Hello,
Welcome,
Opulent mindfulness.
Today's meditation is entitled Serenity Now.
If any of you recall a funny Seinfeld episode where George's father was starting a computer business out of his garage and he was going crazy with the pressure and so he shouted at the top of his lungs,
Serenity now!
Which is a bit ironic in that serenity should not make you scream.
And then there's the serenity prayer.
Now even if you're not a person who prays or speaks to God in any form,
There are ways to find calmness and enter serenity when we know the prayer goes as follows.
Grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
And with this wisdom we find serenity.
Also serenity in these days,
In this time,
Is powerful.
There are so many things in our world that we are unable to change.
There are so many things in our world,
Especially our inner world,
Our mind,
Our emotionality,
Our psychology that we are able to change.
And as we sit in meditation,
We are skilled with the wisdom that speaks to us,
Telling us the difference.
So come to your comfortable seat,
Settle into your bones,
Settle into your skin,
And find a comfortable posture whereby your head may rest easily atop your spine.
Your hips and seat are grounded to support you,
And you may rest your brain while awake.
Drop in,
Take a big belly breath in,
And a long and soothing breath out.
Try it again.
Big belly breath in,
Belly expands,
Shoulders remain soft and low.
And an even longer,
Smoother exhale out.
Last time,
Press down through your base,
Mindfully lifting your heart and head high,
And release a smooth and silky exhale.
If you feel safe,
You're welcome to close your eyes.
Finding stillness.
Where did you go?
Put the noise and agitation within quiet and rest themselves.
Finding that precipice between relaxation and sleep,
The place where your brain is in a creative resting state,
Relaxed,
And receiving notes of wisdom.
Notes of wisdom that speak to you and move you and motivate you into action when and if the time is right.
Opportunity will present when everything is lined up properly.
We just have to be watching and listening with empty cup so we may hear,
Receive,
And act.
Where did you go?
Drop into your body.
Finding ease across the chest.
A lightness in your facial muscles and expression.
Relaxing your lips.
And resting,
Creating space to allow ideas and discipline to roll on into your mind.
Where did you go?
Drop into ease.
Drop into stillness.
Noticing the subtle noises around you.
And choosing to observe without reaction because we cannot control everything.
This is the wisdom to know the difference.
Allow the body to remain in a restful state as you simultaneously hold sensory input in your awareness.
Choose instead to rest and get calm and warm and still deep in the belly.
Take a big breath in and a soothing restful breath out.
Maybe you're noticing your exterior world and the sensory input.
And with such heightened awareness,
You're able to sharpen the input from your interior world.
What are you experiencing?
What are you sensing?
What is coming up for you?
Acknowledge.
Give it a name.
Give it space.
And release.
And anchor your mind from the stirrings of fear and anxiety and depression and concern.
Let's together silently to ourselves count backwards from 10.
Seeing each number.
Saying it to yourself.
Pausing and proceeding.
10.
9.
8.
Take a big belly breath in.
And a longer,
Soothing breath out.
Taming our inner wild ways.
Acknowledging our inner wild ways.
And quieting to hear the wisdom.
Acting or not acting accordingly.
Namaste.
