Welcome to session 16 of our 30 session introduction to meditation course.
Today we begin the second half of our course and we're going to focus on equanimity.
Over the next five sessions,
We'll be exploring another meditation muscle that goes along with calming and clarity called equanimity and equanimity is this invisible muscle.
Most people don't even know they have,
But it's super important for everything.
It's one of the great secrets of meditation.
Equanimity means evenness of mind,
Especially under stress,
Being balanced,
Being completely composed.
Some people like to think of this as being even keel.
We dabbled a little bit in equanimity in our first half of our course,
Where we meditated on finding our center point and then imagining that we are the center of the eye of a hurricane.
This is all equanimity.
So now we're going to get into it in a little deeper.
Equanimity means not pushing away or holding onto any sensation,
Feeling,
Or experience.
So in your mind,
Imagine if you're in a very loud room and it's so loud,
It makes you feel like you're under attack.
Our usual response is to brace against these sounds,
Perhaps tightening up and feeling like running away.
Equanimity is a third option where we are being so open and present that all the noise just passes right through us.
Not because we blocked the noise,
But because we learned how to be bigger than them,
Essentially creating space around us.
Equanimity may sound strange or even impossible,
But this muscle is very real and it's radical.
It's something we all can learn to bring to the situations that we encounter,
And it has the potential to completely transform how we deal with the challenges of life.
So let's investigate deeper what being the eye of the hurricane means.
I hope you enjoy this session.
Coming now to sit.
Entering into our meditation.
Setting your intention to be here,
Present and alert.
Finding your way to your favorite meditation posture.
Sitting as tall as you can with the least amount of effort.
Back straight,
Upright,
Aligned.
Body relaxed,
Surrendering to gravity.
Resilient in the balance between effort and ease.
Your posture is dignified,
Giving you a sense of being strong,
Stable,
And present.
Beginning with three deep,
Calming breaths.
In fully through your nose.
And exhaling completely through your mouth as you make a soft sighing sound.
With each out breath,
Relaxing your body.
And imagining that any cares,
Worries,
And concerns that you brought today melt away into the floor.
Softening your forehead.
Eyes.
Cheeks.
Jaw.
Mouth.
Tongue.
Neck.
Shoulders.
Arms.
Hands.
Loosening your chest muscles.
Relaxing your lower back.
Releasing your belly.
Soft,
Warm.
Pelvis and groin.
Legs and feet.
Equanimity begins with our attitude.
Finding a kind of relaxed,
Easy-going-ness in how you are sitting right now.
Not tense or concerned about distractions.
Sounds.
Sensations.
Feelings.
Thoughts.
Reminding yourself that things don't need to be perfect.
There's nowhere else to be.
Nowhere else to go.
Nothing you need to do or fix.
Everything is exactly how it needs to be.
You are present with it all in this room right now.
In this moment.
A sense of,
Here I am.
Our meditation practice today is to stay with this stance.
The stance of being totally open.
Open to all the sounds in and around you.
All of your sensations,
Feelings,
Thoughts.
Whatever is happening.
We sit with our breath.
And watch as things arise,
Stay around a while,
And then disappear.
All on their own.
We didn't need to do anything.
All these things are just passing through.
Underlying this stance of openness is our breath.
Gently aware of your breath.
The breath in.
And the breath out.
When your mind wanders.
And it will.
Notice it wandering.
And smile for noticing.
Noticing a wandering mind is a very good thing.
And when you're ready,
Ease your awareness back to breath.
And simply begin again.
We're practicing being totally easygoing and open.
It's almost like your awareness is a broad riverbed.
And life is the river flowing through it.
This is equanimity.
Sometimes it just feels like relaxing.
Keep exploring on your own.
This is all about being open.
Letting the world pass through you.
Sounds.
Sensations.
Feelings.
Thoughts.
Everything.
And if from time to time you notice any tension.
Or rigidity and holding in your body.
See if you can invite that part of your body to relax.
And sometimes it's not the body that is tight.
It's the mind.
The mind might be tight with judgments.
Worries.
Concerns.
Concerns.
Maybe even worrying if you get this bizarre equanimity idea.
And if and when you notice any of this.
See if you can let the thought go.
Consider it just another one more thing passing through.
Equanimity is staying open.
When thoughts and feelings come up.
And they will.
Just notice them.
Smile.
Say welcome.
And then ease your awareness back to your breath.
In a nice,
Light,
Gentle way.
And now.
Let go of all the effort.
Do nothing at all.
Just let yourself enjoy this little bit of rest.
And now.
Let go.
And now.
Let go.
And now.
Let go.
And now.
Let go.
And now.
Let go.
And now.
Let go.
And now.
Let go.
And now.
And now.
Let go.
Let go.
Let go.
And now.
Breathing in.
I see myself as a mountain.
Breathing out.
I feel solid.
Mountain.
Solid.
Breathing in.
I am open.
Breathing out.
I am at ease.
Open.
Ease.
Breathing in.
I know I have arrived.
Breathing out.
At home.
Arrived.
Home.
Home.
Equanimity is not not caring.
It is the exact opposite.
It is being so open and spacious that you can in fact care about everything without getting stuck on any of the individual bits.
Equanimity allows us to live fully with joy and ease.
Dwelling in the wonderful moment of now.
Where everything that arises is a miracle.
Slowly.
Gradually.
Beginning to emerge from your meditation.
Releasing and relaxing your meditation posture.
Wiggling your fingers and your toes.
Taking a deep breath in and as you breathe in raising your arms up high in a big stretch.
And as you lower your arms letting out a sigh.
And rubbing your legs.
Rocking side to side.
Bringing motion back into your body.
Reaching behind to your lower back and giving your lower back a massage.
Your lower back worked hard to support you.
Giving it some loving care.
Some gratitude and appreciation.
Thank you lower back.
Sliding your hands around to your lower belly.
And gently holding your lower belly as you offer your affirmations of metta to yourself.
Beginning with,
I am well.
Bringing your hands over your heart.
Feeling the warmth and tenderness.
Self care.
Repeating,
I am happy.
Loved and loving.
Crossing your arms.
Putting your hands on your opposite shoulders.
Giving yourself a hug.
And as you lightly stroke down your arm from shoulder to elbow a few times.
Repeating,
I am safe.
At home.
In my body.
With my breath.
Lightly rubbing your face.
Your forehead.
Your eyes.
Your cheeks.
Your jaw.
Your nose.
Over your head.
Through your hair.
Around the back of your neck.
Pausing.
Giving your neck and shoulders a massage.
Hands back to your heart.
And back to your belly.
Repeating,
I am peaceful and at ease.
And taking a moment to appreciate and be grateful for this gift of self care that you gave yourself today.
And coming together as a community to share it with each other in our group.
And take these good feelings with you into the rest of your day,
Evening,
And week.
And wherever you go about,
Whatever you're experiencing,
Be your own center point.
Your own eye of the hurricane.
Your own mountain.
Solid.
Rubbing the palms of your hands together.
Warming them.
Lightly cupping them over your eyes.
Feeling the warmth of your hands on your face.
As you breathe in,
Opening your eyes.
And as you breathe out,
Slowly lowering your hands.
Returning your awareness to the room around you.
Thank you all very much.
