,
Tremble,
Cry,
Shake,
Break,
Peel back,
Unfurl,
Simply to be here now as we gently observe.
Notice if your pain arises as any physical sensations.
Where do you notice it?
What does it feel like?
Can you send your loving breath to any area it might appear?
Taking a deep breath in and a full breath out.
It is safe to feel.
Your pain is worthy of your tender attention.
You are worthy of this time.
Now imagine the pain as a color.
What color is it?
And now imagine the feeling and energy of loving acceptance as a color.
What color is this?
On your next breath in,
Breathe in the color of loving acceptance.
And as you breathe out,
Breathe out the color of the pain.
Breathing in loving acceptance.
Breathing all the way up and breathing out any discomfort and pain.
Breathe in loving acceptance.
Breathe out to release.
Continue to do this until you can feel your whole body filled with the color of loving acceptance.
Now imagine that seed and that tender green shoot pushing upwards from Mother Earth.
And imagine doing something to make its journey a little easier.
Maybe you clear out some of the debris away from where it has emerged to give it space.
Maybe you offer it replenishing water from the rain,
Your tears,
A nearby flowing stream.
Maybe you create some distance and step away to allow the sun to shine fully on it,
Offering much needed warmth.
What does it need?
Perhaps it emerged from pain,
Difficulty,
Challenge,
And will be transmuted into something entirely different we just don't know and can't see yet.
Can you allow space for it all to be here?
For multiple things to be true?
To not know yet?
To feel whatever might arise and just allow it some space?
To simply be?
Gently hold the pain and ask it if it needs anything from you right now apart from being a loving witness?
All of our feelings,
Even the strongest ones,
The ones we resist the most,
Will eventually transform and change,
Even if we can't imagine that in the moment.
I invite you,
When the strongest of them arise,
To pause,
Breathe,
Feel it in your body,
And allow it to arise.
Because the truth is,
It will always arise anyways,
Even if we try to hide or turn away from it.
If tears want to come,
Let them come.
If you need to yell,
Growl,
Scream,
Then yell,
Growl,
And scream.
If you need to shake,
Dance,
And move,
Shake,
Dance,
And move,
Your body is wise.
And if you pause and listen deeply,
It will whisper or maybe shout what you need in that moment.
Breath,
Rest,
Nature,
Connection,
Movement,
Touch,
Expression,
Nourishment,
Stillness,
Silence,
Song,
Dance.
For now,
Let's send some final breaths of gentle loving kindness to any pain,
Our own,
Others,
Or the collective.
Place both hands on your heart center,
Sending gratitude to yourself for being brave,
Present,
And aware,
And allowing time for all of you.
Take a deep breath in,
May you be at ease,
And breathing out a wish for all beings to be at ease.
Inhaling,
May you be safe,
And exhaling,
May all beings be safe.
Breathing in,
May you be happy,
And breathing out,
May all beings be happy.
Deep breath in,
May you be free from all suffering.
Breathing out,
May all beings be free from suffering.
Inhaling,
May you be at peace,
And exhaling,
May all beings be at peace.
Sending you peace,
Ease,
Freedom,
And love.
