A Meditation About Letting Go Into Fall

It’s been an eventful summer. Fires, hurricanes, indictments, work...and hopefully you've also had a few cool dips in the lake or the ocean, or been able to take a few deep breaths in the forest.

I want to hold onto the memories of those long, cold swims in the lake. Mostly I want to let go of the front page. More than anything, I want to let go of the ease and well-being of the mountains, even (or especially) when I'm back at my desk, writing curriculum, offering programs, and watching the clock.

What are you letting go into this fall?

Transcript

Finding your posture,

Whatever your most supportive posture is,

And maybe letting go of any sense of how you feel that you should be sitting or what should be happening right now.

And just noticing what is,

How is your body right now?

How is your breath?

And then invite you to just do a simple body scan,

Starting with the top of the head and letting the attention flow down through the body,

Letting go at the top of the head,

The forehead,

The eyes,

Letting them fall back into their sockets,

The cheeks,

The tongue,

The jaw,

The back of the head,

The neck and the throat,

Shoulders,

Arms,

Hands,

Fingers,

Upper chest and upper back,

Abdomen and lower back,

Pelvis,

Buttocks,

Sit bones,

Upper legs,

Lower legs,

Feet,

Toes.

And then maybe a couple of more times at your own pace,

Just really checking out this sensation of letting go,

Building some motor memory.

It is as if we have been in a one-room cabin with our relatives snowed in for an entire winter.

While we may love our relatives,

What is gained when we open the door and get out into the spring probably feels exquisite.