Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
Today I want to talk a little bit about the masks we wear,
And in conjunction with that about authenticity.
And this meditation is based on a live session that I did recently.
In the course of our lives,
People wear masks,
Not just to hide,
But often to just survive,
Or to belong,
Or to perform roles expected of them,
Like parent,
Worker,
Friend,
Dreamer,
Leader,
And others.
Some masks are handcrafted by society,
And others are often masked and molded by past wounds or quiet fears.
And the masks aren't always false.
Sometimes they're aspirational,
Prototypes of the person someone wishes to become.
Other times,
They're protective,
A scaffolding while deeper truths take root.
But when worn too long,
They can start to shape the contours of the identity until one forgets what their own face feels like.
Authenticity isn't the rejection of masks.
It's knowing which ones you wear and why.
It's a choice to remove them with intention when your heart calls for truth.
And it's the quiet courage of speaking honestly,
Even when the world around you prefers a performance.
Being authentic doesn't mean being raw all the time.
It means being aligned.
That outer self resonates with the rhythm of your inner world.
And sometimes paradoxically,
We discover our real selves not in defiance of masks,
But through the gentle peeling away of what no longer fits.
I've decided to give you an example from my own life of when I've used masks.
I thought about when I had Girl Scout troops.
It was right during the time when I was having strokes and having to go to physical therapy and having lots of doctor's appointments.
And I had to walk with a cane and my left leg dragged and my left arm was very weak.
But I had about,
That time I had about 30 girls in the troop and I would take all of them camping to a cabin at the Girl Scout camp.
And I had other leaders who came to help assist.
So picture me with 30 nine-year-old girls.
And at every camp out,
We went on two camp outs a year,
I would take them for at least one five-mile hike through the woods.
And while we were hiking,
I would point out the wildlife,
The different kinds of trees and plants,
And I would show them edible wild plants.
So I had all these kids and I made sure they had a good time,
An educational time.
I cooked all their meals and at night before they went to sleep,
I played guitar and sang for about 40 minutes.
We had a busy weekend and were going nonstop for two full days.
And no one but my daughters ever knew that when I got back from those trips,
That I had to sit in my recliner for at least two full days trying to recover.
Because that was the mask I wore for the Scouts.
I was the leader.
And while I was with them,
I was never tired.
I was always smiling.
I was going from sunrise to sunset.
And it was my honor to give them a good time,
A time that they could look back on and remember fondly.
That was a mask I chose to wear because I didn't want the camp out to be about me and my struggles.
And as a side note,
I've run into some of those girls in the intervening years and I've been so pleased that each one of them has told me what good memories they have from Scouts.
And close your eyes now and let's get in touch with our breath.
Just breathing in and breathing out one breath at a time.
As we start to settle in,
Let's scan our body.
Relax your face.
Unfurl your brow and unclench your jaw.
Relax your neck.
Relax your shoulders.
Look for any tension in your chest and belly.
Relax your arms and your hands.
Just let everything go.
Relax your legs and your feet.
And as you begin to relax,
Let's focus even more on our breath.
Feel your breath.
Don't just breathe,
But notice where you feel it.
Maybe a cool sensation in your nose as the breath flows in.
Or the movement of your chest and belly as the breath flows in and flows out.
Our breath is our anchor.
It's there for us in all moments.
When we're happy,
When we're sad,
When we're stressed,
When we're relaxed.
So just focus on your breath.
Our breath is like a river as it flows in and flows out.
And all we have to do is focus on our breath.
Breathing in and breathing out.
One breath at a time.
You know,
We all wear masks.
All of us.
You have the mask you wear when you're a parent.
You have the mask you have when you're a teacher.
When I was a registered nurse,
I had the mask I wore when I was with patients.
To always make them feel that everything was going to be okay,
Even at times when I knew that it wouldn't.
So you need to remember that when you can be open and honest about your feelings and experiences,
Even if it means showing imperfections,
Can foster deeper connections with others.
And it means acknowledging that we all wear masks at some point in our lives,
Depending on the circumstances.
As you continue to relax and just breathe,
If you have thoughts,
Just let them go.
They're like waves on a lake or leaves floating down a river.
If you hear sounds in the room,
Let them go as well.
Just let your breath flow like a river.
More sure and tranquil and calm.
Now,
If you will,
I'd like you to take three breaths with me.
We're going to take three deep,
Intentional breaths together.
We're going to inhale through our nose,
Then exhale gently through our mouth.
So if you're ready,
Let's breathe in.
And let's exhale through our mouth.
One more.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Last one.
Inhale through your nose.
Exhale through your mouth.
Just return to breathing at your normal pace and don't force anything.
Now,
With each breath,
Imagine that you are arriving more fully into yourself,
Into the quiet center beneath the rolls,
Beneath the routines,
Beneath expectation,
Beneath the masks.
And you might ask yourself in this moment of quiet,
What masks have I been wearing today?
Because we all do wear them.
The one that smiles when you're really tired.
The one that achieves when you're yearning for rest.
The one that blends in when your spirit longs to stand apart.
The one that keeps working even when you're tired and ready to quit.
Gently notice what comes up in your mind.
Not to fix or change,
Just to see.
As if you're meeting a dear friend who's been hidden under a costume for too long.
And as you breathe,
Imagine soft hands gently lifting the mask.
Not tearing it away.
Just offering a moment of freedom.
Let your breath flow like water through all these places in your body.
Let it loosen what no longer serves you.
And as you continue to breathe,
I'd like you to gently ask yourself,
What truth lives beneath the mask?
What do I need that I have been quiet about?
Who am I when no one's watching?
And just let the answers arrive as whispers.
They may be feelings,
Colors,
Memories,
Or maybe just silence itself.
And whatever comes is enough.
Now I'd like you to offer gratitude to the mask that once protected you.
To the self that's brave enough to let it go.
If you're willing,
I'd like you to repeat the following positive affirmations,
Either out loud or to yourself.
And I'll say each one twice.
I honor who I've been.
I honor who I've been.
I welcome who I am becoming.
I welcome who I am becoming.
I am enough.
I am enough.
Now just continue to breathe and take a few moments to rest in this quiet clarity.
Just breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
And then the next,
And then the next.
You know how I like quotes.
So I want to share with you a quote from author Sir Oliver Wendell Holmes,
Who said,
Without wearing any mask we are conscious of,
We have a special face for each friend.
I'd like you to think about that as we come to a close.
Open your eyes and come back into the room.
Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive.
How good it is to be in this moment.
Life is hard,
But we can get through it together.
And by getting in touch with our breath,
By being kind to ourselves and to others,
By learning to let go,
By trying to be our true selves.
I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session.
We all wear masks and we wear them for different reasons.
The only thing that's important is that you know when to let them go.
Till next time.
