Today we'll be exploring the idea of our foundational beliefs and how those beliefs are like the root system for our perception.
Which beliefs we have affect the way we see the world.
Some of these beliefs are simple like I'm a good person or I have a great singing voice or I should be ashamed of myself.
Some are more complex,
Some are about the world,
The world is a harsh place.
The world's a great place.
Some of our beliefs bring us closer to connection with others,
With the world,
With the universe,
With ourselves,
Connection,
Expansion,
Compassion.
If we look some of our beliefs bring us frustration and anger and challenge,
Separation,
Contraction.
I was sitting with a man a few months ago and we were having a conversation and he said,
People are really stupid,
It drives me crazy and I was thinking about that and I was like,
Okay let me try that belief on for size.
I'm like yeah people are stupid and I started getting frustrated and I realized that when I was in the mindset and the perspective that people are stupid,
I realized it separated me from them.
People are stupid and I'm smart or I'm stupid and someone else is smart.
I was trying to think of another belief that was comparable but brought connection and compassion and I was like,
Ah people are just doing the best they can.
And I'm just doing the best I can.
So much connection.
So today that's what we'll be exploring.
We'll be exploring our forest of beliefs and we'll start tending to that forest.
Let's do it.
And we'll start with some pranayama to really release anything that we're holding onto to pacify the mind and the nervous system.
You can choose any pranayama that you like or you can choose to follow me.
We'll be doing square breathing with a little extended exhale.
So it'll be four seconds inhale,
Four seconds hold at the top,
Five seconds exhale,
Five seconds hold at the bottom.
I'll count the first two rounds and then you can regulate it yourself.
So let's just take a deep inhale and exhale,
Sighing out anything from the day.
Deep inhale,
Let's do one more,
Just a bit deeper.
We'll start our breath.
Inhale for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold for three,
Two,
One.
Exhale five,
Four,
Three,
Two.
Hold five,
Four,
Three,
Two.
Inhale four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale five,
Four,
Three,
Two.
Hold five,
Four,
Three,
Two.
Continue on your own breath,
Inhaling.
Hold.
Gun company.
Finding spaciousness between the breaths,
Between your thoughts.
Whenever that thinking mind comes back up,
Just bring it back,
Smiling.
Back to the breath.
Long,
Luxurious breaths.
As if you were drinking the nectar of life.
As if you were drinking the nectar of life.
As you continue to breathe.
As you continue to breathe,
Just allow this question to wash over you.
How would it feel to completely let go of all of my beliefs?
How would it feel to see the world for the first time?
How would it feel to feel my breath for the first time?
How would it feel to feel my body?
And gently bringing your breath work practice to a natural close in the next three to five breaths.
We'll take a moment of spaciousness to really absorb the power of breath work.
Allow this state,
Whatever state you're in,
Just to radiate.
Permit it yourselves.
Feeling totally cocooned.
I want you now to imagine.
Imagine that you're walking through a meadow.
Grass beneath your feet.
Sunset.
As you're walking,
You recognize these beautiful pink,
Yellow,
Red colors in the sky.
And about 200 meters in front of you,
There's a lush forest.
And you start to move toward the forest.
With each step,
Feeling more and more at home.
This is your forest.
As you get closer and closer,
You see a little white gate,
A little fence.
As you walk up to it,
You see that it says your name on it.
You open the gate.
As you walk in,
It's like entering a force field of safety and home.
Like a bubble.
And happily you start to explore this forest with curiosity.
What kinds of trees are here?
What kinds of plants and species?
Are some of the trees strong,
Tall,
Stable?
Or there might be newly planted ones as well.
Walking through and observing this beautiful forest that you've created throughout your life.
Notice the life that exists within.
You can notice the death as well,
Anything that's decaying.
As you continue to move through this magical forest,
You notice that as you move past a tree or a plant and you get close,
It radiates a feeling of contractedness or expansiveness.
And if you place your hand on the tree,
Feeling the deep connection,
You may be able to feel the belief that it symbolizes.
I am lovable.
I'm not good enough.
I deserve all the love in the world.
I deserve to be happy.
Just sensing which trees emit which frequencies.
Starting to recognize that not all of these trees planted here that we've been watering belong to us.
Some were planted by us.
Some were planted when we were little kids,
By our parents,
By our society.
A lot of the you shoulds.
You shouldn't cry in public.
That's a big one.
And some of these are beliefs that were planted by us.
They're always safe.
Even when it doesn't feel like it.
Everything will always be okay.
And as you start to get a feel for which trees bring you towards who you want to be in life,
Towards your highest self,
Whatever that may be.
We can go get a bucket and move towards a little stream nearby and water each of those trees.
More nourishment for those trees.
I am enough.
I am enough.
I am beautiful the way I am.
I deserve respect and love just like anyone else.
The world is a safe space.
Your beliefs bring you towards your highest self.
Take it a moment just to water each and every one of the roots,
Or a few of them at least,
And connect with them.
And then starting to move towards the trees that bring you separateness or contraction or have become obstacles in you being a flower and blooming.
Beliefs that other people have planted when you didn't realize that you've been watering these strong trees of shame,
Embarrassment.
You can get a little shovel for each one just digging a little bit at the roots.
Some of them might be strong trees,
Some might be big trees.
It takes a long time to uproot them.
But today we'll just get a little start.
Perhaps we can plant a tree next to that one to take the nourishment.
So if there's a tree that says people are stupid,
I plant one right next to it saying people are just doing the best they can.
And start digging at the roots of the other one.
Finding the roots of one or two more trees.
And placing our shovel down.
And taking another moment just to sit in the middle of the forest in a meditative space.
To feel the light.
Just feel the life that resides.
The abundance.
The purity.
We take a moment of deep gratitude for this forest,
Knowing that it's always here for us.
We gently find our way back to the white picket fence,
The gate.
We close the gate and turn around and smile.
Goodbye for now.
As we enter back into the meadow,
The forest behind us fades to black.
We're whispered back to the present moment.
To the body.
Emphasizing the breath.
The sitting bones on the ground.
Settling into the experience of you.
Of home.
For the rest of today,
As you move to the world,
Just notice when people are trying to plant beliefs for you in your forest.
Remember that a belief that was just planted is the easiest to uproot or to water.
So just noticing what beliefs pop up.
And remember that you always have the choice to water or uproot.
You are the gardener of your life.
Of your reality.
Keep tending to your forest.
We bring our hands to heart center.
The palms meet the palms.
These extension of our hearts in Chinese medicine,
The middle of the palm.
We can gently take a moment to bow.
Bowing as a forest to the world.
To the planet.
We are the same.
The enlightened in me sees and honors the enlightened forests in each and every one of you.
Namaste.
