We can add unnecessary suffering to our experience when we want our reality to be something other than what it really is.
When we can release our resistance and accept what is,
We can experience peace.
Letting go of resistance and accepting ourselves and the present moment experience is an ongoing practice,
And this guided meditation for acceptance can be part of the process.
You might think of it as training for our day-to-day life experiences.
Although we don't have control of the external weather,
We can make our own internal weather to experience inner peace.
Hello and welcome.
I'm Sarah Raymond from the Mindful Movement.
Here we are in Oasis where you can come to tap into your inner peace,
Positive mindset,
And the ability for self-healing.
Begin to settle in for this meditation practice with your eyes open and notice your surroundings.
See your environment through the lens of acceptance.
Look at what is there without judgment or the need for change.
Truly see and accept.
Look at the sights just as they are.
Now,
If you like,
Close your eyes or soften your gaze,
And I invite you to make yourself comfortable.
Find a position that you can be relaxed yet alert.
I will start this practice off with a contemplation of a quote from Victor E.
Frankel.
He said,
Everything can be taken from a man,
But one thing.
The last of the human freedoms.
To choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances.
To choose one's own way.
Although we don't have control of the external weather,
Of what goes on in our outer world,
We can make our own internal weather to experience inner peace.
We can decide our attitude in any given circumstance.
We can make our own bright blue sunshiny sky.
Notice the sounds in your environment just as they are.
Hear the sounds as they come to you without searching them out.
Allow the subtle noises to drift into your awareness with simple curiosity.
Take interest in the sounds just as they are.
Whatever arises during this meditation is our teacher for being present with acceptance.
Allow the sounds rather than seeing these sounds as a distraction or an obstacle.
Become aware of your breath just as it is.
Notice with curiosity all there is to notice about your natural breath.
Without the need to have it be something that it is not already.
Sense your breath without the need to change it in any way.
Our breath is always there for us in the background,
An automatic action.
Become aware of your inner physical experience just as it is.
Notice how you are showing up to this practice not needing to be something else or to be somewhere different than exactly where you are.
Take note of exactly where you are on your journey with acceptance.
Give yourself permission to simply be.
Peace is available when we stop resisting any given moment.
Notice your body sensations just as they are.
Notice any body pain with acceptance.
Notice any body pleasure with acceptance.
Settle into your body.
Accept being in your body right now just as you are.
Sit with yourself.
Move closer to yourself accepting all that you are.
There is no need to make a change during meditation.
Be just as you are.
Accepting allows you to fully experience what is happening in the present,
To fully engage in life.
Without going into story or naming specific events,
Let go of blame of yourself and others.
Let the heavy feeling float off your shoulders.
Let go of blame of your circumstances.
Let the sensation dissolve from your muscles.
Let go of judgment of good and bad.
When you sit and pause,
You can choose to befriend your circumstances with compassion.
Know that without suffering,
We cannot know joy.
Without darkness,
We cannot know light.
Allowing life as it is can lessen any struggle and perhaps additional unnecessary suffering.
Become aware of your thoughts just as they are.
Notice thoughts arising and passing by.
Notice with curiosity and acceptance.
Give your thoughts permission to be just as they are.
Your mind will not stop thinking so you can choose to notice,
Accept,
And allow your thoughts to pass by.
Notice your emotions.
Sense the physical feelings of your emotions and where in your body you may experience them.
Notice with curiosity and acceptance.
Experience your emotions just as they are.
Let go of your ideas of what you may think your thoughts and emotions should be.
There are no shoulds in the meditation experience.
When you feel life brings you challenges you can't accept,
You have the opportunity to be transformed by acceptance.
You may add suffering when you resist the way things are because they aren't the way you expect or want them to be.
But you have the choice to let the resistance dissolve when you accept the way things are naturally.
There is a possibility for change only after the reality has been accepted and believed to be true.
Peace is available when you stop resisting any given moment.
Stay with this present moment acceptance of exactly what is for a moment longer.
Notice your present moment reality just as it is with curiosity.
Become aware of your natural breath once more.
Bring your awareness back to your physical sensations in this present moment.
Deepen your breath again and if you choose place your hands on your heart and invite in a building sense of love honoring your beautiful heart.
Take in another deep breath,
Sending your breath into the area of your heart to make space for unconditional acceptance of yourself.
Know that you can check back to this state of awareness often throughout your daily life.
You can meet your feelings where they are with kindness and compassion and you can continue to practice acceptance for reality.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today.
I hope you have a wonderful day rooted in awareness and acceptance of reality.
