So I invite you to take a seat or to lie down.
Whatever feels the most inviting for you,
The most embracing,
Holding and nurturing.
And in our practice today,
This notion of security and embrace within our solitude and within our stillness of self comes to play.
And so what I invite for you as you shut the eyes down is to come into breath equal inhalations and exhalations through the nostrils.
And really begin to fill the belly,
The diaphragm,
The chest up,
Taking in as much life force as you can.
On the exhale,
Letting it just stream out of the nostrils fluidly.
This idea of aloneness,
There is a possible reframe here.
When we settle into self,
When we are alone with the sounds of nature,
With the sounds of the city,
With the sounds of wherever you may be.
Instead of thinking of it as alone,
Think of it as with self.
Allow yourself to arrive deeper and deeper into your seat.
Relax the shoulders.
Relax the eyes behind closed eyelids.
It's almost as if the eyes are floating on cool pools of water.
Relax even the brow,
Your forehead,
The muscles around the jaw.
Just tuning into what it feels like to be in your body today.
Just if there's any tension,
Send loving energy there through the exhalation.
Let your belly out if you're pulling it in.
Let your body soften.
So this Tao perspective,
Can't say Tao today,
But Tao,
Is one of Wu Wei,
So not forcing.
And it's not to not give effort.
So as we sit here,
We allow and put energy into strengthening the spine,
To taking in breath and life force.
But this perspective and Taoism of non-forcing,
Going with the flow,
It's still having an effect on the world,
Effect on ourselves,
But with less effort.
So where can you place less effort here?
Where can you relax a little bit deeper?
Where can you settle into self a little bit smoother?
Let us smile gently,
Come across the face,
Park the lips,
Let the tongue even relax here.
And noting in the mind in this moment with self,
When we are alone away from other,
We have an opportunity to work with our breath,
To work with our sensations,
To tune in,
To go deep.
This is an intimate time of connection,
Not disconnection.
So we reframe,
We let go of our fear or insecurities that we're not loved or worthy of connection with other and we feel the worthiness,
The love,
The connection right here within.
You feel yourself grow softer with that acknowledgement,
Really feel it,
Think it,
Be it.
I am safe here.
I am in good company.
Love exists right here.
Security,
Connection.
And notice what your mind,
Your breath,
Your body,
Your heart do in stillness and silence.
When my voice trails off,
Is there a feeling of being left or can you sit with self and enjoy your own company?
And it's okay to desire external connection.
It's the way that we've been trained,
But here in our meditation practice,
As we settle into stillness with ourselves,
Even if another body sits next to us,
We're alone in our own unique experience.
This body that you settle into has its own breathing patterns,
Its own mental fluctuations,
Its own tensions and its own ease.
There is beauty to this universe within a universe.
Listen to the sound of your breath.
Feel your own heartbeat.
Hear your own song.
I am safe here.
There is love here.
There is connection.
There is strength and serenity and my stillness and my solitude.
Place your right hand on your left shoulder,
Left hand on your right shoulder and let the head fall in.
And then slightly rock from side to side if this feels nurturing for you.
And know that as the world is turned upside down,
As our fears,
Our insecurities are triggered,
That we are being given an opportunity to find the deepest love story in our lives,
Which is the one with ourselves.
And when we love ourselves so fully,
So completely,
So deeply that we resource ourselves to take care of our own needs,
Create our own boundaries,
Take time for ourselves,
Then naturally the world embraces us.
We find more love,
More acknowledgments.
Our energy is more sought out as we sit solidly holding ourselves,
Loving ourselves and needing nothing from the outside world,
But welcoming it in.
Bring hands together at heart center,
Bowing head to heart.
From my soul journey into my solitude to your soul journey into your solitude,
Know that you are not alone in your aloneness.
You're not alone in your fears or insecurities.
And know that we all feel alone together.
Take a deep breath in,
Deep sigh out.
When you're ready,
You can slowly flutter your eyes open,
Gently coming back into your day,
Your afternoon or your evening.
Namaste.
