Hello and welcome to Gattive Meditation and the 12 Step Tradition.
Today we'll be taking time to approach life on life's terms.
Today's meditation focuses on acceptance.
Psychologists tell us that the most important factor in dealing with negative emotions,
Resentments,
Elements of depression,
Anything that you experience is firstly to notice it.
Noticing and accepting are recognizing the things that we least want to recognize.
As it is,
Noticing is the core of the mindfulness.
The mindfulness within each of us,
Within community,
Within our relationships.
Noticing is the most powerful tool in our toolbox of mental clarity and recovery.
Developing knowing.
Psychologist Susan Davin has coined the term emotional agility in terms of our ability to accept all of life,
All of our emotions,
Just as they arise.
Therefore,
Our intention today is to simply feel,
Notice,
And embrace the full spectrum of our emotions.
This may help with things like healing from pain or injury,
Or even learning from perceived failures of the past.
We'll do so in three parts.
First we'll begin with a simple breath meditation,
Breathing into pain or negative emotions,
Thoughts,
Resentments.
Then we'll add a few affirmations,
Which are part of our work in growing and recognizing and noticing gentle reminders of how to approach our intention for the day.
And lastly,
We'll explore a few healthy ways to follow up on anything that services,
How we can share,
And how we can use it to benefit others.
Therefore,
Let us begin with the recognition that life's beauty is inseparable from its fragility,
That life's joys are inseparable from its sorrows,
And the most powerful thing that we can do is to not keep it secret,
Not to be isolated,
But to share,
To bring up,
To notice.
And we breathe.
Breathing deeply,
Expanding as we breathe in our belly and our chest,
And then allowing that breath to move into every part of our body,
Especially those parts which may be uncomfortable,
Which may be in pain,
Including our heart space.
The heart we see is symbolically the bearer of our emotions,
And frequently we feel discomfort there first when we have a resentment or a negative experience.
Therefore,
The next few minutes,
We'll simply breathe deeply into those places,
Doing our best to notice any areas which need more of that life-giving breath that need to be recognized.
Each of you is welcome to leave.
And continuing to breathe deeply as we start the second part of our meditation,
Accepting whatever has arisen within us.
Noting if something is not a part of how we envision ourselves to be.
Noting if we're experiencing resentment or negativity,
Or if there's pain or sorrow.
We lean into it.
We examine it deeply.
Or we take a note to share it with others.
Perhaps you may be thinking,
This will always be with me.
This is a part of me.
But that is our first affirmation.
This emotion,
This feeling,
Is a part of me,
But it is not always so.
It is passing,
A passing thought,
A passing attachment.
It is data,
Important information,
Which allows me to peer more deeply to examine my feelings,
To examine my past experiences,
To know myself more deeply,
An invitation to move past it.
I know that my experience and my feelings do not define me.
I know that there are parts of me that need healing,
Just as I would tend a wounded ankle or a broken limb.
I am in recovery.
I am to tread gently and lovingly support,
Look for ways to heal,
To stretch,
To accept.
I carry a tool with me every day that can aid in this practice,
Which is my breath and my noticing.
I can extend my recognition and my acceptance of all of my emotions in mindfulness as I go about today.
I recognize that denied or hidden emotions only become stronger,
And I vow to embrace every aspect of my feeling life.
I vow to feel right now and also to be grateful for the full range of emotions,
Gently sending myself reminders when I sense pain or loss that this will not be forever.
I express,
I share,
So as not to be hidden every aspect.
I have the courage to take steps,
To bring myself in alignment with my vision,
To not let fear or despair hold me back.
I have the courage to move forward,
Accepting my body,
Mind,
And spirit,
As well as my relationships,
Just as they are,
And know that I am enough to deal with anything that comes my way,
And I am enough just the way I am.
Taking my ups and downs as a pathway,
A pathway to accepting life on life's terms.
And lastly,
I seek to share deeply with those close to me or with my own spirit and my higher power through a journal,
A journal of the heart,
A spoken word,
Or a work of art.
You might even choose to message an Insight Timer as part of this meditation stream.
However you do so,
Give that time to yourself as a gift,
Noticing,
Accepting,
And sharing.
We'll finish by returning to our breath,
Noticing,
Accepting,
And sharing as our intention for today.
Gently bringing our breath back into our life,
Back into our legs,
Our arms,
Our hands.
Gently moving and stretching,
Noticing as I come back alive these small gifts of movement,
Of feeling that add to the vibrancy of my life today.
All the world around me being sensed by my senses,
Welcoming me to the fullness of life,
Indeed on all of life's terms.
And may I wish peace be with you.
And a brief postscript.
If you would like to explore the concept of emotional agility more deeply,
Please consider watching psychologist Susan David's TED Talk on the subject or her most recent book,
Emotional Agility.
If this session brought up any feelings of recognition of ongoing depression or continuing helplessness or even intention to self-harm,
Most importantly the person whom you should share with is a registered and qualified counselor.
If that is not adequately available at this time,
Then consider one of the online opportunities to do so,
Many of which offer free first week's consultation and time with psychologists via text or conversation or online chatting,
Including Talkspace and BetterHelp.
