Welcome to this meditation focused on letting go and letting in.
Letting go can be difficult for a number of reasons.
It may be that something is bothering you,
Or you're feeling stuck because there's something that's unresolved,
Or you're still trying to understand it or figure it out.
You may be looking for some sort of closure,
Resolution,
Or justice.
Or you may be holding on to something or someone because of a strong attachment,
An insecurity,
Or an expectation that is yet to be met.
Perhaps you're struggling to let go because there's a need for forgiveness,
Either of others or of yourself.
Today we're going to practice letting go and allowing other experiences,
Thoughts,
And feelings to come in,
To give yourself a break and let in more positivity and relief.
So let's begin by settling into a comfortable position,
With your hands resting in your lap or at your sides.
Allow your palms to be facing upwards,
And notice how you can feel an opening in your chest with this simple adjustment.
This opening can help facilitate release and letting in.
When you're ready,
Gently close your eyes and take a couple of slow,
Deep breaths,
Allowing a wave of relaxation to wash over you.
Feeling yourself settling in and relaxing your muscles with each exhale.
Relaxing the muscles in your back and shoulders.
Relaxing the muscles in your neck.
Relaxing your jaw.
Softening the muscles around your eyes.
Smoothing the muscles across your forehead.
Breathing in fully,
Filling your lungs with air,
And releasing slowly and gently,
Feeling yourself settle into stillness and peace.
As we begin this practice of letting go,
First ask yourself,
What is it that you'd like to let go of?
You may want to let go of fears,
Worries,
Doubts,
Or certain limiting beliefs.
You may want to let go of expectations or ideas about how things should be,
Or who you should be.
You may want to let go of the need to know all the answers.
You may want to let go of a relationship,
A situation,
A task,
Or a project.
Acknowledge what you'd like to let go of.
And next,
Give yourself permission to let it go for now.
Without worrying about the future or the past,
Say to yourself,
I can let this go right now.
I give myself permission to let this go.
We'll continue by releasing through the body and the breath to cultivate the experience of letting go.
As you continue to breathe,
Imagine that with each exhale,
You're releasing what you want to let go of.
Inhaling through your nose and breathing it out slowly through your mouth.
Breathing in and releasing through your mouth.
Do this on your own for a few more breaths.
Feeling it leave your body.
Releasing from your mind.
Feeling how it feels to release and let go.
Feeling a sense of relief.
Lightness.
Spaciousness.
Freedom.
Next we'll visualize this release by first imagining yourself at a beach.
Picture yourself on a beautiful white sand beach with the sand stretching out for miles in either direction.
No one else is here,
Just you right now.
The ocean is relatively calm and steady.
The water is rhythmically rising and falling with the tides.
You begin to walk closer to the water's edge where the sand is wet,
But just beyond where the water reaches.
You look down at your feet and nearby you notice a stick,
A small piece of driftwood lying on the sand.
You pick it up because you see that it's the perfect size for writing in the sand.
You pause and think for a moment and you bring into mind one word that would describe or represent what you'd like to let go of.
Once you've come up with that word,
You begin writing it in the sand.
See yourself writing out this word.
When you're finished,
You set the stick back down and step back,
Seeing the word written in the sand in front of you.
After a few moments,
You watch as a small wave comes in and the water washes over part of the word,
Washing some of it away and going back into the ocean,
Taking some of the word with it.
Washing away your old ways of being.
You continue watching as another wave comes in and washes it away even more,
Taking away any worries or fears about the future.
And another wave comes and washes away the last remnants of the word until all you can see are the ripples in the sand and tiny bubbles percolating to the surface.
Feeling a sense of relief wash over you.
You bring a smile to your face as you feel yourself being unburdened.
Take a deep breath in and sigh as you let it out.
As you continue to stand on the beach,
You look up and take in the scenery around you.
See the beauty of the vast blue sky above and the powerful sea before you.
The endless horizon giving you perspective.
Noticing how different it feels to look up and around you than it did to be focused in on the word in the sand.
Feel the sun on your skin,
Feeling the warm air embracing you,
Holding you.
Now focusing on letting in,
Beginning with the breath,
Breathing in the warmth of the sun,
Feeling your chest and your heart opening,
Breathing in the possibilities,
Welcoming in the relief and satisfaction.
Letting in the freedom,
The awareness.
Next you turn your attention to the steady rhythm and power of the waves.
Breathing in the strength,
Confidence,
Welcoming in new perspective and a new chapter.
Breathing in gratitude and joy.
Feeling the love in your heart.
Feel the love flowing outward and feel it enveloping you.
With each inhale and exhale,
Extending love and compassion in toward yourself and out toward others.
Notice how you're feeling right now.
Imagine living your life each day with this feeling within you.
Feeling the fullness.
Feeling alive,
Light and inspired.
As you go through your day,
Catch yourself when you're feeling stuck and remember you have a choice and opportunity to let go and let in.
You can practice letting go and letting in in every moment of the day through the breath using breathing as a tool to continue practicing consciously letting go and letting in.
Even if it's just a few moments at a time at first.
And remember to look up at the horizon to see the bigger picture.
Let in the possibilities and choices so you can continue moving forward with clarity and confidence.
And now let's bring your awareness back into the present moment by feeling yourself sitting or lying there.
Begin to move your body a little,
Rolling back your shoulders,
Stretching,
Slowly returning yourself to the space that you're in.
Gently opening your eyes and taking in your surroundings.
Thank you for joining me in this meditation and best wishes on your path forward.
