Getting Through Life Transitions

Hi,

I'm Emily and welcome to this series on managing transitions with grace.

Being in transition can be one of the most uncomfortable parts of life,

But it doesn't have to be that way.

In these sessions,

I'm going to teach you some tools that you can use to take care of yourself during transitions and it'll help you come through them in a positive way.

In this first session,

We're going to start at the beginning with the idea of opening up.

Whether what you're going through relates to aging,

Your relationships,

Changes in your body or physical location or anything else,

If you're here,

It's probably because you're experiencing resistance and maybe you're suffering because of it.

Transitions tend to bring up a lot of changes to our physical,

Mental and spiritual dimensions and the changes in our energy flow can be intense.

So usually we resist or try to slow things down so that we can better cope.

But in reality,

It's by surrendering our resistance to the flow of energy that we can find relief.

Today,

We're going to practice opening up to the transition that we're facing just a little bit and I hope that you'll get some relief in the process.

So let's start just by getting comfortable and we'll set an intention for this practice too.

So make sure that you're sitting or lying down and that all of your body is in a comfortable position.

Once you're in a comfortable spot,

Close your eyes and slowly bring your awareness to how you're breathing.

Breathe gently in and gently back out.

Slow down your breathing slightly and relax your shoulders,

Dropping them away from your ears.

Relax your face too and your jaw and any other part of your body where you're feeling tension.

Now,

Let's set an intention for the session.

You can pick something that makes sense to you or you can use this one.

May I let go of resisting what this transition is bringing into my life.

Now say to yourself,

May this process serve my highest good.

Rest gently and focus on your breath for a few moments as you let this intention sink in.

If you need to take a break at any time,

You can press pause and just focus on your breath until you feel ready to continue.

When you feel ready,

Become aware of the presence of your energy.

Pay attention to your breath as it moves in and out of your body and pay attention to your body as it responds to the movement of the breath.

Notice as any thoughts fly across the sky of your mind and just watch them go by.

I know you're not going to work with thoughts in this session.

Now gently bring your attention to the place where the transition is occupying your awareness.

Notice if there's any thought that pops up into the mind when you focus on the energy of the transition.

Let go of any thoughts as they arise.

Notice how your body responds when you hold this transition energy in your awareness.

You might experience a variety of different things,

Maybe a tightness in the chest or in your neck or a closing of the throat.

Or it could be that nothing comes up in the body at all.

That's okay too.

Just notice any sensations in the body.

Now bring your attention to any changes to your breathing.

Nothing about your breath that changes when you hold the transition in your awareness.

It might get shorter or you might feel yourself forcing the breath a little bit more.

Or maybe there's no change at all and you're resting gently in your breath.

And if your attention has drifted,

Just notice and bring it back slowly and gently.

Whatever is going on,

Just notice it.

And once you do,

Let it go.

Slowly and gently.

If at any point any sensation becomes too overwhelming,

Just feel free to take a pause and remind yourself that this is supposed to be a gentle process.

In fact,

It only goes at the pace that you want.

Rest for a few minutes in your breath,

Noticing whatever arises.

Just tuning into your own experience.

Now take a moment once again to focus your attention on the transition.

Feel the space that it occupies in your awareness.

And look at that place with curiosity.

Take a look at it and see how it feels.

Feel into the energy of the transition itself.

It's like an object that's resting in a certain place in your awareness.

Using your mind's eye,

What does it feel like?

Just look at it.

Is it soft?

Is it round?

Heavy or light?

Is it sharp?

Just take a look and see what comes up for you.

Now bring your attention to any resistance that accompanies this object,

Which is the transition or issue you're facing and the place that it takes up in your awareness.

Become aware if there's any attempt that arises to push it away,

To avoid it or to define it or to put it in a box and label it or make it into something.

Just notice if this happens for you.

These are all ways that we resist the flow of our energy.

So if you notice any resistance at all,

Just hold that resistance to the transition in your awareness and take a look at it.

Our experience is usually one of constant change.

So as you hold this resistance in your awareness,

You'll notice that it changes too.

Keep your attention there and just watch these changes slowly and gently.

Let your breathing remain very gentle while you do this and your body can stay relaxed.

So just become aware if you're holding tension and let it go and bring your attention back to the transition and just observe as it shifts and morphs into something that's slightly different.

If it feels good to you,

You may even want to ask a question.

You may want to ask whether there's anything you need to know from this resistance to the transition.

Does it hold any information that it wishes to share?

If so,

Just let it arise slowly and gently.

And if nothing arises,

That's okay too.

Now bring your attention to the way that all of this resistance that you're holding to this transition and everything it brings into your life gently melts away.

All the resistance gently flows away from you.

You can also notice any sensations that come up or that seem to linger as the resistance just flows gently and peacefully away.

And as you do this,

Just keep aware of the energy that you have around the transition,

How it feels for you.

And you may notice that it may have lightened up somewhat or shifted in some way or changed.

Notice any sensations that arise in your body and notice any sensations that arise in your breath.

Whatever has come up for you,

It's okay.

Whatever has come up,

It's a part of your awareness and you can trust it.

There's no need to resist or push it away or avoid any aspect of your experience.

Whenever you feel ready,

Bring your attention to integrating whatever has come up for you over the past few minutes and just go at your own pace.

Slowly let your attention become a little more alive,

A little quicker.

Maybe you respond a little bit more to the sound of my voice or the sounds around you.

Bring your awareness to a sense of lightness that accompanies as we let resistance flow away from us.

Just take a moment to rest in the lightness produced by this period of relaxation that you've just engaged in.

And when you're ready,

You can slowly come to the close of this practice.

Take a breath in and let it out and bring your attention back to my voice.

If any thoughts arise now,

You can just let them go and take a minute to return to the intention that you set at the beginning of the practice.

You might want to say to yourself,

I've opened up to the experiences of this transition and I know that they serve my highest good.

Thanks for sharing this practice with me.

I love these tools because working with our awareness is a really powerful way to support ourselves during times of transition.

So I hope you find a sense of lightness and resilience in the days to come.

And you can always come back to this practice or this meditation if you need to,

Whatever you're going through.

I'd also love to hear about your experience.

So if it feels good to you,

Please write to me and let me know what came up for you and how you feel now.

I hope to see you back here soon.