Welcome.
Welcome to this meditation on investigating tension.
We want to befriend the tension that's here so we can loosen it with intention and less forcefulness.
So if you haven't already,
Take a comfortable position,
Whatever that means for you.
And as we settle into this space together,
Take a few deep breaths.
Simply arriving in this space,
Giving yourself permission to be here and not need to be anywhere else.
And then notice any tension you may be holding in your body.
It might be in your shoulders or chest.
It might be in your eyebrows or your face.
It might even be at the bottom of your feet.
And if you can't locate a physical area of tension,
Remember what brought you here.
See if you can bring that to mind.
What was it like?
What was the hardest part?
Was it thinking,
Feeling,
Exhaustion?
Is it wanting something to be different?
Or maybe wanting it to not be here at all.
What's the hardest part?
And as you bring this to mind,
Notice if you're bracing in some way.
What are you holding on to?
Is it the need to get something done?
Maybe the desire to please someone,
To make a good impression or to do a good job.
What are you holding on to?
And see if you can notice the texture of what's here.
What's it like in this body,
In this mind,
In this heart?
What's the weather?
Is there heat,
Cold?
Is it stormy?
Does it feel unsettled?
See if you can sense what it's like.
Breathing into that part of you that is looking for relief.
As you inhale and exhale,
Feeling your breath as it enters.
And feeling your breath as it leaves.
What's it like in this body?
Is there a pushing or a pulling?
The temptation to run away?
Is there a pressure or an ache?
What's it like?
Without needing to change it,
See if you can bring some care to that part of you.
And taking a deep breath into that part of you,
Letting it know that it's okay.
It's okay.
As tension comes and as tension goes,
Like the breath.
Now bring your attention to the rise and the fall of your chest.
What's it like to fill your lungs and follow the buildup of the breath,
The tension and the expansion?
And exhaling,
Softening into the release.
And as you feel into the rise and the fall of your chest,
Notice that none of it stays.
The breath simply moves through the tension and through the release.
Letting go of the need to hold on to any one moment.
What's it like to stay?
What's it like to stay?
Remembering the true nature of life is change.
What's it like to be with the tension and bring a curiosity and a kindness?
Taking a deep breath in,
Giving it permission to release.
Exhale,
Arriving in this moment with nowhere else to be,
Nothing else to do.
Nothing to change.
May your days be filled with ease.
