A warm welcome to you.
My name is Fleur Chambers and as always,
It's my pleasure to spend this time with you.
This practice offers you the opportunity to identify the ways that fear is present in your mind,
Body and heart.
You will then be guided to move towards love.
You can listen to this meditation anytime you want to move from contraction to expansion,
So that you can feel more clear,
Open and at ease.
Beginning by settling into a comfortable position and before you close down your eyes,
Just taking a moment to scan the room you're in,
Noticing the elements of your room that afford you a feeling of physical safety.
Perhaps noticing the roof over your head,
The door or window and taking a deep breath into this experience of being safe.
Noticing also the features of your room that allow you a feeling of comfort,
Security and belonging.
Perhaps there's a special photo,
A book or a blanket,
Maybe the temperature or the way the natural light shines in makes you feel at ease.
And breathing this sense of comfort and ease deep into your body and taking this feeling with you as you close down your eyes and as your body continues to relax,
Reminding yourself that you deserve this small slice of time for yourself.
Life will still be there at the end of this meditation,
But hopefully it will feel less overwhelming and a little more spacious.
Allowing your awareness to land on your breath,
Noticing with curiosity the way your chest so naturally rises and falls,
Inviting each breath deep into your belly,
Just one breath and another,
Each breath allowing you to arrive a little deeper.
And now focusing on the quality of your mind,
On your thoughts as they have been over the last few days.
If your mind was like a highway,
Would it feel built up with heavy traffic or more like a scenic drive?
Are people beeping their horns or enjoying the view?
Calling to mind some of the thoughts you've been having recently,
Thoughts that here in this moment you probably can identify as fear-based.
Can you hear the voice of your inner critic?
Perhaps it's the concerns you have for your family or your future.
Seeing if you can identify the more subtle expressions of fear also,
Low-level judgment you make about others,
The way you blame yourself when you aren't perfect all the time.
And now imagining that you are holding a compass in your hand,
Perhaps taking in its details,
How it feels in your hand,
And noticing how this compass has two directions,
Fear and love.
Becoming aware of how when you get pulled into these contracting thoughts,
The compass turns in the direction of fear,
Breathing deeply,
Extending your inhale,
Extending your exhale,
Each long smooth breath creating some space between you and these fear-based thoughts.
Looking down at your compass once more and really seeing the dial turn towards love,
Knowing that in this moment you have the power to shift the direction of the compass and your thoughts.
As you ask yourself,
What are some thoughts I could embrace now that hold the energy of love?
Could you assure yourself that you are trying your best and that you are enough?
Would it feel good to move away from judgment and blame towards acceptance and compassion?
Would a soothing phrase like,
They meant no harm,
Or we are all trying our best,
Be helpful to you right now,
Perhaps thoughts like,
I let go of the past,
Or it's okay to make mistakes,
Could shift you towards love in this moment.
And now allowing your awareness to rest on your physical body as you get curious about any felt sense of fear that may have found home in your physical body,
Perhaps manifesting as aches and pains,
Tension or tightness,
Maybe there's a feeling of numbness,
Of being closed off,
Breathing into these sensations once more,
Imagining the compass in your hand and with the power of your attention and intention,
Shifting its direction towards love,
Getting curious now,
If love found home in your body,
Where would it rest?
What would it feel like?
A sense of softening,
Ease or relaxation,
Or maybe love would spark a sense of energy and aliveness within your physical body,
Really connecting with this felt expression of love within your body.
And now directing a few breaths into your heart,
This wisdom center that has the capacity to hold our entire experience,
This aspect of us that can offer refuge and compassion to both our fear and our love,
With courage and curiosity,
Seeing if you can locate some fear within your heart,
Perhaps expressed as worry,
Regret,
Anxiety,
Sadness,
Guilt,
And let whatever is here know that it's okay,
Here in this moment you don't need to push anything away,
As you draw upon the guiding force of the compass one last time,
Really imagining it facing the direction of love and asking yourself,
What in this moment would love look and feel like in my heart?
Would it look like forgiveness,
Trust,
Hope,
Compassion?
In meditation our awareness often expands and we are able to see our lives with greater clarity,
Asking yourself,
What is one way I could experience more love today?
Offering this practice and yourself a gentle smile,
Offering your body any gentle movement it desires,
Opening your eyes when you're ready,
Grounding your awareness back into your room and your body.
Today,
May you notice when you are held by fear,
Even if subtle,
And may you have the awareness and the courage to shift towards love.
