Take a few moments to find a place that's comfortable.
Perhaps sitting in a chair with both feet flat on the ground or in a cross-legged position with your hips slightly above your knees.
Take a couple of moments to settle in here with the crown of your head reaching up toward the ceiling and place the focus of your attention on your breath,
Sensing the fullness of your inhales and the completeness of your exhales,
Allowing the belly to be soft so that each inhale allows you the chance to really expand in the rib cage.
And in each exhale,
Allowing the navel to pull in gently toward the spine,
Wringing out all the old air.
Staying present with the fullness of the breath,
Riding the wave of each inhale and Our meditation today will be focused on harnessing boldness.
So identifying areas in our lives where we may be playing small and being curious about why that is and experiencing what it's like to step into the place where there's fear and perhaps nervousness,
But harnessing our boldness so that we can pursue action that is consistent with our long-term goals.
So I'd like you to take a few moments and reflect on a time that you felt particularly bold in your life.
Maybe you were applying for a job you thought you might not be qualified for or you were advocating for the needs of yourself or another person or setting a firm boundary.
Being bold always feels like taking a risk and yet there's an inner sense of rightness.
To write,
To take this action.
This is aligned with my best interest.
So when you've reflected on a time you felt bold,
Allow that image to really come to life.
So remember where you were,
Who else was there,
What the circumstances were,
What you were doing.
And notice the sensation in your body as you take this bold action.
Remember what your self-talk sounded like.
What were those thoughts going through your mind?
How did your body feel after you took the bold action?
Now allowing the body to hold on to these sensations,
See if you can kind of turn up the intensity of that about 10%.
So sort of manifesting 10% more boldness in your body just so you can get a really vivid representation of what that experience is like in your body.
Notice how the muscles in your face change or notice what your hands are doing when you're feeling really bold or how your chest or belly is feeling.
And now I'd like you to reflect for a few moments on your current life.
And we'll engage in some inquiry here together.
So I'll ask you a question and it's kind of like tossing a pebble into a lake.
So the question is the pebble and then we'll just wait to see what ripples emerge.
So it's not like you're going digging for an answer.
You're just reflecting on a question and seeing if an answer rises to the surface naturally.
So thinking about the current affairs of your life,
Is there any place where you may be playing small?
Is there any place in your life where you may be shrinking when you could be growing?
Is there any place where you're staying put when you could be advancing?
Perhaps the advancing would feel like risk,
Stepping into the unknown or into a part of yourself that you haven't embraced in a while.
Is there a part of your life where you're playing small?
If the answer is yes,
I'd like you to call to mind those visceral sensations you experienced in your body when you were in touch with that really bold moment in your life and turn those back up.
And I would like you to imagine that you're taking that action that feels right,
That feels bold in this area of life where you may be playing small.
And watch yourself doing the thing that you'd like to do or saying the words that need to be spoken,
Even if your voice shakes.
Imagine what it's like to say them anyway,
If these words are in fact aligned with your greater purpose or deeper intentions.
Observe the reactions of those around you as you try on this bold action.
And some of us may need a little permission.
So you have permission to grow.
Make up more space.
Take a few steps forward.
Even if it feels scary,
You have permission to do scary things.
And now noticing,
What does it feel like in your body to have envisioned yourself taking this bold action?
What does your breath feel like?
What does your core feel like?
If this exercise feels right and you envision yourself acting in a way that really seems consistent with the kind of person you want to be and the way you want to show up in your life,
See if it feels right to commit to taking this action in the near future.
What does it feel like to have committed to taking this action that feels right?
And now allowing your attention to come back to the breath,
Feeling the inhales and exhales.
Feeling the clothes on your skin,
The cushions supporting you,
Hearing the sounds around you,
Bringing a little movement to your fingers and toes.
And when it feels right,
Slowly opening your eyes.
Maybe even looking down at your body,
Looking down at your hands and observing,
This is the body that I'll take bold action in.
This is the body that can handle doing scary things if I know they're right.
