What is it that keeps us from doing what we know that we need to want to do?
What is the internal dialogue that allows us to shy away from taking a step towards greater well-being?
There's certainly this internal dialogue coaxed out by the ego that wants to keep us from meditating because meditation essentially is a technology to help us release the grasp of the ego to actually be able to let go and release the need to protect ourselves for a moment,
A few moments.
And that's terrifying to the ego which wants to keep us safe.
And so ego comes up with all of these thoughts to alert you to all the things that need to be done,
To alert you to that thing that you forgot to do.
It can even alert you to just needing to go to the bathroom.
Don't have time for this right now.
So what we're learning in meditation,
What we practice and what we can start to accomplish even if it's not full release of ego is simply to be aware of that process inside of us,
Knowing why we hear what we hear in our head,
That it's not always something that needs to be acted on immediately but it's something coming up to try to keep us safe,
Keep us in a contained experience where we know the boundaries of where we are.
So part of it is simply allowing ourselves to be aware of all of what's going on inside of us mentally,
Emotionally,
Physically and to simply allow that to be for a few minutes.
And it can literally be just a few minutes.
A few minutes allows us to breathe,
Allows us to let go a little bit,
Allows us to relax a little bit.
The longer and deeper we go into it,
The more we get into releasing,
Exploring,
Acknowledging something deeper and eventually giving in,
Surrendering to the forces and simply being.
So let's just take that breath into our bellies.
The breath is the tool here,
The main source of our existence in the moment.
Also the great way to monitor where we are in the stress response.
Recognizing when we're breathing shallowly into the chest that the system,
The body,
The mind is bracing,
Is acknowledging fear,
Is setting up the system to defend,
To work,
To solve.
So when we bring our breath into the belly,
There's an acknowledgement that that's not necessary.
That story that's running through the system isn't entirely true because here we are able to sit,
Able to be in meditation.
And the goal here is to release into the deep rest and rejuvenation when the nervous system calms where all of the armor can be released,
All the tension,
Prepare for the fight can let go.
And we can simply and slowly move into a deeper state of presence,
Of just being.
We can't just do that at will,
We can't just tell ourselves to be as nice as that sounds.
We actually need to adjust physically,
Adjust mentally,
And adjust emotionally by releasing tension,
By bringing the breath deep into the belly,
Signaling the mind,
Signaling the brain,
Turn down stress.
Whatever thoughts are coming through,
Just acknowledge they're there,
Don't believe or buy into whatever they're saying,
It's just simply unnecessary in the moment,
Here,
Now.
Keep the focus,
Return the focus to the breathing.
As we drop a little bit further back into awareness as we breathe,
We can notice all that's happening within us,
All of this complex system that is us,
And simply acknowledge that there's so much happening.
There's a lot of tension,
A lot of movement,
There's a lot of thought,
A lot of visuals,
Maybe even emotion in the system.
All of that is fine.
We breathe and just acknowledge,
Breathe and watch.
Every time we breathe out,
Just noticing a little bit more tension release in the body.
The breath in just is bringing in the material for release,
Bringing in the material for repair and rejuvenation.
Just bringing the focus,
Bringing the awareness up into the face and the head,
Just noticing all that tension.
Notice around the forehead,
Around the eyebrows,
The cheeks and the jaw,
Notice all of that.
With each breath out,
Just let a little of that go,
Let the face droop a little bit.
You can imagine it washing away with this peaceful fluid coming in,
Just washing over our heads,
Into our face,
Washing away any of the tension.
This peaceful feeling coming down,
Just gently taking away tension,
Taking away emotion,
Anger,
Sadness.
And it's placed just leaving light,
Leaving something bright and available,
This source type of energy that can calm,
Strengthen,
Rejuvenate and vibrate at a higher level.
Bringing the awareness,
Tension down to the neck and the shoulders and just allowing that energy,
That washing away to continue down the body.
Just go down,
Down into the earth below,
Just coming down through the body,
Washing away all the areas of clenching,
All the areas that we hold back,
Hold ourselves back.
Relieving the fear,
Acknowledging the emotions that might be around.
Simply releasing that grasp,
The hands.
Starting to notice and look and feel in the body for that basic vibration of life,
That basic buzzing,
Allowing that to come through,
Clearing away all that gets in that way,
All that blocks,
All that stagnates.
Breathing just a little bit further with each breath.
Inhaling and exhaling.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Then enhancing the breath a little bit,
Bringing it in until there's no space left in the belly,
The chest,
All the way to the edges of what can come in.
And then on the way out,
Releasing until there's no more air to be squeezed out,
Pulling in the abdomen,
Pulling up the diaphragm at the end of that out breath.
At least trying to squeeze it all out.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Inhaling.
And after that next out breath,
Just releasing the breath,
Allowing yourself to be breathed,
Pulling back your awareness to watch,
Notice the system without grabbing onto anything.
Just noticing whatever's there,
All sensation,
All thought,
Without any need to be involved.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
Noticing the quiet,
Noticing where there is peace.
Beginning to bring your awareness back forward into the body,
Feeling into the hands and the toes,
Fingers,
And slowly opening your eyes,
Bringing the quiet,
Calm stillness into the rest of the day.
Keeping that possibility always available.
