Holding Both Meditation

This 9-minute guided meditation invites you to explore and embrace dualities within yourself, such as softness and hardness, warmth and coolness, or joy and sorrow. Through a gentle body scan and focused awareness, you learn to hold both pleasant and challenging sensations in a spirit of acceptance. The practice cultivates inner balance, teaching you to acknowledge life’s contrasts without judgment or attachment. As you conclude, you carry forward a deeper sense of equanimity, ready to meet each moment with openness and compassion.

Transcript

Welcome to this holding both meditation,

Inspired by Buddhist mindfulness practice.

The essence of this meditation lies in embracing and holding both aspects of our experiences,

Whether they be joy and sorrow,

Light and darkness,

Or any other dualities.

Now,

Find a comfortable posture,

Either sitting or lying down,

And let's explore this practice together.

Let's take three deep breaths into the nose and out of the mouth.

First,

We are doing a quick body scan,

Starting on the top of our head.

Pay attention to your head,

And as we go down,

Your forehead,

Your eyes,

Your nose,

Cheeks,

Ears,

Pay attention to your mouth,

Your tongue.

As we move down,

Bring your awareness to your neck and shoulders,

Your arms,

Your hands.

Now,

Shift your focus to your torso,

Your lower back.

How do they feel?

Now,

Pay attention to your chest,

Your belly.

Moving down to your pelvis,

Bring awareness to your legs,

Your thighs,

Your calves.

Now,

Your feet and your toes.

Now,

Bring awareness to your whole body.

Feel your body as a whole.

Now,

Let's bring your attention to a part of your body that feels soft.

Breathe through this part.

Now,

Without losing attention to this part,

Find a part of your body that feels hard.

Maybe it's your back touching the chair,

Your toes touching your sneakers,

The floor.

And hold attention to both of these parts.

The part of your body that feels soft,

And the part of your body that feels hard.

Now,

Let go of both parts.

Now,

Find a part of your body that feels warm.

Maybe it's your hand in your belly.

Focus your attention on this part of your body.

Now,

Find a part that feels cold.

Maybe the other hand,

One foot,

Maybe your neck.

Hold your attention in both these parts.

And breathe.

Hold both sensations in your awareness.

Now,

Let it go.

Bring your awareness back to your whole body.

We just embraced the totality of our physical experience with acceptance and gentleness.

Acknowledge any negative or challenging emotions or thoughts.

Hold both aspects in your heart,

Allowing them to co-exist without attachment or aversion.

As we conclude this holding both meditation,

Take a moment to appreciate the depth of your experience and the capacity to hold both joy and sorrow,

Light and darkness.

Carry this sense of equanimity with you as you navigate life.

When you're ready,

Gently open your eyes,

Bringing the practice into the present moment.

Thank you for joining me in this meditation.