You can allow yourself to close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Begin to take a few deep breaths as you settle into your chair or into your being.
You're feeling consciously letting go of muscles in your face or shoulders.
Relaxing the muscles,
Letting go of any overt tightness you might be holding on to.
And letting it go with your exhale.
Letting the natural rhythm of your breath fall into the background of your attention.
As you bring to mind this idea of vulnerability,
Of opening up to how you feel,
Your willingness to show up and be seen.
Be seen by yourself,
By another.
Thinking back on these times that we are more vulnerable or less vulnerable,
Is it possible to bring to mind a time where it felt unsafe to share your vulnerability?
Turning the situation over in your mind.
What was the context?
How did you notice you were vulnerable?
Was it a sense of fragility or pain?
Was it a sense of fragility or pain?
Loss or longing?
And what arose as you either avoided disclosing that vulnerability or decided to share it with an unhelpful person?
As you're reflecting on this situation and what occurred,
What thoughts came to mind?
What thoughts did your vulnerability create?
What thoughts did the act of sharing it or not disclosing it create?
How did it feel in your body?
Tightness,
Pain,
Or a feeling of safety or protection?
Did this experience teach you anything?
Were there subsequent consequences of either disclosing or choosing not to?
Honoring whatever happened,
Honoring any information you received from this with gratitude,
With more information that can help us grow.
On the next breath,
Is it possible to reflect on a time that it felt safe to be vulnerable?
Embodying the situation in which you were mindful of the pain or sadness or vulnerability that you felt and how you felt able to share that.
If there hasn't been a time in your life where you felt safe enough to share your vulnerability,
Is it possible to reflect on what you might need to feel safe enough to be vulnerable with someone?
How did it feel in the body to open yourself up to be seen?
What thoughts accompanied this experience of sharing?
Did the vulnerability become more pronounced or did it dissipate?
Did you notice the feeling of being loved and held or acknowledged and listened to?
Were there any teachings that came from this experience,
Any consequences of that disclosure?
Can you notice the difference between these two experiences?
And perhaps honor the trust within yourself of knowing the difference.
I'd like to share a poem with you.
I spent years unaware that I was running away from myself,
Always seeking company or entertainment so that I would not have to face the dark cloud storming inside of me.
Every moment was an opportunity for diversion.
Friendships were a means of escape.
Pleasure,
A temporary relief from pain.
I did not notice that my relationships were shallow because of how far away I was from myself.
I did not understand why solitude felt unbearable and why fun could not permanently settle turbulent emotions.
For far too long I was unaware that the only way for life to improve,
For my relationships to feel rich and for my mind to finally experience ease,
Was for me to explore and embrace the anxious unknown that dwelled within.
While it can be scary to notice and face that vulnerability within,
We can turn towards that suffering and let it stretch our compassion.
In the natural conflicts and betrayals and discomforts of this life,
We can embrace the power of love.
Jack Kornfield says,
In the midst of difficulty,
We can repeatedly stop and return to our heart's goodness,
Reconnect to our strength of compassion and our vulnerability.
So as we go on throughout our day,
Week,
Life,
Is it possible to rest in compassion?
Practice being with our vulnerability,
To discover capacity,
To bear witness to,
And hold our own vulnerable heart with tenderness,
Even in the face of the sorrows and beauties of this world.
Allowing ourselves to be loved by others and by ourselves.
May you notice moments of being at ease with yourself.
May we open our hearts in response to pain or discomfort.
May we hold our fragile beings with tenderness as we allow our natural courage and strength to shine.
Taking a few more moments,
A few more breaths.
And when you're ready,
Opening up your eyes.
Namaste.
