Hello and welcome.
I'm Roseanne,
Your host and guide.
So today's meditation is one for when life feels hard,
When you're caught in the in-between,
Between how things are and how you wish they were,
When you're exhausted from trying to hold it all together.
And this is a practice called radical acceptance.
And it's not passive acceptance,
It's not giving up or giving in,
But it's brave,
It's a softening and a willingness to stop arguing with what's already true.
And this kind of acceptance is so fierce in its own way because it asks us to stay present with life as it is,
Even when it doesn't look how we imagined.
So whether you are in the midst of change or grief or uncertainty,
Or even just one of those days when you feel just weary,
Let this be your place,
A place to exhale.
Because we're not here to try and fix anything or figure anything out.
We're here just to be with what is.
So I invite you to settle yourself into comfort.
Make sure that you are not going to be disturbed.
And then when you're ready,
Gently close your eyes and we will make a start.
So let's begin by arriving fully into your body.
Feeling where you're resting,
Feel the weight of your body supported by the ground beneath you.
Let yourself be held for a moment.
Bring your attention to your breath.
No need to change it.
Just let it be exactly as it is.
Flowing in and out like waves on a quiet shore.
And if it feels helpful,
Place one hand on your heart,
Maybe one hand on your belly.
And let that contact ground you.
As you are here,
You are safe.
You are allowed to rest.
So let's just gently scan through your body slowly,
Starting at the crown of your head and move down through the forehead and the jaw,
The neck and the shoulders.
And notice if you're holding tension anywhere.
Try to let go,
But there's no need to relax everything.
Just notice.
And where you can,
Soften just slightly.
Drop your awareness down into your chest,
Your belly,
Your hips.
And just notice if you're bracing,
Holding tight against something.
And again,
Just invite softening.
There's no pressure,
No performance,
Just the quiet possibility of ease.
So radical acceptance begins by telling the truth.
It's the moment that we stop resisting life.
Stop saying,
This shouldn't be happening.
And instead,
Whisper to ourselves,
This is happening and I can meet it.
Not because it's easy,
Not because we wanted this,
But because fighting reality adds more pain to what's already difficult.
So in this space,
I want to simply invite you to just be with what is,
To feel what you feel.
To allow those feelings,
Maybe even it's a physical sensation,
To just observe it.
So I want to invite you to bring to mind a situation in your life that feels difficult or unresolved.
Maybe just something you've been resisting or avoiding.
Let it rise gently without forcing.
It might be something big,
Like a relationship or a decision,
An emotion.
Or something quieter,
A subtle discontent,
A place where you feel stuck.
Name it inwardly,
Let it take shape without needing to fix it.
Just breathe with it,
Let your body stay soft.
And if you're willing,
Say inwardly,
This is what's here right now.
I may not like it,
I may not have chosen it,
But I choose to meet it just as it is.
Even just for this breath,
Even just for this moment.
So let's bring in a gentle breath practice.
So you might want to just deepen your breath ever so slightly.
And as you inhale,
Imagine drawing in spaciousness.
Invite in a little more room around whatever feels tight or tangled.
And as you exhale,
Let go of resistance.
Not the situation,
But your grip on needing it to be different.
So you can try saying to yourself,
As you inhale,
You say,
I open,
As you exhale,
I allow.
I open,
I allow.
Or try this,
As you inhale,
Say to yourself,
I accept this moment.
And as you exhale,
Say,
Just as it is.
I accept this moment,
Just as it is.
I accept this moment,
Just as it is.
Let the breath be your anchor.
It's a rhythm you can return to again and again.
So let's bring some awareness to the part of you that is struggling.
The you who is tired or doesn't know how this ends.
The you who's doing the best they possibly can with what you have.
Can you offer yourself some kindness,
Some compassion?
Not because you're perfect,
But because you are worthy,
Just as you are.
Say to yourself,
It's okay to feel this way.
I don't have to have it all together.
Even in this,
I am still whole.
And let that be the medicine,
The healing.
Not certainty,
Not answers,
Just kindness.
Radical acceptance does not mean we stop caring.
It doesn't mean we accept mistreatment or stay stuck in what harms us.
It simply means we stopped pushing against the truth of what already is.
Because only when we meet life as it is,
Can we begin to change what needs changing.
From a place of clarity,
From love,
Not fear.
Radical acceptance is the practice of fully,
Completely accepting reality as it is.
Without resistance,
Denial,
Or trying to change it in that moment.
It doesn't mean that you like what's happening.
It doesn't mean that you approve or that it's fair,
Or that you're giving up.
It means that you stopped fighting.
What is,
Even if that hurts,
Even if it's not what you wanted.
Now,
Return again to your body.
Feel your feet,
Your seat,
Your breath.
Let your awareness move outward again,
Slowly.
Listening to the sounds around you.
Sensing the light in the room.
You've just practiced something courageous.
And you didn't need to do anything or become anything.
You simply stayed present.
And that is enough.
Om Shanti.
