Let Go

This meditation begins with a brief discussion on the power of words and the use of a mantra as the object of focus for dhyānam (meditation). We go over the six points of seated posture and use straw breath exhale with the words "Let go."

Transcript

Welcome to your meditation practice using a word as the object of focus. We know the power of the mind and our thoughts and how our thoughts can consume our reality whether they're positive or negative and this concept of law of attraction or manifestation is the idea of thinking a thought and then learning how to feel it, Embody it. Meditation is a practice that eventually over time teaches us how to relax the body. However most of us don't arrive at meditation in a relaxed state. All of us can probably agree that the mind is never relaxed. That's why we're here with this desire, This need to practice meditation. However a lot of the times we arrive to our practice and the body is also not relaxed. Now we are speaking about lots of different systems of the body culminating into settling into a few minutes and moments, Right? Even if the meditation is longer than what we'll do today, 40 minutes is still sometimes not enough time to get the nervous system to relax. If the nervous system is in a constant sympathetic state then it will take longer and more practice to find that place of relaxation. What you want to remember is that in meditation you want to release that trying or doing state. And so when I share with you this word of letting go in our meditation coupled with breath it's not something that I want you to try to achieve. It's something that eventually happens just by becoming aware of your experience. Just your seat and it doesn't matter how you sit. I would prefer that you don't lean on the back of your chair if you're sitting in a chair. You only use a chair or the wall if you have some sort of spinal injury or discomfort. Otherwise we want to try sitting without leaning our back on anything. Now of course you can always lie down. That's my favorable method of meditation. And for shorter practices like we'll do today I like to sit up and practice seated. So if you're on a chair or if you're on the ground and you're sitting on a cushion or a pillow you just want to bring your sitting bones to the front of your prop. Move the flesh of the bottom back to the side and it will adjust the weight forward in the pelvis. So it creates this from the front of the hip bones an anterior pelvic tilt allowing the natural lumbar curve to be in its neutral state which will support the stability of the spine and also the relaxation of the leg bones out of the hip sockets. If you find that your legs are pretty tense in your hips and it's hard for you to feel grounded in your legs then sit on more cushion or that would be a good indication to sit in a chair. So sitting bones to the front of your prop, Knees as wide as possible if you're on the ground, Weight rolls to the front of the shins, Ankles, Feet and if you're sitting in a chair feet hip width apart, Soles of feet rooted. Place the palms down. Close the eyes. And as soon as the eyes close, What I'd like you to acknowledge is the unrest, The parts of you that are not at rest. And so there's that settling that occurs for an undetermined amount of time and focus on exhaling out of the mouth, Letting that exhale assist this dropping down into the body out of the head. Feel as if the earth underneath you, The greater energy of the earth is pulling that scattered energy and mind space. So every time you exhale just feel like the bones grounding and that all the places that you've put your attention, Your focus, Your body, Your heart, That everything starts to turn in and settle down. So focusing on the exhales out of the mouth to let that happen. Let the tongue drop and the jaw soften and every time you exhale out of the mouth into this pull of the earth energy, You invite the possibility of rest. However, You're not trying to achieve it. Let's take a breath in together out of the mouth. And now we'll ascend and descend the breath scanning the body slow. Inhale from soles of feet to crown of head sit taller. Exhale out the mouth from crown exiting out through the soles of the feet. Exhale scanning the body slow welcoming all thoughts, Sensations. Exhale out the mouth emptying, Holding on to nothing, Emptying completely. One more time. And if you find that helpful, You haven't quite settled yet, Please continue to do that breath. If you feel a little more grounded and you want to release the control of the breath and do that, Let the breath be soft, Breathing you as we go through the six points of posture that you want to think about every time you sit, Sit in meditation. So we spoke about the weight in the sitting bones, The bottom flesh wide, Legs relaxed out of the hip socket, Feet grounded and soft. You have neutral pelvis, Tailbone just sticks out a little. It feels as if the belly could just fall so relaxed. And you want to feel that the spine is elongating out of the pelvic bowl. So I feel a rise of the sternum, A gentle squeeze of the shoulder blades together and even leaning the breastbone back a little bit like there's an imaginary wall. Right tuck of chin, Feel as the base of the skull widens that the spine could extend above the head and there's a pillar, A crystal wand through the spine to anchor you. So those are the first three steps, Legs, Pelvis and spine. Now I prefer palms down, Giving energy to the ground. However you can place your hands as ever, However you prefer, Palms up, Maybe a mudra, A seal with the hands or interlaced in the lap, Palms up. And there's different qualities of presence through the hands, Right? So choose what allows you to align your attention to right now. So that's step three, The arms, Hands relaxed out of the shoulder sockets and excuse me that's step four. Legs, Pelvis, Spine, Arms, Hands. So now five, Tongue relaxed, Jaw soft. Six, Eyes soft. Your eyes can be closed, That's how I prefer. However there is open eye gazing, Especially in Zen Buddhism. Really nice for receiving the external environment while refining your attention within. Really nice to do in nature. Use a gaze that helps you be here fully. Now take a bigger breath. And as you look down your body at the center, Where does your attention just naturally go? So there are a couple spots. It could be the navel, Belly button or below. It could be the chest, The heart. So when you take a bigger breath, Where does your attention just naturally go watching the breath? And the more that you practice meditation, Finding your center, Your center may shift and the center is defined in different ways and different traditions. So for me right now, My heart, The center of the chest is calling me. So just go to a place, Maybe navel or heart, You choose. And I want you to fill that area with breath. So taking a big inhale and then practicing straw breath. So purse the lips. Imagine blowing through a soft straw like blowing out a candle but without any force. Yours relaxed again. Breath fills in the area you've chosen, Straw breath, Exhale. And trusting the choice, The location you've chosen. Through the technique, Give yourself permission to notice ease. The natural reaction or tendency may always be to the limitation, The difficulty or the distraction and that's okay. Align your attention back to breathing in into navel and chest, Navel or chest, Excuse me, And then straw breath, Exhale. Tongue soft. And creating the opportunity for space if it wants to arise. In between the breaths, Gentle pauses. In between the thoughts. And over time, Space in the body. And as your mind, Your body, Your breath is acknowledging space, Notice how the breath changes. One more breath. Release the breath when you're able and keep your attention to that area, Navel or chest, Heart. Give yourself a moment to savor the effects. And now with our breath soft, Add whatever area you've chosen. We'll begin to add an English word when you use a word as a mantra, A tool for the mind, Mantra tool or to cross over. It can be in any language. I'm fond of Sanskrit mantras, However, Today we'll use an English word. And now with the breath so soft, Every time you exhale, Your inner gaze is just at your chest or your belly. I want you to think silently, So softly, A suggestion, Just let go on the exhale. Take a gentle whisper, Carried on a cool breeze, Just every exhale, Let go. No force, No effort, No goal in mind. And then feel your body responding. From the chest or the navel, Just gently expand your attention to encompass the whole of your body. And what would letting go feel like in your body? A gentle suggestion, What would it feel like in your body? Every exhale, Silently thinking, Let go. And as I ask you that question, What would it feel like in your body? Words might arise, And that's normal. However, See if there can be no language, A felt sense of letting go. And you're not trying to let go. You're thinking, Let go. And it's just so curious. What would it feel like in your body? And let what's arising be there, Whether it's something potent and whether it seems like nothing. Maybe it's just a thought that has nothing to do with letting go. And that's okay too. Every exhale so soft, Let go. Breath. Can you feel it? Every exhale, Let go. Take a full breath in, Please. And a full breath out. Let's chant the sound of om. O-M, Together, Hands to your heart. Exhale. Breathe in. Thumbs in between the eyebrows, Bowing the head. We honor sharing this sacred space together. We close by saying namaste. Then as you raise your head, Eagle mudra, Cross the thumbs, The palms face your chest with your fingers side by side, Spreading like wings and place your hands on your heart, Bow your head. Now honor, Praise, Rejoice and celebrate the flow of your practice, Your process, Your heart. We close by saying honoring ourselves, Jayo fla. Thank you.