Facing The Future From The Now

A guided meditation using the Mandala of Being, a simple, powerful map where you stand at the center (the present moment) and can turn to face different directions, including your future. When anxious thoughts about what might happen take hold, especially worries about those you love, this practice offers a way back to now.

Transcript

Sometimes,

Those stories we have about the future can make us very frightened,

Especially when we're worried about our children or people we love.

Bring yourself back to the now.

Feel yourself breathing right now.

Don't fight against the thoughts that have made you anxious in the future.

Just bring your mind to the now.

Let your life start right now.

Feel yourself in your body.

Let your breathing be vivid.

Look around wherever you are.

Let your mind see clearly.

Listen to the sounds.

Let them be vivid.

Let the mud settle.

Come back to who you are right now.

Standing in the center of the mandala of being,

Look toward the future position.

Recognize the stories that you've been telling yourself.

Realize that they are just thoughts,

Mind-made reality.

There's no way to know that any of them are true.

There's no way to know that anything will happen.

Instead,

Start where you are right now.

If you can make yourself safe with yourself right now,

If you can let the mud settle right now,

Is there any reason to doubt that you won't be able to do that tomorrow or next week or in 20 years?

Feel yourself say again,

Who I am begins right now.

Feel yourself looking to the future,

Knowing that if you can be present with yourself right now,

You can trust that whatever life brings,

You will meet it with an open heart,

With courage,

With equanimity.

You'll do whatever needs to be done.

Say to yourself,

Here am I.

Say to yourself,

Who I am begins right now.

And rest in the now position until the future is just infinite possibility and your only responsibility is to let the mud settle right now and start from your true self.