Beshalach and letting go.
In this week's Torah portion,
Beshalach,
We learn about the experiences of Am Yisrael after they're freed from slavery in Egypt.
They're standing at the Red Sea when they see the Egyptian forces approaching on chariots.
They cry out in panic and ask if there were no graves in Egypt.
Is it better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness?
They lacked faith in Moses and in God.
They were enslaved in Egypt for 430 years,
And although they received their freedom,
They brought their baggage of past experiences with them,
Of being passive,
Timid,
And dependent on their masters for their daily bread.
Now that they were free and had God and Moshe to rely on,
They didn't need these traits anymore,
But they continued to cling to the mindset of a slave.
Similarly,
In our own lives,
We often cling to things that don't serve us well,
Such as habitual worries,
Past experiences,
Bad habits,
And automatic reactions.
In some cases,
Especially when it comes to the past,
All you can do is accept whatever it is you're holding on to and then work on letting it go.
That's how to bring about change and growth.
Painful feelings can be familiar and comfortable,
Especially if they're all you know.
Some people have trouble letting go of their pain or other unpleasant emotions about their past because they think those feelings are part of who they are.
Psychoanalyst Carl Jung said,
I am not what happened to me.
I am what I choose to become.
That's not so simple.
By connecting to the present moment through mindful meditation,
We can become more aware of and notice what we're experiencing in this moment,
And also what thoughts or feelings from the past or about the future are showing up.
When we stop trying to hold on to these thoughts,
Feelings,
Or sensations,
Or whatever doesn't serve us well,
We actually become freer to live with ease.
Meditation is one of the best ways to practice this.
When we meditate,
We notice how thoughts,
Sensations,
And events are dynamic and changing.
We practice letting go rather than getting caught up in our thoughts and feelings and treating them as a personal threat.
Whatever we yearn to let go of,
We can practice letting go by checking in with the body and by consciously inviting a gentle release of whatever we're holding on to.
One way to explore this idea of letting go is the practice of a body scan.
As you go through areas of your body and notice different sensations,
Thoughts,
Or feelings,
Take a few breaths and imagine lightly resting your attention on a certain place in your body,
Softening,
And then letting go.
Letting go is a practice of acknowledging and also surrendering what no longer serves us and invites us to connect to the present moment by giving attention to and observing the body and the mind.
This can bring a softening or release.
Let's try a short body scan with the intention of releasing or letting go of what lies heavy on our minds and hearts.
So getting settled in a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down,
And closing your eyes if you like,
And noticing the contact that your body makes with the surface that supports you,
Such as a chair,
Cushion,
Mattress,
And taking a few conscious breaths,
Allowing your body to sink a bit more with each breath,
And noticing the air as it enters your nose and it leaves your nose or your mouth.
I'll leave spaces throughout this practice for you to focus and observe,
And now noticing the movement of your chest as you breathe,
And noticing the rise and fall of your stomach as you breathe in and breathe out.
And now gently scanning your body for any sensations such as tension,
Tightness,
Heaviness,
Warmth,
Trembling,
Or lightness,
And taking some time now to check in with your body.
And now imagining directing your breath to a place in your body where you notice a sensation or sensations.
It's as if there's a shaft leading from your breath to this place in your body that you want to direct your breath to,
And staying with this place in your body where you feel a sensation or sensations,
And noticing your mind right now.
Is it alert,
Distracted,
Bored,
Relaxed,
Or something else?
And also paying attention to your thoughts,
Such as thoughts that might be automatic and self-critical.
And now taking a moment to ask yourself,
Is there a thought that I could let go of right now?
A thought that doesn't serve me or is holding me back?
Is this thought true?
Is this thought helpful?
So once you have that thought in your mind,
Imagining that with every out-breath,
You're slowly releasing this thought,
And noticing any reactions of resistance to letting this go,
And just continuing to breathe naturally and freely at your own pace.
And imagine that with every out-breath,
You're able to release some of this thought,
And noticing any feelings of lightness you might be feeling.
And now shifting your attention to your heart and the area around the heart,
And breathing towards this area,
Noticing whatever feelings or sensations are coming up right now,
And imagining releasing whatever's making your heart heavy right now,
Such as a worry,
Frustration,
Regret,
And continuing to breathe freely,
Noticing any sensations that might be coming up in your body,
And taking as much time as you need in this practice.
As this practice comes to an end,
Can you take a moment and appreciate the effort you're making to live more with ease and let go of things that burden you?
And maybe making an intention to do this practice on a regular basis.
When you're ready,
Bringing your attention back to the room,
And slowly opening your eyes if they were closed,
And staying here as long as you like.
Letting go of what we don't need is difficult,
But it can also free us up to be more present in our lives and live with ease.
It requires us to trust in ourselves and others,
And believe that we'll be taken care of,
Just as the Israelites were taken care of at the Red Sea.
Holding onto these things not only holds us back from growth,
But also prevents us from experiencing the fullness of life.
