Welcome.
This practice is an invitation to meet life just as it is,
Even when it doesn't match what we hoped for.
Here we explore how to soften the grip on outcomes,
Beliefs,
Emotions and how to rest in the openness that comes when we release the needs to control.
So take a comfortable seat or lie down,
Allow your body to settle,
Noticing the contact points with the ground beneath you.
Gently close your eyes if that feels safe and bring your awareness to your breath.
There's no need to change anything,
Simply notice the inhale,
The exhale and the rhythm that is already here.
Now imagine bringing to mind a situation in your life that feels difficult,
Something where you might feel resistance,
Frustration or a strong pull towards wanting it to be different.
Maybe you came with something in mind already or maybe it's a circumstance,
An emotion,
A person or even the way you see yourself.
Don't force it,
Just let it arise naturally.
Hold it gently in your awareness like an image in the distance.
You don't need to dive into the story,
Just acknowledge it's there.
Notice how your body responds when you think of it.
Do you feel tightness,
Tension or heaviness?
If so,
Then breathe into that space.
Say inwardly,
This is what's here right now.
It's not good,
It's not bad,
It's simply present and acceptance is not about agreeing or liking but about acknowledging,
Acknowledging reality as it is.
So with each breath remind yourself to allow this moment,
To allow yourself to be just as is.
Now notice if your mind clings to a certain outcome,
A wish for how things should unfold or perhaps to an identity,
A belief.
Recognize this wanting with kindness.
The wanting is human,
It's natural.
However,
We will gently practice loosening the grip.
So imagine this desire,
This belief,
This need for control as a stone in your hand.
Maybe you even want to hold a fist in front of your belly.
Feel its weight,
Sense how tightly you've been holding it.
Now bring your attention to your body.
Imagine the tension of holding the stone flowing into your hands,
Your arms,
Your shoulders.
But with each exhale feel the muscles soften,
The grip loosen,
The heaviness melting.
Sense the weight dissolving slowly,
Leaving space in your chest,
Your belly,
Your heart.
Notice the physical relief,
The lightness as if a part of you that was rigid and tight is now free.
Ease doesn't come from control,
It comes from surrender.
So with the next few breaths soften your grip,
Let your fingers slowly uncurl and feel the possibility of releasing.
Not pushing it away,
Not throwing it aside but simply placing it down.
So rest in the space that opens when you are no longer holding so tightly.
And as you breathe in,
Silently repeat,
I acknowledge my wish,
My feelings,
My attachments.
And as you breathe out,
Repeat,
I release my need for control and certainty.
I acknowledge my wish,
My feelings,
My attachments.
I release my need for control and certainty.
Notice what arises when you give yourself permission to not know the outcome,
To let people and emotions be as they are,
To trust in change rather than resist it.
Perhaps it's a sense of lightness,
Maybe uncertainty.
Whatever comes,
Let it be welcome.
And now imagine yourself standing by a river and gently placing on a leaf the situation,
The desire,
The outcome,
Even the need for things to stay the same.
And watch the river carry it downstream.
You don't need to hold it back,
You don't need to chase it,
Simply watch it drift until it disappears from view.
Stay here for a few breaths,
Resting in the freedom of not holding,
Not forcing.
Acceptance is a practice of presence.
Detaching is a practice of trust.
Trust in yourself,
Trust in others as they are,
And trust in the natural flow of life and its impermanence.
It's trust that life unfolds in ways we may not see.
So repeat silently,
I accept what is,
I release what I cannot control,
And I am open to what may come.
Allow these words to settle in your body like seeds.
As we come towards the close,
Bring your awareness back to your breath.
Notice the rise and fall of your chest,
The steadiness of your inhale and exhale.
Feel the ground beneath you steady and constant,
Reminding you that even when life shifts,
You are supported.
So take a moment of gratitude for your own courage in meeting life as it is,
And for your willingness to release what no longer needs to be held.
And when you're ready,
Gently deepen your breath,
And whenever feels right,
Softly open your eyes,
Carrying with you the quiet strength of acceptance,
And the freedom that comes with letting go.
