Hello,
Welcome to Meditation Mondays with the Sacred Circus.
My name is Ryan and this is Adeoye.
Namaste.
We all create stress in our lives,
Right,
And these stressors are often cyclical,
Where they recur again and again and again.
Our body's response to stress is fear and anger and sadness.
And these emotions build up over time unless they are,
Unless we are in a practice of releasing them and relieving them and relaxing.
I know a lot of my coworkers talk about going on vacation.
Ah,
I can't wait to go on vacation.
I'm going on vacation in two weeks.
Then I can relax.
What if you could go on vacation right now?
What if you could make vacation a daily practice?
A daily act of stress relief.
Because we talk about going on vacation,
Going somewhere,
Somewhere with the body,
Taking our bodies on a plane and going to Costa Rica,
For example.
You can take your mind on vacation right now and it will impact your body in a visceral,
Real way.
You can hear the ocean waves we are playing in the background.
Adelie,
Will you take us on vacation?
Avec plaise,
Con mucho gusto.
On vacation to Costa Rica,
Meditation style.
Take a deep breath in.
Exhale.
Close your eyes.
Inhale.
Exhale,
Open mouth.
Yes,
Feel free to make sound.
Once again,
Inhale.
Open mouth.
This time,
Inhale,
Seal your lips.
And through your nose,
A deep,
Long,
Smooth exhale.
Simply breathe.
Release control over the breath.
Now we happen to find ourselves in a meditation.
Typically we close the eyes.
Some simple tools for your vacation meditation.
Know that you can spend some of your time meditating with your eyes closed and some with your eyes open.
When you meditate with your eyes open,
We recommend choosing a single point upon which to focus.
Here we have a candle.
So an easy meditation practice,
Candle gazing.
Then when you get comfortable and adept at that using the literal eye,
You'll learn how to visualize with your eyes closed using the inner eye.
You'll see yourself on the beach.
That gives access to your other senses.
You will hear the ocean waves.
Feel your breath roll in and out like waves on the shore.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Experience everything.
Slow down and soften.
See yourself on vacation on the beach.
After several moments of seeing yourself with your inner eye,
Take a pass.
Try practicing seeing yourself on the beach with your literal eye open regardless of what room you happen to be in.
See only Costa Rica.
See the sand.
See the waves.
See the palms.
Vacation can feel dreamlike,
Which is why it's an excellent analogy for vacation.
You literally take your mind on retreat from your actual circumstance and you can create a space of tranquility.
Perhaps you go to that space alone on vacation.
Perhaps you travel with a friend.
It's always a joy to share the seed and practice.
I find that when I meditate with friends,
Sometimes I open my eyes and even though I have my gaze softly on the candle,
I observe that my friends are with me,
Sharing the meditation,
Sharing the vacation.
Typically we recommend holding still during meditation,
But as you can see with Ryan,
There's perfect space for mindful movement.
And then you tie the mindful movement to your breath.
All right,
Let's have a little fun.
If your eyes are open,
Inhale and exhale,
Close your eyes.
With your eyes closed,
Inhale and exhale,
See even deeper within.
See yourself on vacation.
Who's with you?
Did you travel alone to meet new friends or did you travel with a companion?
See yourself doing the things before you actually get there.
Do you take walks on the beach on your vacation?
Do you go zip lining?
Do you take surfing lessons?
Do you ride on horseback?
Do you write in your journal?
See yourself doing one of those things.
See yourself doing the next thing.
And see yourself doing the third thing.
Three things you intend to do on your vacation.
With your mind's eye,
See.
And with your face,
Feel the outer edges of your lips curl slightly upward.
Feels good to go on vacation.
Take the next several breaths and savor the peace and tranquility of your meditation vacation.
Take a deep breath in.
Exhale.
Release the meditation.
Draw your palms together,
Anjali Mudra,
The prayer gesture.
Namaste.
