And this week as we settle in for our guided visualization and meditation,
And finding a seat,
Whether it's on the floor or in a chair,
A place where you can be comfortable,
A place where a long spine and heavy shoulders can be found,
A place where you can pause.
And as you settle into this seat,
Taking a few rounds of your breath to carve out the space for you and your practice of mindfulness.
Feeling the gentle movement as the body expands on the inhale and softens on the exhale.
Really noticing that little whisper of the breath.
You begin to turn down the volume on the world around you.
Whether you have your eyes soft or closed,
I invite you to visualize a hat rack.
Perhaps it's a long bar on the wall with multiple hooks or a standing rack with hooks coming off not unlike a man-made tree,
Just without the leaves.
Maybe it's that tall standing hat rack,
A mahogany or a white wood,
Knobs on the end of the hooks.
Maybe it's metal.
Take a few moments just to visualize or perhaps recall hat rack you've seen in the past.
And keeping that just here in the visual,
I now invite you to consider all of the roles you play,
All of the hats you wear.
Whether a partner,
Perhaps a son or a daughter,
A parent,
An employee or a boss,
An entrepreneur,
An athlete,
A friend,
A caregiver.
The list could go on and on,
All of the hats you wear.
And on any given day,
Perhaps you feel a bit weighed down because there are always so many things to do.
And frankly,
There always will be things to do.
But for the next bit of time,
I invite you to begin taking off the hats and placing them on the rack.
Let them hang along the wall or hang on the standing hat rack as you take them off one at a time,
Your companion hat,
Your parent hat,
Your employee,
Employer hats.
As you hang up the hats,
Noticing perhaps there's texture.
Maybe you give them colors.
Perhaps some are a bit battered and worn.
Taking the layers away as you hang up your hats one at a time.
Yes,
There are roles that we play,
But beneath all of those layers,
Under all of those hats,
There is simply and beautifully you.
For the next bit of time,
I invite you to simply and beautifully be you.
And without a label,
Without a role,
Without a need to accessorize with that hat,
I offer you the mantra,
I am enough.
Perhaps as you breathe in,
I am.
You breathe out enough.
Following your breath,
Speaking these words to yourself,
Know them to be true.
I am enough.
Here in this seat,
Knowing all the hats are hung up,
See them,
All the colors,
All the textures.
And for the next bit of time,
Simply linger.
Now,
It might not be easy,
But here in your seat,
Just as you are.
Perfect.
I am enough.
Smooth even breath.
As you pause to remind yourself,
I am enough.
Notice the mind wanders,
Wondering what you should be doing and know that you are doing something,
Taking time for yourself and reminding yourself,
I am enough.
Forget anything.
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