Hello and welcome to this meditation to help you light up your dark.
My name is Juana and I am so honored to be a part of your journey today.
Begin by getting settled into a relaxed yet alert posture.
You could do this as a walking meditation as well.
Whether seated or laying,
Ensure your spine is straight,
Hands resting softly either on your lap or by your sides.
Bringing your full awareness to your breath,
Notice how each inhale and exhale connects you to the aliveness within your body.
Feel the cold air flowing in.
Feel the warm air flowing out.
Focus single-mindedly on each and every breath,
One after the other,
Without distraction.
As you continue to closely follow your breath,
Become aware of the subtle shift between your inhalation and exhalation,
The exact moment when the breath changes direction.
Then observe the shift again as the exhale transitions into the next inhale.
This tiny gap,
This still point between breaths is where you can rest your loving attention.
Keep returning back to this still point whenever your mind wanders,
As it's bound to do.
Breathe in,
Notice the pause.
Breathe out,
Notice the pause.
This tiny crevice between breaths is the stillness we are cultivating.
Savor this silence for a few more delicious breaths.
Beautiful.
You may release the pause and connect to a breathing pace that is natural yet soothing to you.
Now I invite you to imagine a room completely enveloped in darkness,
Absolute blackness.
You can't see anything in front of you,
Not even your own hands.
It's a bit unsettling,
No?
Being in a place where there's no light at all?
You certainly wouldn't want to be stuck there.
It may sound overly simplistic,
But think about this.
You wouldn't fight the darkness to make it go away,
Right?
Rather you'd simply turn on the light.
Either way in life,
You can't overcome darkness with more darkness.
The only way through is to let the light shine in.
At some point along your personal growth journey,
You'll realize that protecting yourself from the shadows of the world only keeps you trapped.
By being afraid,
You've hid yourself in a safe space,
Drawn the blinds and shut out the light.
Even though you long for the warmth of the sun,
It's out of reach.
If you keep protecting yourself,
You're only locking away your fears and insecurities within your own heart.
You won't find any freedom in this way.
In the end,
Perfect self-protection leads to stagnation.
Your habits,
Quirks and unresolved issues will remain unchanged.
Life stays still when we try to protect ourselves from the very things that allow us to grow.
Our pains,
Failures and struggles are quite often the catalyst to some of our biggest accomplishments and rewards.
So you needn't resist them,
And you needn't be imprisoned by them.
I'd like you to take these next few moments to think about how some of your biggest and darkest struggles were also your biggest and best blessings.
What did you learn?
How did you grow?
Who did you become?
How did you light up your dark?
You can allow the light to flow back into your life at any point,
It is up to you.
If you spent years hiding from the sun,
And then chose to step out of the darkness,
The sun would still be shining,
As if you'd never left.
There's no need for apologies or atonement,
Merely lift your head and face the sun.
You don't need to make it complicated,
You just choose to do it.
The sun is always shining,
Even when you block it.
The smallest flare has the power to push back the darkness.
Stay vigilant.
Know that opportunities for growth and light are always there for you,
But you must be on the watch for them.
No matter how gloomy life may appear to be,
You can always find a flicker of hope to light up your world.
What is that flicker for you?
What can you be deliberately grateful for?
What do you take for granted?
What have you been blessed with?
What makes your life worth living?
There is always good present in your life,
If you so choose to see it.
If you have eyesight,
Clean drinking water,
Food on the table,
And shoes on your feet,
Cherish these gifts.
Not everyone has them,
And you'd surely miss them if they weren't there.
You hold a lot of influence over how you perceive your circumstances.
You cannot be overcome by darkness when you focus on the stars in the night sky.
What are the stars that paint your sky?
No matter how small they appear to be,
All stars shine brightly.
Notice the subtle preciousness of what you've been blessed with.
Let it illuminate your entire being.
Connect to a deep sense of gratitude for your strength,
Hope,
And resilience.
Envision white healing light swallowing up your whole entire body.
I'd love to leave you with this poem titled The Laughing Heart,
By Charles Bukowski.
It goes like this.
.
.
Your life is your life.
Don't let it be clubbed into dank submission.
Be on the watch.
There are ways out.
There is light somewhere.
It may not be much light,
But it beats the darkness.
Be on the watch.
The gods will offer you chances.
Know them.
Take them.
You can't beat death,
But you can beat death in life sometimes.
And the more often you learn to do it,
The more light there will be.
Your life is your life.
Know it while you have it.
You are marvelous.
The gods wait to delight in you.
Breathe the truth of these words in.
Allow them to re-enliven your spirit,
Your purpose,
And your life.
Silently repeat after me.
.
.
My life is my own,
And I choose to live it fully.
I will not let my life be drowned in darkness or fear.
Each time I choose life over fear,
I bring more light into my world.
I celebrate the gift of life and honor it while I have it.
I am marvelous and worthy of delight.
I invite the joy of the universe into my world.
And so it is.
We've now reached the end of our journey together.
Thank you for choosing to show up for yourself like this.
For choosing to find the light amidst the darkness.
You got this.
You are stronger,
Wiser,
And more powerful than you dare to think.
Assume it is yours,
And it is.
As we come to the end of this moment,
Gently begin to bring your awareness back to the present.
Take a deep breath in,
Sensing the fresh air gracing your lungs,
And slowly exhale,
Releasing anything left that doesn't serve you.
Enjoy a little stretch,
Gently moving your fingers and toes,
Bringing a sense of life back into your miraculous body.
And when you're ready,
And not a moment sooner,
Slowly open your eyes.
The light of the world flooding back in,
As you anchor your loving attention to the space around you.
Take a moment to appreciate this sense of well-being,
Knowing that it's always available to you whenever you need it.
Carry it with you into the rest of your day.
Take your time,
There's no rush,
There's only now.
Please do let me know what makes your life brighter by leaving me a comment,
I love hearing from you,
And hope to have you join me again tomorrow.
Blessings to you,
Beautiful soul.
