Welcome.
Thank you so much for joining me here for this teaching from the I Ching filled with Tao wisdom and the message today is about the theme of restraint.
As we prepare to receive this teaching,
Allow your heart and your mind to open,
Softening into the body and assist this request and intention of an open heart and an open mind.
Taking a few gentle breaths,
Relaxing your muscles and grounding your thoughts,
Sending them into the earth,
Feeling your whole body sinking down,
Supported by the earth beneath you as well as from the heavens above.
Connecting into your heart centre,
Feeling your chest relaxing and if you'd like to bring your hands in front of heart centre now,
We're going to set our intention to trust.
I trust the teaching I am receiving from this ancient wisdom along with my own inner guidance is aligned with my highest good and for the greater good of all.
Breathe into that and exhaling,
Affirming by saying I trust.
Quietly presence and feeling into your stillness,
Whether your whole body is still or just parts of you are still.
There is stillness within you that is known as the mountain within and in this teaching of restraint from a hexagram 41 of the I Ching,
The mountain is seen in the upper trigram and below it is the lake.
The lake symbolizes joy,
Enjoyment,
Fulfillment and so with the lake beneath the mountain we see that the mountain is suppressing the lake.
The symbolism reflects the teaching which says the wise man restrains his wrath and represses his desires.
Unrestrained passions and indulgences in excess lead into difficulties.
It is time to exercise self-control and restraint.
How is this talking to you and your life right now?
Is there an area that you've been feeling you need to curb?
Perhaps it's time for a habit to go or to change.
Perhaps it's your health that needs to be looked at.
Do what you can and do what you need to to return to or bring about balance in your life.
Further guidance from the I Ching says you are in a situation where it is paramount that you curb your own excesses.
If you are sincere and unremitting in your efforts at self-improvement you will reap the rewards.
The improvement may only need be small.
It will be enough if it is done with genuine wholeheartedness.
There must be a persistent effort to improve character and avoid loss of self-control.
What are your first responses after hearing this wisdom?
Notice what's happening in the physical body and if there is any disturbance or discomfort place one hand lightly on the forehead and as you breathe gently in and out just remain in a supportive position for yourself until you feel more and more balanced and in center.
And return to this often,
This self-support during this time of self-restraint.
The inner symbology within these primary trigrams of the mountain and the lake shows earth and thunder.
So thunder always carries a message of change.
So even though it is within the mountain and within the lake we are called to heed this request while it is still small.
And return to your own inner mountain sanctuary for guidance,
For direction and for encouragement.
And if we look at the fifth line,
The Empress line of this hexagram,
It is encouraging because it says this is a time of great good fortune when you have success in everything.
May your light continue to shine for you and for those around you and may you be blessed with the wisdom of making wise choices.
As you exhale and let the focus go now,
Return to the breathe,
Return to the relaxed body and keeping the heart and mind open as you continue on your way.
And if you would like to dive deeper into this ancient technology of I Ching,
Its binary language,
Its hexagrams and trigrams and symbols and elements and endow us to guidance,
You will find a course under my profile named Divination with the I Ching.
I would love for you to journey through that with me so that you can gift yourself your own personal I Ching readings whenever you need to.
And now in closing the message from line four of hexagram 41.
Welcome help in your efforts when it is offered.
It comes from a genuine desire to contribute.
