From Shampinyada,
I'm Colleen Thomas.
This is Everyday Magic for Ukraine.
Today we find our center amidst world chaos.
Welcome to The Circle.
Welcome to Everyday Magic for Ukraine,
Where we honor Ukraine and also practice self-care to stay strong as allies.
If you're new here,
Welcome!
So the only item you need today is something that helps your body relax when you think about it or see it.
Something that brings you a sense of ease.
And while you're sourcing that or letting that idea land,
I invite you to take a breath if you'd like to.
And maybe we can get present by doing a little shaking or tapping or swaying.
Just something very,
Very gentle,
Very easy to help bring you into this moment.
Bring you out of your head a little bit.
Bring you a little more into the body.
Mmm.
And while we are taking advantage of this opportunity to slow down and come into this now moment,
I invite you to bring to mind the image.
Something that when you picture it or you see it,
Just kind of immediately helps you drop down,
Drop tension,
Drop worries,
Drop cares,
And just get lost in something that is very peaceful for you,
Very calming and centering for you.
And so what we want to do first is just spend some time with this image.
Just allow yourself to see it,
However you're seeing it.
Really see all of it.
Really see all of it.
Really allow yourself to go to that place to be in that moment.
Bring your full self into that experience.
So if you were really there in this image,
If this was a world or a moment you could step into right now,
What would you hear?
And what would you be standing on or sitting on?
What smells would you be smelling?
And are there any tastes you might be tasting?
For example,
If it's a beach,
Would you be tasting the salt air?
I'm going to invite you to keep deepening your experience with this image.
Keep bringing yourself more and more clearly into that experience.
Keep bringing yourself more and more clearly into this moment.
Allowing this vision that you've picked,
This image that you've picked to become even more real.
And as we do that,
I would like to begin to conceptualize of this place that you've chosen as your center.
So for this moment,
Allowing this place,
This vision,
These people,
Whatever you're seeing,
Allow this scene to become your center.
So now we're in,
We could call it maybe a safe place or a grounded,
Centered place.
And for the next part of this meditation,
I would love for you to choose,
To choose whether or not to do the second part or just stay in this place,
This safe centered place.
The second part of the meditation will be to stay in the centered place while becoming aware of other things such as the chaos of world events.
So if you'd like to join me in presencing both things at once,
Make sure you are still grounded in your place,
In your beautiful scene,
You're fully present.
And perhaps you're grounded,
Perhaps you're connected to the cosmos,
Whatever helps you feel like you're part of something bigger than yourself.
And from this place,
Begin to just on the edge of your awareness,
Allow yourself to become aware of other things,
Things that are maybe less calm,
Maybe less peaceful,
Making sure that as you might think of one or a different one,
That you are practicing staying centered.
You don't even really need to bring them into focus,
These non-harmonious chaotic things,
Just kind of let them be on the edge of your awareness.
So you're acknowledging both states of being,
You're acknowledging calm and centeredness,
And you're acknowledging non-calm and centeredness,
You're acknowledging the other.
And just practice that for a bit,
Just practice staying centered while you are aware that there is chaos in the world.
There are hard things happening.
There are uncertainties.
And there are losses that we all face.
Practicing the art of staying centered and grounded and calm while other things are happening.
And we'll just take a few more moments of this practicing both at once.
So you're in your center and there are other things going on.
You're aware of them,
But they are not pulling you off of your center.
And now we can begin to let go of the hard things that are happening.
Harder things of anything that came to you,
Anything you were aware of,
Maybe just let it go now and come back fully centered in your space.
And allow yourself to really be in that moment one more time in case you might have drifted away.
Bring yourself back,
Look at on your photo or in your mind's eye every detail of that moment.
Inhabit that moment in your cells.
And if you like,
You can reassure yourself on a deep level that this is a place you can return to.
By bringing this image back to mind or looking at this picture on a fairly regular basis,
On a fairly regular basis,
You can begin to train your nervous system to calm and relax and release.
It can be a wonderful kind of practice to add to your life because there are so many things that are always making us anxious and nervous and maybe even scared to have things that help us practice being calm and centered.
May we always remember that we have tools to find our center amidst world chaos.
May it be so.
Thank you so much for being with us today.
Your presence,
Your energy,
And your heart make all the difference in healing our world.
Remember to breathe today.
Breathe and expand.
And I hope you join us again next time.
Please consider inviting a friend.
