Hello,
Welcome,
Opulent mindfulness.
Today's meditation is entitled,
Like a Fine Wine,
Vintage Toggle.
Like a fine wine,
Vintage toggle.
What in the world does this mean?
Well,
Much like wine,
As we age,
We see the cycle of life,
The cycle of thoughts,
The cycle of emotions,
Experiences,
Day to day.
Activities and behaviors come full circle faster.
So we establish emotional regulation,
Fitness.
Much like when a fit person climbs the stairs,
Their heart rate will rise and when they reach the top,
It more quickly returns to a resting rate.
When we have emotional fitness due to practicing emotional regulation,
Toggling in and out,
We can quickly get back to center when we feel we've been emotionally charged or depleted,
Challenged.
So here we are,
Like a fine wine,
The more we age,
The more wise we become,
More tasty,
Vintage toggling between the highs and the lows with more fluidity and wisdom.
Drop into your seat.
Let your bones be heavy,
Press down,
Lift your heart high,
Take a big belly breath in and a longer soothing breath out.
Take your time.
Try it again.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
So I remember being told to do the dishes as a child,
For example.
And I thought,
Oh,
The dishes,
This is going to take forever.
I'm tired.
I just ate.
I have all this homework to do.
I was just at gymnastics practice.
I'm exhausted.
I don't want to do the dishes.
It's so much work.
But as an adult,
I've timed myself to do the dishes,
Fold the laundry,
Make the bed,
Vacuum the living room,
Wash the dog,
Go to the grocery store.
And if you time these activities,
They're only about three or four or five,
20 minutes.
So much can be done in one single hour.
When yet as a child,
The thought of doing the dishes felt like a three hour project.
So thus we discuss like a fine wine,
Vintage toggle.
The older we get,
The more quickly we can toggle in and out of dread and joy and upright ourselves,
To not be dragged down by any dreadful heaviness and realize that joy is just around the corner.
Allowing us to more deeply drop into this moment because it won't last forever either.
Allowing us to possibly be patient with uncomfortable moments because they too are fleeting.
Take your time,
Experience the waves of emotion that will come over you.
Even in this brief meditation,
Lasting only five more minutes.
You've already been here for five.
Just allow your heart to be free and open,
Releasing any sense of dread,
Not identifying with the dread or the joy because they flow when we don't try to grasp or reject,
Resist,
Repel.
Right,
It flows over us,
Through us,
Around us and we remain solid like a mountain,
Able to withstand very temporary weather patterns.
Take your time breathing in and breathing out.
How many times have we been told,
Oh,
Take a few deep breaths.
I don't have time for that.
I don't have time for that.
A few deep breaths last 30 seconds.
Five or six deep breaths last one whole minute.
Wow,
We have time for that.
And the gift on the other side of that one minute is exponentially generous.
So take your time being here for just three more minutes,
Not stuck,
But delighting in this freedom of stillness.
Again,
Witnessing the emotional rollercoaster that's going to ride right on through your mind in this few very short remaining minutes together.
Hold them,
Make space and simply watch them come and go.
Maybe they arouse feelings,
Maybe feel dejected.
Just be wise,
Mature,
Better with age,
Tasting and releasing,
Toggling in and out.
No hurry,
Nothing to get at the end of the meditation.
So just be in it.
Wise,
Tasty,
Maturing,
Truly enhancing the flavor,
Allowing ourselves to feel more deeply and live more lightly,
Knowing each will come and go with greater ease and flow.
Take a big belly breath in and a longer soothing breath out.
Not holding,
Not gripping,
Just let it come and go with ease.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Namaste.
