Let It Be: Stop Fighting What You Feel

Most of the suffering around a hard feeling comes from the fight against it. We tense, distract, analyse, and try to make it go away faster. In this 7 minute practice you'll find where a feeling lives in your body, name it simply, and let it be there without needing it to change. Nothing to fix. Just a chance to stop wrestling and notice what happens when you allow it. Good for anxiety, sadness, frustration, or any day where something heavy is sitting with you.

Transcript

Hey, It's Pat. Welcome. So to begin, Find a way to sit or to lie down where your body can be fully supported. Let your eyes close if that's comfortable or rest your gaze softly on the floor. And take one slow breath in through the nose. And let it go through the mouth. One more breath in. And out. Now let your breath do whatever it wants to do. You don't need to control it here. You might have come to this practice because something's weighing you down A feeling that's been hanging around, Maybe it's loud. Maybe it's just a low hum in the background. Whatever it is, I want to invite you to turn toward it rather than away from it, Just for the next few minutes. Ask yourself quietly, What am I feeling right now? And you don't need a perfect word, Maybe tight or heavy, Restless, Sad, Angry, Numb, Any word is fine Even I don't know is fine. But asking yourself quietly, What am I feeling right now? And now where do you feel it in your body? Maybe the chest or the throat the belly or the jaw. Maybe behind the eyes. Just let your attention go to wherever it's loudest. Stay there and get curious. Is it hot or cool? Is it still or does it move? Does it have edges or is it more like a cloud? And you might notice a part of you that wants this feeling gone. The ones to fix it or explain it or get rid of it. That's normal. The parrot's trying to protect you. See if you can let that part rest for a moment, Not forever, Just for now. And say to the feeling inside, You can be here. You can be here. Breathe toward it, Imagine the breath arriving right where the feeling lives not to push it out just to keep you company. If it gets bigger. Let it be bigger. If it softens, Let it soften. And if nothing changes at all, That's okay too. You're not doing this to make it leave. You're doing it to stop fighting. Maybe notice what happens to the rest of your body when you stop bracing against this one part. Shoulders, The hands, The face. The feeling is energy moving through you. There's a beginning, A middle and an end. Most of the time what keeps it stuck is the effort that we put into holding it down. So let it move, Let it be exactly as it is. You can be here. In a moment we'll start to come back. But before we do, Just take a breath and thank yourself for turning toward something that's not easy to feel, That takes courage. Let your breath deepen a little. Feel the weight of your body. The surface under you. The sounds in the room. And when you're ready, Let your eyes open. Here's something to take with you today. When the feeling shows up. Before you do anything about it, Try saying, You can be here. Notice what changes Thanks for practicing with me today. Take care of yourself.

Reviews

Not resisting and just allowing refuces the fear and anxiety. Thanks for the gentle guidance Pat 🙏🏻