Welcome to today's practice.
In this meditation we're finding ourselves some relief.
Relief from stress,
Worries,
Fear.
Relief from guilt,
Shame,
Or self-criticism.
Relief from the pressures of everyday life that sometimes take us over.
And we're going to do this with a simple shift in perspective,
By focusing not on things outside of ourselves that we can't control,
But on what it is we do have control over.
Our own thinking.
So today we're going to find relief by shifting our thoughts from worry,
Fear,
Or any other troubling thought,
To relief.
So let's begin.
Start by releasing any tension you might be feeling,
Even subconsciously,
As you allow yourself to relax.
And soften your gaze,
Or close your eyes.
See if you can let go of whatever's come before this moment,
And anything that's coming after,
As you gently ease into being here and now.
Let's take one deep breath in,
Inhale.
And exhale.
Sometimes the voice inside our head,
Urging us to do things in a certain way,
Can become so overpowering that we feel overwhelmed by the feeling of not measuring up to a particular standard.
Sometimes it's our fear of the unknown,
Our concerns over some possible future that gets the better of us.
And sometimes we just can't let go of something that's happened in the past.
Whatever it is that has its claws in you,
Today we're going lessen its grip so that we can start to feel the feelings of relief.
Because it's from the place of relief that all life flows.
It's from this place that how you really want to live starts to emerge.
And it's from this place of relief that who you really are finds its way forward so that you can meet any challenges that come your way with more capacity,
More trust in your own ability,
And more forgiveness.
So I invite you to imagine you're sitting in front of a smooth lake.
The air is warm,
You can hear the sounds of nature around you,
And you can feel the warmth of the sun on your face.
Let's take a deep breath in,
Inhale.
And exhale.
The lake is like the mood you find yourself in.
In this moment the lake is still,
And it matches your current state of being.
Calm,
Peaceful,
And quiet.
This is where you feel free.
Who you are in this moment is the truest version of you.
And this is the state we want to return to when life starts to feel unmanageable.
Now imagine briefly some difficult thought,
A concern,
A worry about something you're troubled about,
What comes to mind?
Imagine that troubling thought,
It's like a pebble or maybe a rock thrown into the smooth lake in front of you.
If you leave it alone and let it sink to the bottom,
Your beautiful lake quickly returns to its glassy surface as you find your way back to that feeling of peaceful contentment,
Ease,
Relief.
But if you're inundated with rocks and pebbles and you thrash around trying to fix them all,
Splashing wildly in the water in front of you,
Your lake becomes rippled,
Tumultuous,
Wavy.
But here's what I want you to get from this meditation.
Relief is available to you in any moment that you choose.
And it's not found by tackling all the problems around you.
It's not found by ignoring them either.
Relief is the state that you choose through your intention to know that peace,
Contentment,
And freedom no matter what you decide to take on.
So whether you take a quiet moment for yourself,
You choose relief.
Or whether you take on a task and make the most of it,
You choose relief.
And whether you're planning for the future,
Thinking about the past,
Or starting to dig into what needs to be done,
You choose relief.
Because relief isn't found at the end of all your struggles.
It's right here.
It's found in your decision to choose it above everything else so that you can move through all the things in your life with more ease.
I invite you to brace and embody the feelings of relief imagining that beautiful smooth lake in front of you by repeating these affirmations with me.
Number one,
I let go of struggle and welcome ease.
Number two,
I choose relief.
Number three,
In moments of trouble,
I come back to my inner me.
Number four,
My inner self is always free.
And number five,
Every time I come back to me,
I feel relief.
As we come to the end of this meditation,
I invite you to come back to the feeling of freedom that comes when you choose relief over struggle.
And I invite you to come back to it every day or all through the day and see what effect this practice has on your life.
Thank you so much for taking the time to be here with me today.
I'm Ilia Grace.
And until next time,
Trust in your practice and in your own inner guidance and allow the universe to work its magic.
