Let it be.
Everything that comes up,
Just let it be.
Be present and patient,
Remembering that all experiences,
Feelings and thoughts arise.
And they fall away.
Experience is not constant.
It comes and goes,
Or shifts in subtle and not so subtle ways.
Mindfulness helps us see the shifts and the spaces in between.
It helps us see our ever-changing experience of and relationship to each moment.
The clearer seeing available to us with the more clear vision,
The clearer seeing available to us with mindfulness can help us recognize that each moment is different.
As you deepen your practice,
May you notice and savor moments of ease and joy.
When your shoulders slide freely and your brow is unfurled.
When your burdens feel light.
May you not grasp this sweet goodness too tightly.
Clinging is a kind of suffering and it will not change what life has proven so often,
No matter who we are.
Experiences,
Both the ones we like and the ones we don't like or want,
Come and go.
May you be loving,
Patient and compassionate with yourself,
Even when,
And especially when,
You don't like the turns life takes.
When you find your stomach is tight,
Your shoulders are tense and your temper is short.
When your burdens feel too heavy to bear.
May you greet this time without fear and aversion,
Allowing that,
Like it or not,
In the moment,
This is how it is.
And let it be.
Soothe yourself with compassionate self-talk.
Repeating phrases like,
May I find peace in this moment.
May I remember that everyone has a hard time sometimes.
May I allow myself to be a little bit more comfortable.
May I allow myself the comfort and care I need.
Mindfully watch what's happening inside,
As sensations,
Thoughts and feelings arise and shift or just fall away.
Take a moment now to find your seat.
And place your hand gently at your heart center,
Feeling the warmth of your own body.
The beating of your heart.
And notice your breath.
Your body is doing what it needs to do all on its own.
You are supported in this moment.
You don't have to strive or try.
You only have to be.
Just be and let what is happening inside be.
Let your body settle and soften.
Notice your breath rising and falling.
Moving in and out of your body.
And maybe notice how each breath is different.
How shifts are happening within and around you.
Allowing yourself to be with change.
Allowing yourself to be with change as it unfolds.
Just watching yourself with curiosity and maybe even some courage.
Returning to yourself each time dread or fear your feelings takes you away.
Coming back to now.
Coming back to you.
Capable and resilient you.
This is you.
The you who has more power and determination than your fears or failures.
The you who has gotten through many times before.
This is you.
Wise and worthy you.
Who always gets through somehow.
Trust you.
Trust your experience to show you the way and know that you know.
Tap into your deep inner well of intuition to lead you through life's inevitable cycles,
Downturns and shifts.
Listen for the wisdom of your own inner voice.
And let your voice be an anchor no matter what comes up.
It can remind you to be present and patient.
Remind you that everything that arises eventually fades and shifts or falls away.
And nothing is permanent.
Mindfulness helps us see the shifts and the spaces in between.
It lets us hold everything.
What we like and what we don't like.
Pay attention to what is happening within and around you.
When we are not mindful we may miss the shifts.
Pain and difficulty may feel constant and solid or unchanging.
Instead,
Be on the lookout for moments of ease.
Even brief moments when your shoulders slide freely,
Your brow is unfurled,
And your burdens feel light can be a respite.
Trust that you can find ease again even if it has felt long absent.
Mindfully watch for shifts that come with being present and open to life's ordinary joys.
Notice when you are mostly okay and when you aren't,
Let it be.
Everything changes.
As we close this meditation I invite you to bring your hands together in Anjali Mudra,
The prayer position.
Place your mudra between your eyebrows at your third eye as a reminder to see yourself clearly.
To remember that you are enough.
And next bring your mudra to your lips as a reminder to speak to yourself and others with kindness.
And finally to your heart center as a reminder to keep your heart open and hold all of yourself,
The parts you like as well as the parts you don't like,
With deep love and appreciation.
Namaste.
