Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
Today I want us to do a meditation that can help us with grief.
Grief is something that we all experience at some time in our lives.
The death of a friend,
The death of parents or siblings,
The death of a beloved pet.
And grief doesn't always have to be just about death.
Sometimes we grieve the loss of a friend for whatever reason.
And we can grieve when our lives change in ways that we weren't anticipating.
For example,
I was 29 years old when I had my first two strokes,
And I was 30 when I had my worst one.
I was depressed because my body wasn't doing what I wanted it to.
My left side was dead,
Numb,
And uncooperative.
I couldn't play my guitar.
I had to drag myself around with a cane.
And I was having to have appointments with 17 specialists.
And on top of that,
I couldn't work.
And I finally realized that I was grieving for what I had lost.
My dexterity in my hand,
My nimbleness in my leg,
And the lack of sensation on my entire left side.
And how did I get past all this?
I know some of you are saying it,
And it's just breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
But to me it's important that everyone realizes that we can sometimes grieve for ourselves and something we've lost.
Close your eyes now,
And let's start to get in touch with our breath.
It doesn't matter if you're sitting,
Standing,
Or lying down.
The only thing that matters is that you are comfortable and alert.
First,
Let's scan our body and begin to relax.
Relax your face,
Unfurrow your brow,
Unclench your jaw.
Relax your neck and your shoulders.
Don't forget,
You can move while we're doing this,
Roll your neck around in a circle and shrug your shoulders and just let everything drop.
Relax your arms and your hands,
And try to let go of any tension in your chest or belly,
And feel yourself getting heavier with each and every breath.
Relax your legs and your feet,
And as you begin to relax,
Let's start to focus even more on our breath.
Remember our breath is like a river as it flows in and flows out.
Inhale slowly,
And then gently exhale,
And notice your breath as it flows in.
Notice where you feel it in your body.
I always notice a cool sensation in my nostrils as the breath flows in,
Or maybe the movement of your chest and belly as the breath flows out.
We're just sitting here breathing one breath at a time,
And don't forget to notice that little pause at the end of the inhale and the end of the exhale.
Continue to breathe at your normal pace,
And don't force anything.
Remember,
You're trying to breathe like you,
Not breathe like me.
Thoughts are just a part of us.
They're a constant part of our world,
But we needn't concern ourselves with them when we meditate.
Just focus on your breath,
And let thoughts pass across your mind and out again.
Look at them with no judgment.
Thoughts are like clouds in the sky,
Or waves on a lake.
Just let them pass without judgment.
Right now,
We're only concerned with our breath as it flows in and flows out.
Following your breath can have a powerful effect on your life,
And being able to get in touch with your breath in this current can transform your life.
It can help you to deal with tension and insecurities.
Following your breath can help you to deal better with problems in your day,
Breathing in and breathing out one breath at a time.
Continue to breathe at your normal pace,
And don't force anything.
And as you breathe,
Shift your focus to your heart,
Right there in the middle of your chest.
Focus on it,
And now imagine and visualize your heart holding the grief that you're feeling.
Grief is raw,
And vulnerable,
And painful.
Just continue to breathe while you think about your distress,
Sitting in your heart and filling it up.
Your throat is sometimes connected to grief.
Notice any tightness or ache you have there,
And acknowledge where else in your body grief is held,
Whether it's in your heart,
Or your throat,
Or your stomach,
Or elsewhere.
Grief affects the entire body,
Including the organs,
The skin,
The brain,
And our tissues.
It can create issues with muscle tension,
Sleeping difficulties,
And affect how the brain and body process information and emotions.
These physical sensations are processing something,
Albeit without words,
But you feel it just the same.
Now bring to mind a personal loss,
A recent death,
A long-held burden,
Or any experience that weighs on your heart.
Feel the heaviness,
The love,
And the connection associated with this loss,
And allow yourself to fully experience it without resistance.
And just continue to breathe,
Breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
We have to recognize that nothing in this life has permanence.
All things pass away.
Nothing lasts forever.
We have to recognize that life is a constant flow of change.
Nothing remains fixed.
I did a lesson where I talked about how if you knew you only had a week to live,
You would live your life differently.
Time would have a new meaning,
Because if death was certain,
Every minute would count.
Think about that.
The point of that lesson was that you should live like you were dying,
Because you'll live your life more fully.
Grief is both an ending and a beginning.
It's a solitary journey that transforms us.
My death would be the end of my life,
But it would also be the beginning of your life without me.
You have to embrace the impermanence of life and think of it as a thread that connects heartbreak to healing.
Heartbreak to healing.
Now as we come to a close,
Open up your eyes and come back into the room and take in a deep breath.
And as you do so,
Honor the love and memories you've had and lost.
And as you exhale,
Realize that everything is going to be all right.
It's going to be okay.
Remember that every goodbye is a moment of connection.
Now wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive,
To be in this moment.
And I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time out of your day to spend this time with me.
If you'd like,
Please join us in our group,
Meditation with Michael,
Here on Insight Timer.
We'd love to have you.
I hope that this has been a beneficial and calming session.
Grief is heavy,
Painful,
And powerful,
But allow yourself to touch it at all levels,
Acknowledging it fully before releasing it.
You're not alone in this journey,
And feel free to revisit this meditation wherever you need to honor your grief and find healing.
Till next time.
