Welcome to today's practice,
Radically letting things be as they are.
So much of our stress,
Our striving and our struggles in life come from the constant habit of trying to make the moment different.
And we try to manage our thoughts,
Control our feelings,
Fix our bodies or improve the now.
In today's meditation,
We'll experiment with something radical and that is letting things be just as they are.
This doesn't mean resignation or passivity.
Instead,
It's a powerful act of trust,
Allowing experience to arise and unfold without needing to change it.
When we stop wrestling with the present moment,
We often discover a natural sense of ease,
Clarity and wholeness.
So here's how we'll do this today.
First,
We'll settle into the body and breath.
Then instead of trying to focus or achieve anything,
We'll simply rest in awareness.
Letting sensations,
Thoughts and feelings come and go freely.
And whenever you catch yourself trying,
Trying to relax or trying to concentrate or trying to fix,
You can just let go and rest again in being.
So let's begin finding a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down.
Take your time allowing the body to settle.
Let your hands rest easily.
And gently close your eyes if that feels natural.
Take a slow breath in and a gentle breath out.
Let's do that again.
And breathing in and breathing out.
And one last time,
A full breath in and an easy breath out.
Feel the weight of your body supported by the ground beneath you.
Notice any points of contact,
Your feet,
Your legs,
Your back,
Your hands.
No need to adjust or change,
Simply notice.
And bring awareness to the breath,
But don't control it.
Let it breathe itself,
Rising,
Falling,
Expanding,
Releasing.
Notice how the body feels right now.
There may be comfort or tension or a mix of both.
Let it all be here,
Nothing to fix.
Now expand your awareness to include everything that arises.
So a thought comes,
Let it be.
A sound appears,
Let it be.
An emotion stirs,
Let it be.
There is no need to push away or hold on.
Everything that comes is welcome.
Everything that leaves may go.
If you notice yourself trying,
Trying to get calm,
Trying to stop thinking,
Trying to meditate well,
Notice that too.
And then let even the efforting be here just as it is.
You are resting as awareness itself,
The open space in which all of this appears.
Allow these next few minutes to be a radical experiment in doing nothing.
Radically letting things be just as they are.
Let this moment be enough.
There is nothing you need to change.
Simply rest in being.
There is nothing to change.
Just let this moment be enough.
As we come toward the close of today's meditation,
Notice how it feels to allow things to be as they are.
Perhaps there is a sense of rest.
Or perhaps not much has changed at all,
And that too is perfectly okay.
This practice is not about creating a special state,
But about softening the endless effort to control and improve.
As you return to the rest of your day,
See if you can bring a little of this attitude with you.
When a thought or a feeling arises,
Pause and experiment with just letting it be.
Notice what happens when you give life permission to unfold in its own way.
Let's take a final breath in together.
And let it go.
And slowly and gently open your eyes when you're ready.
