Soft Surrender

What would it be like to let go,

Even if only for this moment?

What would it be like to truly relax in mind,

In body,

And in heart?

We often grapple trying to find the right words to describe surrender,

Release,

Or presence,

But in reality,

Words cannot do the experience justice.

We must feel it to know it.

In this meditation,

I will invite you to softly surrender to whatever is here for you.

Perhaps that will mean feeling waves of emotions coursed through your body,

Or it might mean attuning to an underlying embodiment of peace and ease.

Perhaps you'll feel a bit of both.

Whatever this meditation brings up for you,

Allow it to be as it is.

Trust that your body's innate wisdom will offer you the experience that you need in this moment.

For this practice,

I invite you to rest comfortably on your back or on your side,

Using any cushions and blankets you need for comfort.

You might place something beneath your head or your knees if you need extra support,

And then just let your body come to a position of relative stillness.

The body is never fully still.

The breath is always moving.

The blood is always pumping.

Our cells are always working on our behalf,

And so this is why I say to find relative stillness,

As still as you can be while allowing your body to move gently as it needs to.

With your eyes closed now,

I invite you to take your time to settle in by neatly wrapping up any stories you might be holding on to,

Or any repetitive thought patterns.

You might actually imagine bundling these thoughts and stories up in a piece of silk or linen cloth,

And then placing that bundle of thoughts,

Mental attachments,

And stories just outside of the room.

If any of these stories attempt to creep back in during this practice,

Note their presence with patience and compassion.

If or when they come,

They come,

But try not to hold on to them.

Try not to resist them.

Try not to latch on to them.

And now turn your attention towards the breath,

Witnessing the gentle ribbon of breath flowing into your body,

And then gently departing.

Like in this continual flow to soft waves caressing an evening shore,

Perhaps you can even hear the sound of the ocean between your ears.

And we'll take a journey through the body now,

Bringing our awareness to different parts of the body,

And then allowing each part to surrender.

So as I name off different body parts,

I invite you to shift your attention there gently,

And depending on the area in question and what that area needs for you,

You might simply notice it,

You might send it a word of love,

Or you might invite it to relax to soften and surrender.

And just continue to breathe naturally as we move through this.

So begin by drawing your attention to the crown of your head,

Holding this area in your mind's eye,

Offering it whatever it needs right now.

Continue in the same way,

Drawing your attention to the mind space,

The brows,

And all those small muscles in and around the eyes.

Shift now to your jaw,

Your tongue,

Your cheeks,

And your ears.

And then shift your awareness to the back of the head.

Draw your attention down to the neck,

Both front and back,

And then over into your left shoulder.

Continue into your upper left arm,

Your left elbow,

Your left lower arm,

And your left hand,

Granting each part of yourself whatever it needs,

Whether presence,

Love,

Or release,

Perhaps some combination of the three.

And now shift your attention back up the left arm and over into your right shoulder,

Into your upper right arm,

Your right elbow,

Your lower right arm,

And your right hand.

And trace your arm all the way back up across your collarbone and into your chest,

Into the heart space.

Witness love and release as you feel called to here.

Continue in the same way in your upper back,

And all the way down your spine until you land in your belly,

And in your lower back.

Witness and release love or be present for your pelvis,

The entire space between your hips,

And witness and relax your buttocks as well.

And beginning at the left hip,

Slowly trace your awareness down into your upper left leg,

Your left knee,

Your lower left leg,

And your left foot.

Slowly draw that attention back up and over to your right hip,

Down into your upper right leg,

Your right knee,

Your lower right leg,

And your right foot.

And notice your entire body now resting here,

Completely present.

See if you might let your physical body surrender a little bit more into the surface that is supporting you.

And you might continue to anchor your awareness in the body,

Or you might shift your attention towards the breath.

Use whatever anchor feels most centering for you as you release attachment to the past and to the future,

And as you let go into this moment.

And whatever thoughts arise,

Because they will creep back into the room from time to time,

Can be noticed from a subtle distance.

So notice that these thoughts do not belong to you.

They come,

They go,

They ebb and flow.

And so see if you can surrender to this letting go again and again and again.

If tender emotions arise,

Address these with kindness,

With care,

With patience.

Trust that your emotions are wiser than you know,

Refraining from rationalizing or explaining them to yourself.

Instead,

See if you can surrender to them,

To let them be,

To simply be in the presence of their flow,

Their wisdom.

You do not need to force anything to leave your experience,

But by easing your attachment to ideas,

Beliefs,

Dreamt-up conversations,

Judgments,

It becomes easier to surrender.

Your thoughts become less sticky.

And if it continues to feel difficult to surrender,

To let go into this moment,

Whatever is here,

Grant yourself permission just to be here.

So often we think that we must be accomplishing something in order to be worthy,

Or that there are things that need planning,

Fixing,

Proving.

There is a time for action,

But can you grant yourself permission just to be here now,

Just to surrender to this moment,

And this one,

And this one?

So sink into silence for a few more moments on your own now.

Savor this opportunity to rest deeply and completely.

Savor this opportunity to rest deeply and completely.

Savor this opportunity to rest deeply and completely.

Now you can stay here for as long as you like,

Perhaps even drifting off to sleep.

But if part of the day still stands before you,

When you're ready,

Gently wiggle your toes,

Take a deep breath,

And in your own time bring your awareness back to the world around you.

Let this energy of rest and surrender carry you into whatever is ahead.

Let this energy of rest and surrender carry you into whatever is ahead.