Hi.
Welcome.
Welcome all of you.
My name is Karen.
I'm really happy that you're here with me today.
Begin by finding a position that feels supportive for your body right now.
You might be lying down or resting in another way that feels comfortable.
You're welcome exactly as you are.
There is nothing that you need to change or fix.
I wanted to offer a space,
A space that feels safe to rest in stillness,
When we are perhaps feeling overwhelmed,
Within uncertainty.
Because sometimes it's very hard to be still when it feels that we are surrounded by chaos.
It can feel like the rug of life has been pulled out from under our feet.
And the fact is,
Life is full of uncertainties.
It can get messy and chaotic.
And it's not unusual to feel anxious or fearful in those times.
The obstacles we face may seem insurmountable.
And our circumstances are in constant flux.
It can feel as though you're very much out of control.
And the truth is,
There's actually very little that we can control in life.
It seems like such a long time ago that I was raising my children,
Who are grown now.
One of my sisters used to say to me,
When we were raising our children,
They were quite young.
It's a phase.
It'll pass.
And so if something was going badly,
We were struggling with a particular period in the early stages of childhood rearing.
Hey,
Don't worry.
It's a phase.
It'll pass.
She would say the same thing when things were going well.
Hey,
Don't worry.
It's a phase.
It'll pass.
And of course she was quite right.
That's very much the truth.
All things pass,
Good and bad.
But it's all right to allow yourself to sit for a moment in that uncertainty.
None of us really knows where this is going.
And so when you find yourself in that space of chaos,
That's actually a great time to simply come to sit in stillness.
Yes,
Stillness.
Stillness without direction.
Without answer.
Stillness to experience whatever may come up for you.
Choosing to be still rather than to react,
To simply notice what's there.
And so if this topic speaks to you,
Let's take a moment to meditate.
Sit together.
It's not a long meditation.
And so you can sit,
Or if you'd rather,
You can lie down.
That's okay too.
So whether you're seated on the floor,
Maybe resting on a cushion,
Laying down or in a chair,
If you're comfortable with your eyes closed,
You can close them.
And if not,
Just soften your focus a little bit and maybe turn your gaze somewhat downward.
Let's begin by checking in.
Begin to notice the quality of your thoughts.
In times of uncertainty,
It might feel as though your thoughts are running pretty much out of control,
Running amok.
Let's see if you can rest,
Just a light focus here.
Not following one thought or another.
Instead,
Just allowing the thoughts to move in and out of focus.
If you notice that the mind is resting,
Maybe a little too heavily or too long on one thought,
Just give the mind permission to shift awareness to your breath,
Just to step away from those thoughts.
And now,
Let's notice what's there emotionally.
Often,
When we're in a state of uncertainty,
We tend to default to an underlying anxiousness.
We rest in a place of fear,
And that's a chaotic space in which to live,
And it's really hard for your body.
And now,
Begin to notice any sensations that might be present in your body.
Maybe there are spaces that feel tight or tense.
Spaces where you're tucking your anxiety,
Perhaps into the hips,
Or the belly,
The shoulders,
Or the jaw.
You might even notice that the skull cap itself is a little bit loose.
It feels really tight.
Simply notice what's there.
And now,
Let's bring our attention back to the breath,
Your breath.
Just feel it coming and going.
Nothing to change,
Nothing to fix.
No need to deepen it or lengthen it.
Just watching,
Feeling its changing nature.
The body has a wonderful capacity to do what it does.
Whether you are paying attention to it or not.
And in stillness,
This is a great opportunity to simply witness,
To watch the infinite wisdom of the body.
Notice how easily the breath moves,
How the breath can change.
How the breath sounds in your head or your throat.
You might become aware of the sounds in and around you,
Not looking for sounds.
But as they arrive,
As they come,
Allow them to move through you.
Just as you do your breath,
Inviting yourself,
In this moment,
To stillness.
Stepping out of the universal timescape of confusion and chaos.
Allowing yourself a simple breath in and out.
Well before the brain can cognize an emotion,
The emotion itself is already wreaking havoc on the body.
The body is in its own experience of shifting,
Tightening,
And loosening.
Tightening,
Breathing,
Adapting.
When the body is stimulated,
Whether through sight,
Sound,
Smell,
The body responds by releasing hormones.
It will change its nervous system,
Depending on what the stimuli might be.
And in those times of uncertainty,
We often find ourselves shifting into the sympathetic nervous system.
Rather than just letting the body do what it wants to do,
Rather than letting yourself react to those momentary images,
Words,
Thoughts,
Sounds that might trigger you into an emotional reaction.
Instead,
Look at them as passing states.
Notice the sensations changing in the body.
And watch them rise and fall.
Allowing them to come and go,
Just as you do your breath.
Gently shift your awareness now once again back to resting lightly with your breath.
Perhaps you might notice that your mind has wandered.
And if so,
Come back,
Come back.
We're not trying to solve anything right now.
We're not looking for a solution.
Just allowing this time to sit.
And to know that in this moment of uncertainty,
In this stillness,
That you're all right.
Bring awareness to whatever it is that you're resting on,
Whether that's the chair or the floor,
Or maybe your bed.
Notice that you are being supported wherever you're sitting or lying.
Imagine you are like a beautiful,
Tall oak tree with its roots reaching down,
Down deep,
Deep into Mother Earth,
Anchoring you safely there.
Notice that you are all right.
Allow your attention once again to shift back to your breath.
And let your breath breathe you.
Imagine your breath like a blanket wrapping itself around you,
Protecting you.
Knowing that within you,
You have all that you need.
We cannot know what the future holds.
We are always in a state of becoming.
Trust this.
Trust that you are supported by the universe.
Just as you are supported by Mother Earth right now,
Once again visualize your beautiful roots moving deep into Mother Earth.
She holds you.
And now wrap yourself in your breath.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Breathing in love and breathing out love.
Breathe in hope and breathe out hope.
We cannot know what our future holds.
And the best that we can do is to lay out as many conditions as we can to create that space for good fortune and possible outcomes.
But even when it seems that everything has gone awry,
Know that this is exactly where you're meant to be.
And this is exactly what is meant to happen.
You are allowed to feel frightened or anxious,
Angry or sad.
You are entitled to any emotion.
But you are also allowed to sit in stillness.
To pause.
And to remind yourself that this moment too will pass.
And to know that you have everything that you need.
When you're ready,
Begin to re-presence yourself back into the space of the room where you are.
And remember that this ability to sit in stillness is like a tool that can travel with you anywhere.
So that when you feel you are in those moments of overwhelm,
You can search for that stillness within.
Inviting your breath to wrap itself around you,
To nourish you.
To sit or to stand in stillness.
And to allow your roots to dig deep into the earth.
To hold you safe.
And to remind you that you are enough.
Namaste.
