Embracing Life

Hi,

This is Pod McGordon and this podcast is called Living From the Heart.

So today I want to reflect a bit with you about being in a deep embrace with life.

A deep,

Deep embrace with life,

Which happens from moment to moment.

And being in a deep embrace with life,

In my experience,

Means being present.

And this morning I had the honor of working with a group of people in a recovery program.

And I really got the sense that they were working hard.

They were working really hard,

Each in their own way,

To be in an embrace with life.

Because the essence of addiction is to move away from that embrace for all kinds of good reasons,

Historical reasons.

And so I entered in,

Leading a class on mindfulness with this group.

And I was struck by both their willingness and their availability,

As well as their caution.

And what was incredibly beautiful was their ability to be really honest,

Really honest and straightforward,

And basically telling it like it is,

With a pretty amazing degree of skillfulness in their communication.

I'm thinking about this one man who,

After I had led a brief meditation,

A six-minute grounding meditation.

He spoke up when I asked what people's experiences were like and if they wanted to share.

And he just looked at me and he said,

Can I be honest with you?

And I said,

Absolutely.

And he said,

I didn't get anything out of that at all.

I didn't get anything from that.

And I just received it.

Took it in and I included his experience.

And I embraced him where he was and then proceeded to ask him how he felt now that he'd shared.

And he said he felt lighter.

I asked him what that meant.

And he said,

Well,

I feel some space in my chest.

And he was smiling.

And I looked at him and I said,

Well,

You know,

This is mindfulness.

You are actually practicing mindfulness right now by noticing what is occurring and by being willing to be honest,

To report accurately.

And there was more that he shared.

And the point is that he was doing his best to embrace what was being offered.

And in the resistance to it,

He actually found his way into an embrace unknowingly.

He kind of stumbled into the embrace with the present moment.

And I really reflected back to him about his honesty because I was touched by his honesty and his directness and his willingness to take that risk,

As well as the degree of skill that he was able to communicate with.

It's quite beautiful.

And so there are many ways to be in the embrace with life.

And the embrace with life is beautiful,

Like being bathed in moonlight,

Bathed in moonlight.

And it can also be painful.

It can also be really painful.

So I want to read you a short poem that I found in a wonderful book by Joan Halifax called Standing at the Edge.

And the poem is by a 10th century Japanese poet named Izumi Shikibu.

And the poem goes like this.

Although the wind blows terribly here,

The moonlight also leaks between the roof planks of this ruined house.

I'll repeat it.

Although the wind blows terribly here,

The moonlight also leaks between the roof planks of this ruined house.

And the ruined house is the suffering.

And if we barricade ourselves,

If we move away from life,

And we shy away from this potent embrace,

Then we're also going to block out that beautiful streaming moonlight.

So the possibility is to welcome the beauty and meet our fear,

Our fear of being known,

Our fear of being seen,

Our fear of being loved,

Our fear of really letting life in,

Letting the world in.

And the only way we can do that is by being in an embrace,

In this embrace with whatever shows up,

Whether it's moonlight or a cold wind.

So this is my invitation for you today,

Is to be in the embrace with life so fully,

So deeply,

Letting life permeate,

Be permeable.

If we're impermeable,

Nothing can get in.

And being permeable is also risky.

So I'm inviting you,

Inviting all of us to be in this embrace,

This risky,

Rich,

Potent embrace with life,

With others,

With the world.

So I'm going to offer you a meditation,

A guided meditation,

To support you on this journey of being in a deep embrace with life,

With love,

With the world,

With your own heart.

So thank you,

Thank you,

Thank you for listening.

So let's begin.

Let's begin this meditation.

Let's begin this meditation with some nice,

Deep,

Full breaths.

Breathing creates space.

So just taking some nice,

Full breaths.

And as you do,

Making yourself comfortable,

Stretching out,

Perhaps lying down or sitting up in a comfortable position,

It's up to you.

Just noticing what it is that will support you right now in embracing yourself and this moment.

And really being available to receive what is being offered.

Moving toward your breath and noticing,

Noticing where your breath is flowing easily.

Noticing where your breath is flowing easily through your body.

Refraining from noticing where it isn't just for right now.

Turning toward receiving where your breath is already flowing.

Taking your time to receive what is already moving,

What is already flowing.

And in this way entering into an embrace with what is already here.

It may be pleasurable.

It may not.

And my invitation to you right now is to open to all of it.

Breathing and softening.

Feeling where your breath is already moving.

Giving your mind the job of noticing where the breath is already flowing.

Where the breath is already flowing.

Because right now you're training,

Training your mind to notice what is already flowing,

What is already working in your life.

Where who you are and what you're living is enough.

Receiving that and pausing into the embrace with what is already occurring.

So just notice what it is in your life that's already happening,

That's already wonderful,

That's already a gift.

That you have a roof over your head.

That you have people who care for you,

Whom you care for.

That you have means.

Just receiving what is already occurring in your life.

Being in the embrace with it and taking your time.

Being in embrace,

Embracing where you linger,

You linger long enough to trigger oxytocin and dopamine.

So linger here in the goodness,

In the embrace with goodness.

And then notice where are you holding back or bracing against receiving what is good,

What is plentiful,

Receiving what is a blessing.

You might even ask yourself the question,

What am I resisting?

What am I resisting?

Just like this gentleman who was resisting.

Covering the inner sanctuary,

Perhaps resisting the pause,

Resisting love.

Where are you resisting the embrace with love,

The embrace with heartbreak,

The embrace with the pain of the world?

Ask yourself this a lot and just notice where am I resisting?

What am I resisting?

And in this moment,

Am I willing to open just a little bit and opening a little bit to the pain we also open to love,

To joy,

To goodness,

To pleasure.

The pleasure of the senses and beyond the senses.

So just breathing,

Making note of where you're already living in an embrace with life as it is,

Your life as it is,

This life as it is,

Because it's from here that we can really begin to thrive,

To be alive,

Being in this embrace with life as it is.

So I invite you to listen to this guided meditation as much as you like.

May it serve you,

May it serve your heart,

May it serve your embrace with this life.

May it serve.

So taking your time very gently and slowly,

Slowly bringing yourself back,

Perhaps placing a hand on your heart,

Acknowledging yourself for having taken this time to explore the possibility of being in a deep embrace with life,

With all of life.

So as you're ready,

Letting the eyes come open and embracing what you see,

What you feel,

Who you are.

Thank you so much.

It's been an exhuast.

You