Welcome to today's meditation.
I invite you to get super comfy wherever you are.
You may choose to sit down or lie down.
There's no right or wrong.
I simply ask that you elongate your spine so you can breathe deeply and comfortably.
If it feels okay,
Allow your eyes to gently close or simply lower your gaze.
Take a moment to notice the places where your body is being supported.
The chair beneath you,
The floor,
The ground.
Allow yourself to be held right now.
This meditation is an invitation.
You are free to take what serves you and leave the rest.
We'll begin with a simple breathing pattern.
I'll guide the counts and we will inhale through the nose for three counts,
Hold for four counts,
And exhale through the mouth for five counts.
Let's begin.
Inhale through your nose for three,
Two,
One.
Hold for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale through your mouth for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Good.
Again,
Inhale for three,
Two,
One.
Hold for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And one more time,
Inhale for three,
Two,
One.
Hold for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Soften your shoulders,
Your jaw,
Your breath.
Perfect.
Now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
In step one of our program of recovery,
We admitted we were powerless over our addiction and that our lives had become unmanageable.
Step one invites us into honesty,
A quiet,
Grounded truth-telling to ourselves,
A willingness to stop arguing with what already is.
This step isn't about being powerless as a person.
It's about recognizing where control hasn't been working and how much energy we've spent trying anyway.
I want to introduce you to a young bear cub named Aru.
Aru was curious,
Strong for her size,
And always watching how the others moved in the world.
One day,
The pack came to a river,
Wide,
Fast-moving,
And louder than it looked from far away.
Most of the bears followed a familiar path,
Stepping carefully across fallen stones and a smooth tree trunk that stretched just far enough.
Aru hesitated.
Her eyes ablaze.
She wanted to prove she could do it differently.
So instead of crossing,
Aru stepped right off the riverbank and into the rushing water and pressed her paws against the current.
At first,
It almost worked.
The water bent slightly around her.
Her legs held.
She lifted her chest with effort and pride.
But rivers don't stay accommodating.
The current grew stronger.
The water climbed higher.
The ground beneath Aru's feet began to shift.
Soon,
Holding back the river was no longer possible.
Wet,
Off-balance,
And shaking from exhaustion,
Aru backed away to the river's edge.
That's when one of the older bears,
A steady presence from the pack,
Came and stood beside her,
Not rushing,
Not scolding.
Together,
They sat and watched the water move.
After some moments of quiet,
The older bear said,
You know,
Sometimes it's better to face what is rather than push against it.
He rose to leave,
Saying,
I found the truce sets me free.
Aru looked back at the rushing river.
She could finally see it fully.
The shape of the river,
Where it narrowed,
Where it rushed,
Where it could be crossed.
Shaking off her coat,
She surrendered to the river's power.
Not because she was weak,
But because she could see the power of its rising flow.
Following the steps of the older bear,
Aru crossed safely.
Rejoining the pack,
Resting on the other side of the river,
Aru looked back at the water and understood something.
I didn't fail by stepping out of the river.
I found my balance by facing the truth about where I stood.
You might notice how your body responded to the story.
Perhaps a softening or resistance or nothing at all.
All of that is welcome.
Step one doesn't ask for belief,
Only honesty.
So let's return to the three,
Four,
Five count breath.
Inhale through your nose,
Acceptance.
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale resistance through your mouth for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Again,
Inhale acceptance for three,
Two,
One.
Hold for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And exhale resistance for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Good.
Inhale acceptance.
Hold.
And exhale resistance.
And inhale acceptance.
Hold.
And exhale resistance.
And one more time,
Inhale acceptance.
And exhale resistance.
Perfect.
Now simply breathe naturally again.
Allow yourself to sink and deepen into the stillness.
And as we take some moments to deepen our breath,
You may say inside or aloud the phrase,
Truth sets me free.
Truth sets me free.
Truth sets me free.
Say it as both a possibility and a promise and continue to breathe.
Truth sets me free.
Truth sets me free.
Truth sets me free.
Truth sets me free.
Truth sets me free.
Truth sets me free.
And breathe.
Trusting and knowing you may always return to the stillness within you.
And I invite you to notice the surface you're sitting on.
You may want to wiggle your hands and toes.
Turn your head from side to side.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes,
Carrying only what feels true to you.
Step one is not a finish line.
It's a place to begin again.
So I thank you for joining me on this journey today.
It is always my honor and my privilege to be a part of your journey.
