During times of great uncertainty,
It can be hard to remember that every storm runs out of rain.
We tend towards seeking out answers,
But at times the answer to our peace is found within our own breath and our own body.
This meditation is intended to help you find that quiet space inside yourself that still exists during every storm that you may weather.
We'll begin by tapping into your physical body.
Find a comfortable position,
Perhaps lying down or sitting in a chair with your back and feet supported.
Choose an area of your body that feels tense or noticeably uneasy.
Now focusing in on that space in your body,
Purposely tighten the muscles surrounding that area.
Now take a deep breath in,
Hold your breath,
And then as you release the breath,
Release the tension in the muscles and slowly breathe out your nose or mouth.
Next,
Begin to move your focus slowly out beyond that area,
Creating a larger field of awareness of your entire body.
Take another deep breath in,
Filling your belly to the very base of your diaphragm.
Hold your breath,
Allowing the nutrients and air to saturate your body,
And then slowly release,
Allowing the breath to move out through your nose slowly and evenly.
Now take a moment to find a quiet space inside your body,
Somewhere that feels comfortable and calm.
This could be somewhere as small as a toe or fingertip,
Or somewhere deep inside your heart or belly.
Take a moment now to dedicate your breath to that quiet space inside your body.
Begin to dedicate your breath to that quiet space,
Sending each inhale deep into that space,
And then pulling soft energy from that space as you exhale.
Slow,
Methodical breaths in and out.
As you feel your body becoming more relaxed and more at ease,
Using your mind's eye,
Start to visualize a container.
This container could be any shape,
Any size.
It is intended to be a safe space to place anything stressful,
Concerning,
Or unsettling to you at this time.
Take a moment with your body relaxed and at ease to notice the color,
The shape,
And the textures of your own personal container.
Allow your eyes to move over the edges of the container,
And then to the inside,
Which is currently completely empty.
As you fully visualize the container,
Imagine now that you are opening it if it was not already open.
With the container open,
Come back to your breath.
Even breath in and out.
And then with the container open,
Take a couple moments to fill the container with anything that might be stressful to you or not serving you in your life at this moment.
This process of filling your container can take a great deal of time for some,
Or no time at all for others.
At this point,
Your container may be full,
Or you may feel there's more you could place in there.
It is perfectly fine to come back to your container anytime you need,
Anytime you feel you need to place something aside that is not serving or helping you.
What you can choose to do now is to close and secure the container and release any tension connected to this container and what is inside of it.
This may mean wrapping a rope around it,
Burying it,
Or simply locking it with a key.
Take a moment to secure your container.
With the container completely sealed,
You find a sense of weightlessness to your shoulders.
You begin to scan your body,
Starting at the very top of your head,
Relaxing your forehead and your scalp.
And you feel your cheeks relax,
Your jaw slacken.
Then move a sense of relaxation over your neck and shoulders to the back of your spine.
All the area that does so much thinking is soft and calm.
You take notice of the natural rise and fall of your breath as your ribs expand and contract.
The sense of ease moves down into your belly,
Which is soft,
And then to your hips and thighs,
Feeling the largest bones in your body becoming heavy,
Soft and relaxed.
And then that sense of calm and ease moves around your knees,
Your shin bones and your calves,
Down into your ankles,
Over the tops of your feet,
Between each and every toe.
And then finally down into the soles of your feet.
In this space,
In your body,
You are still.
The energy that you find in your quiet space radiates around you,
Creating a protective shield of comfort.
The space of comfort is here for you to stay in as long as you need,
Following your breath and feeling the quiet calm.
If you are ready,
You can bring your energy slowly into your fingertips and toes.
Feel the sensation of them in the presence.
Wiggle them slowly and gently.
If you would like you can slowly open your eyes,
Reentering into the space that you are in.
Bringing a sense of calm and peace to the rest of your day,
Created within your own inner space of quiet and calm.
May the rest of your day or your evening,
Feel easy,
Quiet and peaceful.
Namaste.