Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
Today I want to talk a little bit about being your authentic self,
And this meditation is based on a live session I did recently.
Being your authentic self is really about embracing who you truly are,
And without feeling the need to conform to the expectations of others.
Ultimately,
Being your authentic self in today's world requires some courage,
Some self-awareness,
And a willingness to navigate the complexities of the social pressures while staying true to your inner compass.
It's really a continuous process of learning and growing and embracing who you truly are.
I've said for those who know me that if I was sitting here in the lotus position with my hands expressing the chin mudra,
Wearing a shirt with the Aum symbol,
I would not be being my authentic self,
Because that's not me.
That's some marketing guy wanting me to look meditative.
Being your authentic self is really a journey of self-discovery and acceptance,
Where you align your actions and your thoughts and your feelings with your true values and beliefs.
You have to try to understand what your strengths and weaknesses are.
You have to look for what you're truly passionate about,
But you also have to look at the things you fear,
And this helps you to make choices that are true to yourself.
When you can be open and honest about your feelings,
Even if it means showing imperfections,
You can foster deeper connections with others.
In this age of social media,
It's harder to be your authentic self.
It's considered uncool to show your imperfections,
Because everyone is putting their best foot forward.
It's become all about likes and hearts and thumbs up.
And sadly,
It's often about portraying something that you truly aren't.
I've said before in these sessions that I can only be what I am.
I can only be myself.
I'm just a crazy old man who happens to have been meditating for a long,
Long time,
Longer than most of you have been alive.
But I can't make myself do things that aren't authentic.
I can't sit in a pose that's not comfortable with my hands making some ancient gesture.
And I can't wear an OM symbol on my shirt,
Just like I can't sit and gaze at the sky like I'm gaining power from the sun.
I just can't.
To me,
That's all marketing.
Posing on a beach or with the mountains behind you,
Or during a sunset,
Or sitting in the jungle.
I get entertainment every day from looking at the images here on Insight Timer,
Because so much of the photography is just hokey to me.
It's marketing,
And I can't do it.
What you see is what you get.
One of my grandchildren takes a picture of me sitting in a chair,
And that's what you get.
And I am at peace within myself.
To be authentic,
You have to act in ways that reflect your true self,
Regardless of the situation or the company you're in.
And that builds trust and integrity.
Embracing your authentic self can lead to greater fulfillment and happiness.
It allows you to live a life that feels true and meaningful.
Close your eyes now,
And let's get in touch with our breath.
And it doesn't matter if you're sitting,
Standing,
Lying down,
Or kicked back in your favorite recliner.
The only thing that truly matters when you meditate is that you're comfortable and alert.
So as we begin to settle in,
Let's start to relax.
Relax your face.
Unfurl your brow and unclench your jaw.
Relax your neck.
Relax your shoulders.
These are places of tension in today's world.
Look for any tension in your chest and belly.
And relax your legs and your feet.
And as you begin to settle in,
Let's focus even more on our breath.
Just breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
And then the next.
And then the next.
Our breath is our anchor.
It's there for us in all moments,
When we're happy,
When we're sad,
And when we're being authentic.
Focus on your breath.
Don't just breathe.
Notice your breath.
Maybe a cool sensation in your nose as the breath flows in.
Or the movement of your chest and belly as the breath flows in and flows out.
Our breath is like a river as it flows in and flows out.
We're going to do a little breathing that's a little bit different,
Just for a few minutes.
So I'm going to want you to inhale deeply through your nose for a count of four.
Hold your breath for four counts.
And then exhale slowly through your mouth for six counts.
So I'll do the counting,
And you can do the breathing.
So if you're ready,
Here we go.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale through your mouth,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale through your mouth,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Last one.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
And now just breathe normally.
We're just breathing,
Breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
Now,
If you're agreeable,
I'd like you to repeat the following positive affirmations.
You can say them out loud or to yourself.
And I'll say each one twice.
I am enough.
I am enough.
I honor my true self.
I honor my true self.
I embrace authenticity.
I embrace authenticity.
Now sit there for a moment and just feel the truth of these statements and let them resonate within you.
We're just breathing,
Breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
Now I'd like you to imagine a warm,
Golden,
Glowing light at the center of your chest,
Right where your heart is.
And as you breathe in,
I want you to imagine this golden ball of light expanding,
Filling your entire body.
With every inhale,
This ball of light encompasses you and it fills your body with a warm,
Soothing,
And comforting feeling.
Feel it just radiating love and acceptance and authenticity.
Now just breathe,
Just breathe.
And ask yourself,
What does authenticity mean to me?
Allow any thoughts and feelings that you have to arise without judgment.
Think about being authentic.
Now as we come to a close,
Open your eyes and come back into the room.
Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive,
How good it is to be in this moment.
And remember that it is sometimes much harder to be your authentic self.
In this day and age,
It can be easy to be a phony and be something you're not.
But we should try to always strive to be our authentic self.
And if you do,
Your life will be more full and more honest.
Now you can just continue to breathe if you like,
And I want to read you a poem by Rudyard Kipling called If.
If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you.
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you but make allowance for their doubting too.
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting or being lied about don't deal in lies or being hated don't give way to hating and yet don't look too good nor talk too wise.
If you can dream and not make dreams your master.
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim.
If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools or watch the things you gave your life to broken and stoop and build them up with worn out tools.
If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it all on one turn of pitch and toss and lose and start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss.
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are gone and so hold on when there is nothing in you except the will which says to them hold on.
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue or walk with kings nor lose the common touch.
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you.
If all men count with you but none too much.
If you can fill the unforgiving minute with 60 seconds worth of distance run.
Yours is the earth and everything that's in it and what's more you'll be a man my son.
These are wise words by a wise man and they help talk about being your authentic self.
Till next time.
