Rise & Shine: Equanimity Liberates Us

You You Good morning,

And thank you for joining me.

My name is Elliott,

And I'll be your guide for this morning's meditation This is a meditation that I have created for when we are feeling disconnected or wanting to experience life in a more profound way Just by simply contemplating what there is to be grateful for we can generate endless joy within ourselves Being in a state of gratitude can help us out of a low energetic state like depression and Increase our capacity to be happy anytime anywhere Having an attitude of gratitude means to live your life from the perspective of being grateful for everything that is Your state of mind and your attitude are more important to your overall holistic health than many people may think You Settle into a comfortable position with your hands open facing upward Maintain an elongated spine whether you're sitting or lying down Relax any areas of tension then gently close the eyes and mouth Check in with the body Observe any sensations Check in with the mind each thought is a cloud floating away Check in with your emotions simply notice anything coming to the surface The breath is smooth and natural You're becoming more and more relaxed and you're just noticing how it feels to be seated here in this present moment Anytime that you find yourself distracted by thought sensation or emotion Acknowledge it and return to the breath The breath is your home base the seat of your own body The breath is your home base the seat of your experience The anchor holding you in the present moment throughout this practice Draw the focus of your attention to the breath Allow your awareness to ride the shifting tides of the natural and full breath Follow the breath all the way from the entrance of the nostrils down to the belly And then filling out the lungs and chest Feel the entire body gently expand and become full of air Follow the breath all the way in and then all the way out Follow the breath all the way in and then all the way out Follow the breath all the way in and then all the way out By expanding beyond the small mind we open up to a realm of potential where our identity doesn't limit our means of connecting with the world around us Our awareness expands to include more than ourselves and the few that we care about We begin to sense the world around us as a part of us even within us When we relax into this state of knowing we enter the balanced state of mind that is equanimity Equanimity is the big minds natural radiance.

It comes from cultivating clarity and balance in our system Compassion arises within this joyful place.

It extends itself as love towards everyone and everything without bias With equanimity we know that wherever we are no matter what we are doing We can feel the awareness that joy brings.

Breathe in,

Breathe out As you inhale,

Sense the clear presence of this moment.

As you exhale,

Let go of any desire to manipulate this experience Just allow the breath to flow and naturally generate this state of equanimity Any distractions that may arise,

Simply acknowledge and return to the breath Without equanimity we might be able to feel some compassion But it would only be for those who we identify with With such a limited form of compassion we will also develop hostility because we don't want anyone to threaten those who we care about But it's okay if someone else is suffering We're still being ruled by our version of an ideal world where our love is conditional With a rigid frame of mind we imagine that the world came from somewhere,

That it is going somewhere,

And that there is something to be gained or lost Equanimity liberates our attachment so that we can accept the world as it is,

Forever changing and brimming with potential for good Our happiness is not created by hope coming true,

Nor is it deflated when fear stands in our way It's not determined by what life brings our way,

It doesn't wax or wane from one moment to the next With indiscriminate joyfulness for life we can practice the radiance of being alive freely in this moment Breathing in Breathing out Breathing in,

Connecting and sensing the clear presence of this very moment And exhaling,

Letting go of any desire to manipulate or alter this experience With indiscriminate joyfulness for life we can practice the radiance of being alive freely in this moment With indiscriminate joyfulness for life we can practice the radiance of being alive freely in this moment With indiscriminate joyfulness for life we can practice the radiance of being alive freely in this moment With indiscriminate joyfulness for life we can practice the radiance of being alive freely in this moment With indiscriminate joyfulness for life we can practice the radiance of being alive freely in this moment With indiscriminate joyfulness for life we can practice the radiance of being alive freely in this moment Now,

Embody my words and mentally repeat after me I offer my gratitude to all beings of the earth I offer my gratitude to the blessings of this earth I offer my gratitude for my health I offer my gratitude for my life I offer my gratitude for my family and friends I offer gratitude for all living beings on this planet I offer my gratitude for the teachings and lessons that I have learned I offer my gratitude for the roof over my head I offer my gratitude for the clothes on my back I offer my gratitude for every meal I offer my gratitude for every breath that I have taken I offer my gratitude for all my experiences And now I'd like to give you a few moments to continue offering your gratitude for anything else that may come into your field of awareness When we no longer take life for granted,

We become grateful for everything that is And the more that we connect with the big mind,

The more our awareness expands and is able to include all that is For the rest of this practice,

Nourish your soul in gratitude and just let go to the higher power that dwells inside your being Come back to a full awareness of the body Gently take a long,

Slow,

Deep breath in And breathe out Take your time in slowly opening the eyes once more Thank you for sharing your meditation practice with me today Namaste