Hi,
My name is Karen.
I'm really happy that you're here today with me.
I hope that you're feeling well.
I wanted to offer a space,
A space that feels safe to rest in stillness within uncertainty,
Because sometimes it's very hard to be still when it feels that we're surrounded by chaos,
And we feel like the rug of life has been pulled out from under our feet.
And the fact is,
Life can get pretty messy,
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.
You might feel as though you're very much out of control,
And the truth is that there's very little that we can control.
I'm often reminded of something that one of my sisters used to say to me when we were raising our children when they were quite young.
It's a phase,
It'll pass,
She would say to me.
And so if something was going badly,
We were struggling with one particular period in the early stages of childhood rearing,
She would say,
Hey,
Don't worry,
It'll pass.
And of course,
We would always laugh and say when things were going well,
She would say,
Don't worry,
It's a phase,
It'll pass.
We'd have a good giggle about that.
But the fact is,
It was very much the truth.
All things pass,
Good and bad.
But it's all right to allow yourself to sit for a moment in uncertainty.
Because of course,
None of us really knows where this is going.
And so when you're finding yourself in that space of chaos,
That's a great time to simply come to sit in stillness.
Yes,
Stillness.
Stillness without direction,
Without answer.
Stillness to experience what may come up for you.
But choosing to be still rather than to react,
To simply notice what's there.
And so if this topic speaks to you,
Find a place that is somewhat removed from the chaos.
And for this meditation,
More than likely you'll be seated because it's not a long meditation.
But if you'd rather lay down,
That's okay too.
So whether you're seated on the floor,
Resting on a cushion,
Or in a chair,
Arrange your legs so that your hips are just a little bit higher than your knees.
That just helps for the breath to flow more easily.
If in a chair,
Let your feet rest flat on the floor with your knees uncrossed.
If you're comfortable with having your eyes closed,
You can close them.
And if not,
Just keep the eyes with a softened focus and a slightly downward gaze.
Let's begin by checking in.
Begin to notice the quality of your thoughts.
In a time of uncertainty,
These thoughts might be running pretty much out of control.
But see if you can just rest a light focus there.
Not following one thought or the other,
But instead just allowing the thoughts to move in and out of focus.
And if you notice that the mind is resting too hard or too long on one thought,
Switch into a noticing of your breath,
Just to step away from those thoughts.
And now notice what's there emotionally.
Often when we are in a state of uncertainty,
We tend to default to an anxiousness.
We rest in fear,
Even low level fear.
But that's a chaotic space to live and it's hard for your body.
Begin to notice any sensations that might be present in your body.
Maybe there are spaces that feel tense or tight,
Spaces where you're tucking your anxiety into the hips,
The belly,
The shoulders,
Jaw,
Perhaps even the skull cap itself feels tight.
Simply notice what's there.
And now take a moment just to again return your attention,
Lightly resting on your breath,
Feeling it coming and going,
Not trying to change it or alter it.
There's no need to lengthen it or deepen it.
Just become aware of its changing nature.
The body has a great capacity to do what it does,
Whether you're paying attention or not.
And this is a great opportunity to simply 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 may become aware of sounds in and around you,
Not looking for sounds,
But as they come,
Allow them to move through you,
Just as you do your breath.
In this moment,
Bringing yourself to stillness,
As though stepping out of the universal timescape of chaos and flux,
To allow yourself to simply breathe.
Well before the brain can cognize that an emotion is beginning to wreak havoc on the body.
The body is in its own experience of shifting,
Tightening,
Breathing,
Adapting.
And when stimuli moves in,
Whether through sight,
Sound,
Touch,
Taste,
The body is going to respond by releasing hormones.
It will change its nervous system,
Depending on what the stimuli can be.
And in those times of uncertainty,
We often find ourselves shifting into the sympathetic nervous system.
But rather than letting yourself respond to these momentary images,
Words,
Thoughts,
Sounds that might trigger you into an emotional reaction,
Simply 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,
And returning your attention once again to lightly rest on your breath.
If you notice that your mind has wandered,
Come back,
Come back.
We're not trying to solve anything right now,
Not looking for a solution,
Just allowing time to sit,
And to know that in this moment of uncertainty,
In this stillness,
That you're alright.
Notice the sensation of being supported by the chair or the floor.
Imagine that wherever you are sitting,
You're like a beautiful tall oak tree,
With roots descending down deep,
Deep down into Mother Earth,
Anchoring you safely there.
Again,
Notice that you are alright,
And allow your attention once again to shift back to your breath.
Imagine your breath like a blanket wrapping itself around you,
Protecting you,
Knowing that within you,
You have all that you need.
We can't know what the future holds.
This can build very anxious thoughts and emotions in the body and mind,
And we are always in a state of becoming.
But trust,
Trust,
Trust that you are supported by the universe,
Just as you're supported by Mother Earth right now.
Again,
Visualize your roots holding tight into Mother Earth,
And wrap yourself in your breath.
Allow yourself to breathe in love,
And breathe out love,
To breathe in hope,
To 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 possible for good fortune and positive outcomes.
But even in the event that something does go awry,
Know that this is exactly what is meant to happen,
And you are allowed to be frightened or anxious,
Angry or sad.
You are entitled to any emotion,
But you are also entitled to sit in stillness,
And to pause,
To remind yourself that this moment too will pass,
And that you have everything that you need.
And when you're ready,
You will begin to re-presence yourself back into this space of now.
Know that this tool can travel with you,
And in those moments of overwhelm,
You can search for that stillness within,
Allowing your breath to wrap itself around you,
To nourish you,
To sit or stand in stillness,
And allow your roots to dig deep into the earth,
To hold you safe,
To remind you that you are enough.
Namaste.
