Hello,
My name is Cassidy and I welcome you to this meditation intended to help us navigate times of uncertainty.
Pema Chodron says that the root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter what the circumstances,
Uncertainty is all we truly have.
Now with that said,
I'll invite you to just bring an open mind to your practice,
Maybe inviting a sense of curiosity.
We can in this way work with the beginner's mind,
Allowing our cup to be emptied so that it can be refilled.
We can allow ourselves to forget what we know so that we can uncover what it is that we don't know.
Just beginning by getting really comfortable,
Whatever that may look like for you.
You may wish to roll your shoulders up towards your ears and down your back.
You may wish to move the body or stretch in some way.
Maybe finding a comfortable seated position with the back supported or maybe laying down.
If you'd like,
You can close your eyes or maybe just allow your gaze to rest in front of you.
Please know that while I'm here to offer guidance,
It's just an offering.
Please take what works for you and leave the rest behind.
If you'd like,
You can begin the practice with a really nice big inhale and a complete audible out breath.
If that felt nice,
Then maybe joining me once more for that big beautiful inhale and then maybe letting out a sigh of relief as you empty completely.
What we might ask ourselves is what brought us to the meditation today?
You may ask yourself,
Why am I here?
It's quite natural during these times to have a sense of uncertainty about what's to come,
Maybe even about what is true now.
I'm going to invite you to lean in if you can to what you can be certain of,
Which might be as simple as this breath.
Can you allow yourself to know this breath?
If you'd like,
You can place one hand on your heart,
One hand on your stomach to really feel that connection between your body,
Your breath,
Your own energy,
Your own home.
You might feel that sense of knowing as you breathe in.
Knowing this moment,
Knowing that in this moment,
All is well.
Maybe as you breathe out,
Letting go of needing to know anything more.
If the mind feels busy,
It may help to deepen the breath or perhaps use a mantra.
We can use the practice of Thich Nhat Hanh,
Saying to yourself,
Breathing in,
I am aware that I am breathing in.
Breathing out,
I am aware that I am breathing out.
Perhaps you can find some comfort in allowing yourself to just be here,
To just breathe nothing to figure out,
Nothing to accomplish.
Just allowing that big beautiful breath to cleanse you,
Finding comfort and ease in your breath.
Having this sense of connection,
This sense of homecoming.
Perhaps you may wish to set an intention about what comes next after your practice.
Maybe the intention to allow yourself to be with the breath a little bit more often.
Perhaps the intention to soothe uncertainty with curiosity or hope.
And if you'd like,
You can ask yourself the question,
What do I know to be true?
What do I know to be true for me?
Just knowing that if no answers come to mind,
That's okay.
Just staying open to any insights which may arise in the days to come.
As we move towards the close of our practice,
Taking the opportunity to just check in with yourself,
Noticing what would serve you best,
Perhaps to stay in your meditative state,
Or maybe to gently move the body in some way,
Just noticing how you can best honor yourself.
No rush,
Nowhere to go in this moment.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Thank you for your practice today.
