Friday.
A day honoring the goddess of love and fertility,
Often associated with beauty and harmony.
We all navigate in a world that surrounds us and is impacting us with all of our senses.
The images we see,
The words we hear,
The interactions that we have with others.
In all this activity,
We do not get to control what happens.
We cannot control what another says to us or how another person reacts to us.
And this can leave us feeling unsettled and vulnerable.
But what we also have alongside this outer world is an inner world.
And of that,
We can make a peaceful garden of solace and sanctuary,
No matter what is happening on the outside.
I feel that this is one of the gifts of being human.
That we have imaginations and rich inner worlds that can give us an experience of life that we may not find in our outside environments.
But I think we can often neglect this inner landscape and much of our attention is placed on everything happening outside of us because it impacts us.
So we may try very hard to control as much as we can in our lives.
We may set boundaries and choose our company carefully,
Stay away from certain people and situations,
All in an attempt to feel good and stay away from what brings a level of discomfort.
What we sometimes overlook is that all of our feeling states are experienced within ourselves.
This becomes clear when at times we can be in a totally peaceful space and yet internally,
Due to something occurring in our lives,
Our internal chatter and noise is exponentially high.
We can feel unsettled and uneasy and yet nothing seems to be happening on the outside.
This is very clear to see at night time when we are lying in our warm and comfortable beds but we get awoken in the middle of the night because we are worrying about something or someone and our minds create anxiety and imagery scares us and we can find it hard to stay present and fall back to sleep.
What we can learn from this is that whether the outside world is reflecting something favourable or not to us,
That what we are experiencing is something coming from our internal worlds,
The thoughts and feelings that are passing through us.
And just as we would cultivate a garden where we uproot weeds and we plant the seeds of flowers we would like to see bloom,
We can tend to our inner world in much the same way.
We can begin to pay attention to our sensations and how we feel and where our attention is focused.
We can make our inner worlds into a place that frightens us and makes us anxious or we can cultivate an inner sanctum where we feel safe and secure,
Where we regain harmony and peace irrespective of the fluctuations of the outside world.
Why is this important?
Because we all need to feel grounded and that we are anchored in some way so that we don't feel pushed and pulled by everything occurring in the world outside of us,
So that we can feel rooted within ourselves and that we feel safe in the bodies we are inhabiting.
For our minds and bodies are our ultimate homes.
We have inner dialogues,
A sensation of emotions and thoughts passing through us and we want to make it a hospitable space for ourselves.
How can we go about doing that?
We become mindful of how we speak to ourselves,
The words we use,
The tone we hear internally.
Are you kind and compassionate with your self-talk or is it all harsh and judgmental?
Do you move through your day at a pace that suits you and that you are comfortable with or do you feel constantly rushed and feel pulled in a hundred different directions?
Even the ways we touch ourselves,
Do you offer yourselves a hug when you need it and wrap your own arms around you or are you dismissive of your body and you don't regard it as a valuable vessel?
The images we focus on within,
The words we use when we have self-talk and the ways we move in the world and how we treat ourselves is all an inner experience which we do have control over.
You can cultivate in a way that harnesses your power and creates a space for you to be in without needing anyone or anything to be any different than they are.
So let us take some time and reflect in our journal or notebook some of the ways that you can build an inner sanctum for yourself.
Answer the following journal prompts.
How do you speak to yourself and what words would you love to hear on a daily basis about yourself?
What images do you focus on internally?
Are they predictions of things that could go wrong or imaginary conversations you have about another person that make you feel anxious or do you allow yourself to focus on images that make you feel good of an outcome you desire and all the positive attributes that you have?
What images and ideas would you like to focus on internally that make you feel good and help you appreciate yourself?
Could you take some time in your day where you sit for five minutes and visualize some of the things that you would like in your inner world?
You could even imagine an inner garden that blooms and has birds and is a flourishing space that relaxes you and makes you feel lighter.
Choose whatever works for you because this is an exercise in practicing using your imagination in ways that suit you and make you feel good.
Now let's end with our affirmation session.
Fully relax,
Take a deep breath,
Unclench your jaw,
Release your shoulders and let the following words wash over you or repeat them to yourself silently or out loud.
I create a rich inner world that nourishes me.
My inner world is harmonious and nurturing.
I speak words of love and kindness towards myself.
I choose to love myself unconditionally.
I create a peaceful and safe space within myself.
I have the power to cultivate calm and harmony in my inner world.
My mind is my sanctuary and I choose thoughts that nurture and uplift me.
I am kind and compassionate with myself in every moment.
I am anchored within myself and feel grounded despite external changes.
I trust that I can navigate my emotions and find peace.
As you move through the day,
See if you can keep in touch with this internal world and experiment and experiment with your own inner world.
Carry these affirmations with you throughout your day and feel free to explore the courses I offer,
Especially the one called From Fear to Love as it would be a great continuation from this meditation.
