This guided meditation has two parts.
It's about embracing change.
So it's a little discussion and a meditation on self-transformation and this will help to reduce stress.
So first of all we'll just settle into this moment and wiggle your body a little bit and become comfortable.
And I'll do a little talk on why this is important and why we suffer so much and then we'll settle deeper down into the experience of the meditation.
Let's dive a little deeper into this transformation understanding and this self transformation,
A concept with a potential to alleviate so much stress in our lives.
And consider the idea that we think of ourself as a self,
Merely a combination of physical and mental attributes.
Our physical form,
Our feelings,
Our perceptions and our stories,
Our thoughts and our consciousness.
If you really think about it none of these attributes either separately or collectively constitute a permanent unchanging self.
What is that self that lies below all those things?
And understanding this principle can be incredibly liberating.
Often stress arises when our fixed idea of who we are or who we should be is challenged or threatened.
We cling to this static self-image and struggle when life's inevitable changes clash with it.
And just by understanding and embracing the self-transformation,
The inherent fluidity of our being,
We can let go of the stressful clinging and the flow more freely with occurrence of life.
And consider this thought,
Thanks to change everything is possible.
Thanks to change everything is possible.
And when we truly understand self transformation and impermanence,
We free ourselves from the limitations of this fixed identity and we open ourselves to endless possibilities,
Endless experiences,
More joy and more depth.
Let's consider a metaphor.
Imagine yourself as a boat going down a river.
The river is constantly changing with different current and different corners,
Calm stretches and rapid flows.
And as the boat you don't cling to either bank or you fight against the current.
Instead you allow the river to carry you.
You trust in its flow.
This is much like our experience in the self-transformation.
When we let go of the clinging to the fixed self-identity,
We become more like the boat.
We're able to move freely with the flow of life,
Reducing the stress and struggle.
And then comes less resistant.
Become more like nature and we embrace life's changes.
So let's embark on a guided meditation to contemplate this self-transformation and find who we are really below all those things that come and go.
So settle in a little more and just become aware of your body relaxing.
If you haven't closed your eyes already just gently close your eyes or soften your gaze just a few feet in front of you.
Imagine yourself as a river with water continuously flowing.
Every aspect of you,
Your body,
Your feelings,
Your perceptions,
Your thoughts is like the water.
Constantly changing.
Never the same from one moment to the next.
Notice your breath flowing in and out just like the river.
There's no fixed breath,
Only the process of breathing.
Notice the sense of relief that comes from understanding that there is no fixed breath,
Only the process of breathing.
And now shift your attention to your body.
Feel its weight,
Its temperature,
The sensations with it.
And realize there's no fixed body,
Only a constant flux of sensations.
The body is always changing.
There's nothing that's permanent within the body,
Whether it's emotions or thoughts.
And notice the relief that comes from knowing there's no fixed body and just the constant flux of sensations.
There's like a lightness and an easiness to it.
And now we'll move your awareness to your feelings.
These could be feelings of happiness,
Sadness,
Excitement,
Boredom.
Each feeling arises,
Stays for a while and then passes away.
There's no fixed feeling,
Only a flow of emotions.
And notice the relief that comes from realizing there's no fixed feeling,
Just a flow of emotions.
That the next one will come along and you don't have to hold on to any.
And notice that they will go,
So you don't have to push any away.
They will subside and disappear.
And now finally bring your attention to your thoughts.
Notice how each thought comes and goes,
Just like the clouds in the sky.
There's no fixed thought,
Only a stream of mental events.
There's no fixed thought,
Only a stream of mental events.
Notice the relief that comes from understanding there's no fixed thought,
Just a stream of different thoughts coming and going.
And as you observe the flow of the breath,
Your sensations,
Your feelings and your thoughts,
Remember the image of the boat on the river.
Allow your experience to flow naturally without resistance.
There's nothing to fight in this moment,
There's nothing to resist in this moment.
And just hold this understanding for a few moments.
Observe the flow of the breath,
The coming and going of sensations,
The flux of the feelings,
The fact the thoughts come and go.
And as you end this meditation,
Take this wisdom with you and let it remind you of your true nature.
It's not a fixed self,
But a beautiful ever-changing flow.
And as you continue with your day,
Remember the boat on the river.
Embrace the fluidity of your own being and experience the stress relief that comes from this understanding.
Flowing with whatever comes and goes.
If you gently open your eyes or shake out your arms and just move yourself,
Move your awareness back into this room.
Yeah,
What a relief that we don't have to hold on to anything and we can be whoever we want to be and whatever we want to experience in this moment,
Based on whatever this moment gives us.
Thank you.
Have a wonderful day.
