There's much going on in the world today.
These are trying and tender times.
Grief is rampant and we are being beckoned to take action to help heal the collective,
To heal our hearts as well as others.
But we cannot fulsomely show up for others when we have not first explored the full spectrum of our own emotional landscape.
And in fact,
Attempting to do so may actually result in more rather than less harm,
Both to ourselves as well as others.
This meditation is a loving call to explore whatever is present in our heart space,
To accept and allow what needs to arise and nourish ourselves with wise compassion so we can get to the critical work of helping to heal the collective.
Begin by taking a comfortable position,
Whatever feels best for you and your body right now.
I suggest sitting upright with your feet touching the earth,
But if you prefer another position,
Please do as you need.
I invite you to place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly and close your eyes if that feels sufficiently safe for you.
Take a moment to give thanks to the Eastern cultures and communities that fostered and passed down this potent practice of meditation so that we may come together to practice today.
Begin to envision a bright white healing light radiating from the center of your chest up and out the top of your head through your crown chakra and slowly showering over and surrounding your entire being until you are bathed in bright white light.
Know that you are safe here for this moment,
For this meditation,
To feel whatever it is you need or wish to feel.
Take a slow deep breath in through the nose and a long cleansing exhale out of the mouth and then ask yourself as you connect to your heart space,
How does my heart how does my heart feel?
How does my heart feel right here right now?
And then check in,
Drop in to explore your physical and emotional self,
To connect with you.
Perhaps you feel anger,
Anxiety,
Grief,
Joy,
Sadness,
Love,
Or likely a combination of many emotions all at once.
We so rarely feel just one thing.
This is an offering to lean into allowing and accepting the multitude of our emotions that may be arising at this time.
Know that there is no need to change or run from whatever it is you may be feeling.
Do your best right here right now to embrace whatever it is that is arising,
To simply be here now.
However you feel,
When you feel ready,
I invite you to express those feelings either aloud or in your mind's eye,
Repeating after me,
I feel,
And then fill in whatever emotions need expressing.
Whether it's one or ten,
Simply repeating aloud or in your mind's eye however it is you're feeling.
I feel.
Begin to notice where these emotions live in your body.
Perhaps it's a tightness in the chest or rumbling in the belly or tension in the jaw or brow.
However it is your emotions are showing up,
However they are manifesting for you physically and emotionally right now.
Can you find more ease with your breath?
Can you breathe into whatever discomfort may be arising?
Take another deep inhale and a long slow exhale.
Simply allow.
Ask whatever emotions may be arising why they are here right now.
Why are you here?
And get curious.
What is it my emotions would have me know?
What is it my emotions would like to share with me here and now?
This is a practice of being overdoing.
Our emotions arise for good reason and serve a great purpose.
They carry wisdom and information about injustices in the world,
Personal boundaries that have been crossed.
They help us know when we need to act.
So often we feel that we need to demonize the ways in which we are feeling and we so frequently have big visceral feelings about our feelings.
This is our opportunity to sit with being as opposed to doing and heed to our inner wisdom to allow whatever feelings need to arise and whatever feelings we may have about those feelings.
Being is no simple or easy task.
In a world run by oppressive and discriminatory systems,
We are bombarded by distractions intentionally designed to prevent us from tapping into our heart space,
From being and allowing.
Because stillness and compassion are the precursors to revolution.
We transform the world as it currently exists by beginning to tap into our heart space so that we can get to the urgent and critical work of creating collective change.
Exploring our emotions is one of the many ways we help ourselves and this planet get free.
It is the beginning step,
The beginning internal step to the external shift we desperately need.
So I invite you to continue this exercise of being,
Overdoing and notice what comes up when you lean into and allow whatever needs allowing.
Envision once again a white healing light clearing out your heart space.
Picture it moving through all the ventricles of the heart,
The aorta and slowly filling up your entire chest space.
This beautiful white light is clearing and healing and wrapping your heart space in a protective white light.
Slowly taking another long inhale through the nose and a deep slow exhale out through the mouth,
Releasing whatever it is that no longer serves.
Begin to bring yourself back into the space,
Into the here and the now,
Slowly opening your eyes if they were closed and coming back into the present moment whenever and however feels best for you.
You may wish to journal what has come up for you during this meditation,
The feelings and emotions that exist in your heart space right now,
Why these emotions are here and what it is they would have you know.
Be tender with yourself as you continue in this process of being,
Overdoing,
Allowing and accepting.
Take good care of yourself for the rest of this day and the rest of all your days.
We need you.
Thank you so much for joining me for this loving exploration of our emotions.
Aashe.
