Welcome friends.
Sitting quietly,
Just breathing in and out,
We develop strength,
Concentration,
And clarity.
So sit like a mountain.
No wind can blow the mountain down.
That's a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh.
You may have reached a time in your life when your schedules have emptied.
The calendar isn't as full as it used to be and the phone doesn't ring as often and sometimes you find yourself sitting,
Wondering,
What now?
What's my purpose?
This is the space many of us retirees quietly enter.
A space where the outer busyness has slowed but the inner questions begin to rise.
In this meditation we're not going to try and fill the space.
We're simply trying to learn to be with it,
To sit in stillness,
To sit with ourselves and to know that stillness is not emptiness.
Stillness is a beginning.
A soft,
Quiet doorway to something deeper.
So let's begin by finding a comfortable seat.
Maybe placing your hands on your legs or cupping them together in your lap.
Let your eyes softly close if that feels comfortable or simply lower your gaze.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in and exhale.
Begin to notice the natural rhythm of your breath,
The feeling of air entering your body and leaving it.
No need to change anything.
Just become aware.
Now picture yourself like a mountain.
Solid,
Grounded,
Still.
No wind can blow the mountain down.
Even in moments of uncertainty or restlessness you can return to this stillness.
You can sit like a mountain and trust that clarity will come.
Sometimes the world tells us our value is in doing but there is wisdom in simply being.
In retirement stillness is not a void,
It's a space.
A space where something new can be born.
As you sit in this moment,
Ask yourself,
What is life offering me right now in this quiet?
You don't need the answer right away.
Just be open.
Listen.
For the next few minutes,
Let the quiet speak.
Friends,
Begin to bring your awareness back to the space around you.
Feel the chair beneath you,
The ground under your feet.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes or lift your gaze.
Remember,
You're not lost and you're not without purpose.
You're simply in a new chapter.
One that sometimes unfolds with silence,
With breath,
With presence.
And the next time you find yourself sitting,
Wondering what to do next,
Just pause,
Take a breath,
And be with the stillness.
See what comes.
Namaste.
