Hi everyone,
This is Haley Pinkson.
The topic of this podcast is exploring friendship and meditation.
There is a quote by an unknown author that goes like this,
People come into your life for a reason,
A season,
Or a lifetime,
And when you figure out which one it is,
You will know what to do for each person.
When someone is in your life for a reason,
It is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty to provide you with guidance and support,
To aid you physically,
Emotionally,
Or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend,
And they are.
They are there for a reason you need them to be.
So what does this have to do with meditation?
This is a full disclosure podcast about how your meditation journey could change or impact friendships and people in your life.
I should warn you,
Some of your family and friends may not support you in this exploration,
And for some it will make them uncomfortable,
Because they are not in a frame of mind to grow or stretch themselves.
For others,
They will be curious about what you are doing,
But it will cause them discomfort to step outside their own comfort zone with you.
And for others,
They will be supportive of your journey,
And support you along the way.
You will need to be mindful of where people are at,
And be okay with this wide range of reactions.
They will notice the changes in you,
And could ask you questions about it.
When I started meditating,
My husband initially called it a séance.
A séance is defined as an event which the living seek to get in touch with members of the spirit world.
Needless to say,
I had to set the record straight with a few people.
The good news is,
Is you can pick and choose who you share this journey with.
It really doesn't matter what the reaction is for others.
It really only matters how you feel about it.
It really only matters about your experience,
Your reflection,
And your insight,
Because this is all about you.
Meditation is a really good friend.
It teaches you life lessons.
It supports you.
It calms you.
It helps build compassion.
It requires present-moment attention and practice to build and grow.
It is an experience of peace,
And will teach you things.
It will also give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Let us explore meditation and friendship as I take you through a guided meditation.
At the end of the meditation,
You will hear a soft bell.
It is important to come out of the meditation slowly and take your time.
There is no rush.
I will be here guiding you through the entire process.
The theme of this meditation is friendship.
This is about engaging your attention in the present moment on what you are experiencing without judgment.
Let us center our attention and bring awareness to the present moment.
Let us center our attention and bring awareness to friendship.
Explore this meditation with mindful curiosity as you become mindful of your body,
Mindful of the environment,
And as you maintain a gentle present-moment focus.
Start by finding a comfortable position.
Let us settle into our breath,
Placing your feet flat on the ground with your hands laying comfortably in your lap.
Or if you are sitting on a cushion,
Find a comfortable position with your hands resting comfortably in your lap,
Closing your eyes if you prefer,
And become present,
Still,
And relaxed in this moment.
Observe the sensations of the body and notice what you are thinking.
As you become more relaxed,
Notice the chatter of your mind starting to quiet.
When your mind wanders,
Come back to the present moment.
Being mindful of anything getting in your way and let it go on the exhale breath.
Release any tension you notice.
Let go of anything that might be getting in your way of you being here in this present moment.
Remembering it's okay to have thoughts,
And when a thought occurs,
Simply notice the thought without judgment and let the thought go on the exhale breath.
Exploring the sensations in your body mindfully with curiosity and without judgment.
Simply engaging your attention in the present moment on what you are experiencing without judgment.
For this meditation,
Let us welcome everything.
For this meditation,
Simply let go of any expectations.
At any point during this meditation,
If your mind starts to wander,
Simply come back to your breath as an anchor of focus.
Remembering to be kind to yourself.
Let us consider what are the friendships in your life.
How can you support,
Grow,
And strengthen your friendships?
Do they bring you an experience of peace?
Do they make you laugh?
Do they teach you something you have never done before?
Do they usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy?
Let us consider the impact of letting go of the need for approval.
We will take the next few minutes in silence,
Giving you the opportunity to continue to focus your breath as you mindfully maintain a gentle present moment focus.
Let us explore friendship with curiosity.
I will keep track of the time as we take these moments of silence together.
Keeping your eyes closed as we integrate back from the meditation,
Start by wiggling your toes and fingers or any part of your body that feels right for you.
Take as much time as you need to come out of the meditation slowly and mindfully.
And when you are ready,
You can open your eyes.
Thank you for joining me in this meditation and I hope you enjoyed the experience.
May we honor the light,
Love,
Truth,
Beauty,
And peace in all of us.
Namaste.
