Hello,
I'm Dr.
Candice Kreesman and this guided meditation is on staying grounded in wisdom in times of unrest or despair.
We're living in challenging times of great uncertainty.
Social and environmental systems seem to be at chaotic tipping points.
Many of us often find ourselves lost in feelings of despair,
Outrage,
And helplessness.
When we are clouded by these feelings of pain and fear,
It becomes difficult to know how we can best be of service to the world and each other.
In this meditation we will build awareness of specific negative emotions in the body and ground ourselves in the present moment.
When emotion pushes us to react or withdraw,
Stillness helps us ensure that our actions come from wisdom and compassion.
Wise action arises in the space we hold for our pain.
We will begin and end with a bell.
Start by taking two deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Feel your body surrender a bit to this moment with each exhalation.
Take a moment to check in with your body,
Scanning from your head,
Down your torso,
And limbs,
All the way down to your toes,
Becoming aware of sensations that want your attention.
Gently notice each one and then let it go,
Returning to the breath.
Now allow a recent experience to arise in your mind that triggered feelings of despair or helplessness,
Some situation that felt too big for you to impact in the world.
Allow the sensations associated with your helplessness or outrage to arise in your body.
You might notice tension in your jaw or around your eyes,
An urge to cry,
Tightness in the throat or hands,
Heaviness in the belly.
Stay with these sensations for a few moments.
If you find yourself getting stuck on the story associated with these feelings,
Notice the story and then return to the physical sensations as much as you can.
Notice how certain thoughts and sensations crest and then recede like a wave.
Become aware of any resistance or clinging that arises in your body.
Become aware of any resistance or clinging that arises with each emotion and each sensation.
Now become aware of how attending to these moving parts of the pain make them more manageable.
You may notice the urge to act out in emotion or the urge to withdraw from the emotion fade as you embrace each emotion fully.
See if you can notice the softness and the strength in the surrender.
We surrender not to the story of the emotion but to the physical experience of it.
See if you can trust the silence that arises between ideas,
Between urges,
Between emotions and take a rest there for a few moments.
As this meditation comes to an end,
If you are feeling deep in your negative emotion,
Take a few minutes after the bell and listen for five different sounds that you hear around you,
Grounding yourself in the safety of the present moment.
Our minds stretch to find meaning and resolution when our world is in chaos.
We are called to rest in the knowledge that effective action comes from a clear and open heart.
We cultivate the wisdom we need by practicing stillness in the storm of our negative emotion.
