Hello and welcome.
If you found your way here today,
Something might be feeling like it's too much.
Maybe a list that won't stop growing.
Maybe a thought that you can't put down.
Maybe the day already feels lost and you're not even halfway through.
And whatever that might be for you today,
You are in the right place.
So take a couple of minutes with me,
We're going to slow this down together and we're going to do something a little physical today because the body has wisdom that the mind can borrow from.
Before we start,
The practice today asks that you hold your arms out in front of you.
If for any reason your shoulders or arms or back can't do that today,
That is completely fine.
Just rest your elbows on the table or your knees and just hold your forearms up instead.
Or hold a cup or a small book in your lap and feel the practice through that.
The teaching works in any of these ways.
So take a moment to get comfortable,
Find a place where you can sit up straight,
Both feet on the floor if you can,
And take a deep breath in.
And breathe out.
And again breathe in.
And breathe out.
And breathe in slowly through the nose.
And allow the body to settle.
And out through the mouth.
Longer than your inhale was.
And again breathe in and out slowly.
Now when you're ready.
Extend your arms out in front of you.
Keep them straight and parallel to the floor.
Keep your palms facing up as if you're holding something.
And just keep them steady.
Imagine you're holding a bucket.
It's empty for now.
And it's light enough that you can carry it without much thought.
This is what it's like just being.
Just being alive today.
In this body.
In this life.
It takes some effort but it is manageable.
And this is the weight that we already carry on a daily basis.
Take a deep breath in.
And just exhale into this moment.
Now,
The first question.
What is causing this feeling of overwhelm right now?
Don't analyze it too much.
Don't overthink.
Just notice what comes to mind.
The thing or the few things behind it.
The work pressure.
The home situation.
The relationship.
The decision.
The ten little things adding up.
And whatever this is for you.
I want you to see it as sand.
And pour it into your bucket.
Keep your arms steady.
And feel the bucket get heavier in your hands.
The arms are working a little harder now.
Notice the change in weight.
And acknowledge that it is real.
Take a deep breath in.
And breathe out.
The second question.
Are the things that you're worried about actually that scary?
Was that intimidating?
Or are you the one giving them power over you?
The fear that might be bigger in imagination than the thing itself.
The dread that you've been carrying about an email,
A conversation,
A moment that may never arrive.
And add that feel to the bucket.
Pictured as stones.
Heavier than the sand,
Because fear is denser than fact.
Feel the bucket getting heavier as the stones are added.
The arms beginning to burn.
Notice it.
The weight is real now.
And breathe in.
And breathe out.
Now one more question.
What are you avoiding today?
And why.
The thing that you might keep walking past.
The task left undone.
The conversation you keep deferring.
The choice that you've been refusing to make.
Notice whatever comes to mind.
And add it to the bucket.
The avoidance,
The not doing.
The heaviness of carrying something you haven't put down yet.
Added as more weight on top of the sand and on top of the stones.
Now sit with us for a moment.
The bucket is full.
Your arms are working to keep it up.
The mind catching up to what the body is showing us.
This is what overwhelm actually feels like.
We are carrying it with us all the time.
In most days we don't even notice the weight because we never set it down to compare.
Now just for today.
And just for this moment.
We're going to let go.
Still keeping your arms steady.
Keep your focus on the weight and bring all your attention to the bucket.
To the weight of the bucket,
To the burn in your arms and feel it in full.
Don't fight it.
And breathe in.
And breathe out.
We're going to count down together.
And when we get to one.
.
.
You can let the bucket drop.
Five.
I am here.
4.
I am enough.
Three.
2.
Get ready.
End.
One.
Let go.
Take in this moment.
The arms are light.
The bucket is gone.
The body is suddenly relieved in a way that you can actually feel.
Some of you might notice the arms wanting to float upward when you release.
That's your body remembering what light feels like.
Take a deep breath in.
All the way to the top and hold your breath for a second.
Keep holding.
And breathe out,
Letting go of all the air in your lungs,
Emptying out completely.
Notice how good this feels.
Notice the lightness,
The space in your chest.
The shoulders dropping.
The breath deeper than it was a minute ago.
This is what your body has been asking for.
Not less work.
But less holding.
And here's the thing worth remembering.
The bucket was never the problem.
The holding was the problem.
We created all that weight by carrying things that,
Just for today,
Just for tonight,
Were not ours to carry.
The work,
The worry,
The fear,
The avoidance.
Those things will still be there tomorrow.
That's real life.
And real life doesn't disappear because we set it down for 10 minutes.
But the weight you've been adding through your imagination.
Through your dread,
Through the way that the mind grips onto things.
That part is something you can choose to sit down.
Again and again and again.
Take a deep breath in.
And breathe out.
And now that the bucket is empty.
What is the first thing or the biggest thing you need to do today to move forward?
Just one,
Not the wholest,
Not the perfect day.
One thing that,
If you did it,
Would feel like progress.
And pick something.
It doesn't have to be perfect,
But just pick one.
And that is the one thing you're going to do when this meditation ends.
From a body that is lighter and a mind that is clear and a bucket that for now is empty.
And whenever you feel overwhelmed again,
Feel free to come back to this practice.
Breath,
Hold,
Release,
Choose and move forward.
That is the practice.
You don't have to carry all of this weight all the time.
You can set the bucket down whenever it gets too heavy.
As often as you need to.
And take a deep breath in.
And breathe out.
And whenever you're ready.
Become aware of your surroundings.
And gently open your eyes.
Thank you so much for being here.
Have an amazing day.
