Hello there,
Welcome to this meditation on the Serenity Prayer.
My name is Joe Holtway and I use this,
I've used this prayer in different groups that I've worked with doing meditations,
Some trauma groups,
Groups with depression and find it much comfort myself and so wanted to record an insight timer meditation relaxation on the Serenity Prayer.
If you're unfamiliar it comes from the 1940s and an American theologian called Reinhold Neibor is attributed as writing it as part of a wider text and it says grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
It's widely used in church groups,
In 12-step groups and other trauma and recovery type settings.
So for the next 15 or so minutes I'm going to give you a guided relaxation with the guitar of my voice and then sing you a version of the Serenity Prayer at the end.
This will be the whole relaxation meditation will be themed on acceptance of the present moment and the developing the capacity to listen in and to find that wisdom.
Okay so I'm going to give you 30 seconds to find a comfortable place you won't be disturbed for 15 minutes.
Close your eyes and get in touch with your breathing and the shape of your body.
It could be sitting or lying down.
Okay so we're going to take three breaths in and out together which is how I start all my meditations.
So breathing in hold for two and I'll breathe out on three and when I say hold for two we're going to breathe into the belly so put your hand on your belly to have a sense of that you are breathing there because you'll feel your hand move up.
So breathing in holding one two and breathing out.
Do that two more times so breathing in and breathing out.
One more time breathing in one two and breathing out.
Lovely.
So how are you feeling today just checking in with the body and anything that's going on in your mind right now maybe there's some thoughts or feelings that you might have been drawn to this meditation because of.
We're going to do what we can to focus on the body and the breathing and accepting the body and the breathing in this moment as a way to help us accept what else is happening in our lives and the wisdom here will come from the sense of love that we generate within ourselves which allows a wise our wisest self to come through.
By rest and relaxation meditation is so important.
We're not trying to find answers here we're creating the conditions for the answers to emerge within.
Okay so letting our breathing come to a natural rhythm.
We're going to first feel our feet so wiggle your toes if that helps to get your attention there and gently taking your toes and the sole of your foot and the top of your foot your heel and the lower part of the leg.
We've got the muscle there the calf muscle.
The shin fibula and tibular bones and up to the knee and then above we've got the femur.
The quadriceps and the hamstrings at the front and back of the leg.
Allowing our body to rest feeling the shape of the body and feeling that we're breathing with the we're kind of breathing the body in a way.
We're breathing the body into relaxation.
We're bringing lots of oxygen in there and we're regulating slow in slow out.
Conducive to rest.
Pelvis,
The buttocks,
Hips and waist.
We've got the belly.
We've got the stomach and intestines.
Side of the body.
Then we've got the chest,
The lungs and the shoulders.
Breathing deeply into the lungs.
Left arm over the shoulder and down to the elbow.
Into the lower part of the arm,
The wrist and the hands,
Palms and fingers.
Then moving to the fingers of the right hand and move down the fingers into the palm to the wrist.
The forearm to the elbow.
Then we've got the bicep up to the shoulder and then we're going to come across to the neck.
Feeling the air there coming down through the nose or mouth,
Ears,
The eyes under eyelids and the forehead,
Top of the head and back of the head.
So there's the whole body there.
So this is quite simple in a way this meditation.
We relax the body in touch with the breathing.
I'm going to sing you the serenity prayer now and then after the meditation I invite you to come back to think about those things that are happening in your life and see if you see them in any different way.
So breathing while I sing to you.
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.
The courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference and understand.
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.
The courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference and understand.
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.
The courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference and understand.
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.
The courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference and understand.
Okay so feeling back into your body and your breath can roll over onto your side.
Maybe just touch your arm or your hand or your shoulder.
Embrace your body in some way.
And go gently into the rest of your day or evening if you're listening to this in the evening time.
