Letting Go & Setting Down What You Have Been Carrying

What are you still carrying that has already done its work?
This short teaching takes you to a river, to an old raft, and to the weight sitting on your shoulders long after the crossing.
Come and set it down with me.

Transcript

There is an old teaching about a traveler. Who comes to a wide river. There is no bridge or boat there. And everything she is walking towards. Rests on the other side of the river. So she gathers branches and reeds from the bank and binds them into a rock. And then pushes off. The water is choppy in places. But the raft holds her the whole way across. She arrives and steps onto dry ground. Again. Because the Roth served her so well. She pulls it onto the ground. And continues to pull it with her. For the rest of her journey. The question now remains, What really is the raft there for now? What purpose is it serving this woman? And then bring this into your own experience. What raft are you pulling or carrying that once served you? But is no longer necessary. Perhaps it is the watchfulness that kept you safe. At a time when you were called to protect yourself. Perhaps it was the self-reliance that was built. Or is it the story you tell about why you are the way you are? These are all wraths. They were well-made at the time. They carried you across what you needed to be carried. But now the terrain has changed. And all those Ra are no longer necessary. Where do you feel the weight of them in your body? Sometimes it settles across the shoulders. The back of the neck. Or in a tight chest. Breathe into those places. And let the breath move underneath that weight. Now ask yourself quietly. Would I have crossed that river without this raft? Oftentimes, That which is ready to be released is something that once saved you, Helped you, And so there is this sense of loyalty. But letting go can be part of an act of thanks. So as you set the raft down at the water's edge, Where it belongs, Look at it for a moment and acknowledge what it carried you through. And then Turn towards your path. Take a breath. Relax your shoulder. And consider. How you now feel that your arms have become free. Is it lighter? Perhaps more open. Perhaps there's nothing to notice at the moment. What you do know is that the water is behind you. The rafts raced on the bank. And your path ahead. Asks nothing of you but the next step. Taken in ease and trust.