Welcome to this Equinox Celebration meditation.
In honoring of this time of change we're going to be reading and meditating on a verse from the Tao Te Ching.
Tao Te Ching is a spiritual compilation of verses written by Lao Tzu from the time of ancient China.
But before we do that let's just take a few moments to just connect with our inner self and in order to do that ensure that you are comfortable,
As comfortable as can be right now.
If you need to adjust something,
The position that you're sitting in,
If you want to lie down,
If you want to curl up,
Go into whatever whatever position and space feels right for you.
And even if there are distractions around,
Just let them go.
Just continue to breathe out any distractions that come into your frame of reference.
They might not even be external distractions,
It could be internal thoughts or emotions or physical sensations.
Just breathe them out.
Having acknowledged them for a moment let them go as you continue to focus inwards and be present with this meditation.
So let's just start with two minutes of silence just honoring the self.
Just allowing the breath to flow in a way that is calming and soothing for you.
Allowing the nervous system to completely relax and just breathe.
I will let you know when the two minutes is up.
In the meantime all you have to do is just relax.
Continue to maintain a deep sense of relaxation.
Really allowing the self to settle,
Feeling the body heavy while expansive,
Feeling the mind open and continuing to remain clear.
Allow yourself to enter into a space of receiving now as we prepare to hear this verse from the Dada Ching.
It is verse number 50 and goes as follows.
We come out into life and go back into death.
Three out of ten follow along after life.
Three out of ten follow along after death and another three out of ten are given life but by their activities march off after death.
Listen,
Why should this be?
It is because they are too strongly attached to life.
I've heard it generally said that a man who is good and taking care of his life will travel hill and dale but not encounter wild horned buffaloes or tigers.
He will enter a battlefield but not put on a protective armor.
The wild buffalo finds no place to thrust its horns.
The tiger finds no place to sink its claws and soldiers find no place to strike with their blades.
Now listen,
Why is this?
It is because for him there is no dangerous place.
Notice now what's going on in the body after hearing those words.
What's going on in the mind and emotionally.
Take one hand and place it on your forehead,
Another hand over the heart center.
We're just going to be in this position for the next three minutes as we allow whatever has been sparked within us through this wisdom that we have just heard.
Let us allow that to talk to us even if it's in a way that we do not understand or comprehend consciously.
Just remain present with yourself and your awareness and I will let you know when three minutes is up.
You can relax your hands now down to your sides.
Keep that deepened connection that you have with yourself right now.
Whatever journey you've gone on internally,
Just acknowledge that and take a moment to acknowledge what change means to you right now in your life.
Change can bring about uncertainty.
There is the option for opportunities.
There are unknown expectations,
Hidden expectations.
All the while it is our perception of change,
Of something new or perhaps a new version of something we know which can be seen in a variety of different lights and always remembering that while we cannot always change external situations and environments in a specific time frame,
We do have the choice of perception and that perception manages the quality of our mind.
So are you going to see this time of change that we're going into as a battlefield?
Do you feel that you need to put on your protective armor or do you feel free and light as you move into a space of the unknown?
And as you consider what is coming up for you,
Allow what is really really deep inside and authentically you right now,
Whatever that is,
Even if the mind is saying I shouldn't be feeling like this or I'd rather or ought to or need to think in this way or that way.
Instead acknowledge what is really there for you right now for it is in our true self-awareness that sustainable transformation can take place for us and in many cases the transformation just needs the self-awareness,
The raw acknowledgement that this is who I am right now.
This is where I'm at right now.
So just allow that,
Be with that be with that and breathe into that.
Slowly start to deepen the breath,
Breathing in deeply through the nose,
Expanding the ribcage while keeping the shoulders relaxed.
You can exhale through the nose or through an open mouth,
Whatever's most comfortable,
All the while keeping your attention on change and your relationship with it right now.
Keep breathing deeply,
Expanding the breath by expanding the ribcage,
Keeping the shoulders relaxed,
Keeping the jaw relaxed and if you're finding yourself becoming emotional,
Place one hand lightly on the forehead and just allow,
Keep that breath flowing and you can perhaps start using the word change like a mantra.
Change,
Change,
Change and now just let that all go.
Relax the hand from the forehead if your hand was there,
Let your breathing settle to a place and a space that's comfortable and a natural rhythm.
Take your attention from the focus where it was,
Just allow your focus now to either be on the breath or maybe just one particular area on the body.
It can be the throat,
It can be the solar plexus,
The heart center,
Wherever you're drawn to focus on right now,
Just do that and just allow the body to go into a space of complete relaxation.
Allow a feeling of lightness to enter,
Enter your mind,
Enter your physical body and add a little smile to your lips and slowly start to deepen the breath as you move your hands,
Your feet ever so gently and moving other areas of the body now,
Just waking up the physical body out of a state of meditation and into a more awakened state and you can choose to take this feeling and the space that you have created for yourself now,
You can take it with you as you leave this meditation and move into another activity or perhaps flow into sleep.
Wherever you are going right now,
See if you can hold some of this energy that you have created.
I thank you for joining me for this Equinox Celebration Meditation and I wish you a wonderful time of change.
