Releasing Resistance Through Presence & Compassion

Thank you for coming to meditation today.

Let's begin and please offer yourself a bow of recognition and appreciation for showing up,

For showing up for your practice yet again.

These practices of awareness and kindness and wisdom that support you in so many ways in your life,

Recognizing yourself for the goodness of your efforts.

We'll begin by finding a comfortable posture in the body,

Whether you're seated,

Reclining or standing.

Whatever the posture is,

Turning the awareness inward to get a sense of this posture.

The place is the body is connected to whatever it's touching,

Whether it's the floor,

Furniture or the earth,

Sensing those touch points.

The weight of the body pressing down,

Earth rising up to meet the body,

Holding the body unconditionally in this stable place.

Sensing into the body this groundedness of the body.

Perhaps you notice the feet on the floor,

The backs of the legs and the base of the body pressing onto the furniture.

Perhaps the back of your body is pressing on the back of a chair or a couch,

Wherever you're sitting.

Noticing even the places where the body is touching itself,

The gentle touch of the eyelids,

The tongue in the mouth,

Perhaps the lips touching or the insides of the upper arms gently touching the sides of the torso.

And noticing the hands,

The hands resting in the lap,

Touching one another,

Just noticing,

Settling in the body.

If the body is uncomfortable in any way,

It's fine to adjust,

So the posture is a posture that is both attentive,

Awake,

Yet relaxed.

Very dignified,

Beautiful posture inhabiting the body just as it is.

And noticing how the spine grows tall out of the deep low back all the way to the crown of the head and holding just enough energy in the back body to maintain this attentiveness,

This uprightness and inviting the whole front of the body to soften and relax.

Softening the muscles of the forehead,

The cheeks and the jaw,

Down through the throat area,

The muscles of the chest and the belly,

Softening.

In this way,

We hold just enough energy in the back body to hold this uprightness and the soft front,

The relaxed front of the body makes space for the heart,

Makes space to breathe.

Just breathe and know you're breathing.

There's nothing special to do.

You may notice the quality of the in-breath,

Its length,

Its depth,

And likewise the out-breath,

Its length,

Its depth.

And there's a slight pause,

A gentle pause at the end of the exhale before the next breath begins.

Simply notice.

And there's a rhythm to this breath cycle,

The inhale and the exhale,

The slight pause,

Meeting this breath just as it is.

And once again sensing into the body,

Knowing the posture,

Sitting or standing,

Just knowing,

Perhaps reclining,

Just knowing,

And breathing,

Just breathing.

And in this way,

There's an arriving and a settling,

Inviting each inhale to be an arriving,

Each exhale a settling,

Over and over again.

And the settling takes you a little closer into the experience of the body.

You may notice there's a place in the body where you experience sensation or your breath most naturally.

Perhaps it's right where the air goes in and out of the nostrils,

The rise and fall of the chest and the shoulders as the lungs fill and empty.

Or perhaps it's the expansion in the contraction back of the belly with each breath.

Or you may not even notice your breath somewhere in particular,

But you know you're breathing,

And that's enough.

So for the next minute or two,

We'll sit quietly.

Just coming into a closer experience of the body and the breath.

If the mind wanders,

Just come back and begin again.

We'll sit quietly for a moment or two.

Now if you're noticing any place in the body where there's some holding,

Some constriction,

Somewhere that you may be sensing some discomfort,

Begin by simply noticing it.

There may be some tightness in the jaw or the shoulders.

You can even lift the shoulders gently to the ears and then let them go.

Let the energy slide down the arms,

Down the back,

Maybe out the fingers.

You can do that again,

Gently lifting the shoulders to the ears and then releasing.

Anywhere there may be holding in the body,

Bring a little softening to that area,

Noticing if there's some rejection,

Some pushing away,

Some not wanting it to be like this.

That's so natural.

Noticing any pushing away,

Any restriction,

Any rejection.

It's just how it is in this moment.

And if you can,

Bring a little bit of breath,

A little softening to any area that's holding.

Letting it belong,

Letting it be as it is,

But bringing some tenderness to the area,

Any amount.

It doesn't need to go away.

It's a simple acknowledging of this is just uncomfortable,

A little discomfort,

Perhaps not so pleasant,

So natural.

Remembering to breathe.

And then shifting the awareness to noticing if there's a place in the body that is comfortable or even neutral.

A place where you can go and rest the mind,

Rest the awareness.

It doesn't need to be anywhere big.

It can be as small as the tip of the nose,

The earlobes,

The points of the elbows,

The toes.

Anywhere in the body that you are noticing is actually okay,

Not a problem.

Rest your attention there and see what that's like.

This experience of okayness,

Not a problem.

Resting there for a minute,

I want to sit quietly in this place of ease.

Getting to know the sensation of ease or comfort or even just neutrality,

Just a sense of okayness.

And there still may be a place in the body that you sense some discomfort,

Some holding,

Some pushing away,

Some rejection of a sensation or an energy.

Just notice it a little bit closer now.

Does this area or this sensation have a size or a color or a texture?

Just notice as if you're observing it from the outside.

You don't have to get too close to it.

Just observe it from the outside.

Notice its characteristics.

And acknowledging it and then move back away to this place in the body that's neutral or okay,

A place where you can settle and relax,

Where there really isn't tension but you can rest.

And we'll breathe there for a little bit.

Resting.

And then we'll go back to the place that's uncomfortable.

Get a little closer to it this time if you like,

Even though there may be some resistance,

Some aversion,

Not really wanting to be there.

But any amount that you can get a little bit closer,

Notice the characteristics now.

What is the size of this discomfort?

Is there some resistance to it?

Is there an ache,

A pull,

A sting?

Maybe you can name the sensation.

Maybe it's shifted.

Maybe it's in a different place in the body or the size has changed.

Simply noticing.

Remembering to breathe.

And then let it be.

Move back away to that place in the body where you can rest.

Breathing there.

There's no pulling.

There's no pushing.

Just a place of okay.

And we'll rest there.

And then we'll spend more time going back into this place and noticing any discomfort and noticing if it's changed anymore.

Size or shape.

Is there a change in your willingness to be with it,

To observe it,

To sense it?

Is there a way in which the rejection and the pushing away of discomfort maybe has lessened a little bit?

Maybe there is.

Maybe there isn't.

Just noticing.

And then moving back away from it to this place in the body that's okay,

Where you can rest.

Breathing.

Resting.

If there's anywhere in the body that can let go of any amount,

Again softening the face or the shoulders or the neck.

Letting any relaxation move down the limbs.

Relaxing the muscles of the chest and the belly so there's room to breathe.

Just being.

You may notice that there's a little bit of ease or peace or stillness that might be coming up as we rest.

We'll just sit quietly now,

Resting the awareness wherever is comfortable for you,

Anywhere that is neutral or maybe even a little bit pleasant.

And we'll just sit quietly.

Resting.

Noticing any amount of stillness and ease that may be arising.

And to the extent that you can,

Allowing that stillness or ease to expand in the body all the way up into the head space,

Down through the arms and legs,

Filling the torso,

All the way out to the edges of the body.

Sensing this ease,

This stillness.

You may even imagine breathing in ease,

Breathing out peace.

Breathing in ease,

Breathing out peace.

And as this stillness and ease and peace fill the entire body all the way out to its edges,

See if you can sense that.

The whole body softens,

Just to the extent that it can,

But sensing what's here.

All the way out to the edges and perhaps even beyond the edges of the body.

So this ease and peace surrounds you in front and behind you,

Sides and diagonals,

Above and below.

So your whole being is sitting in a sphere of ease and peace inside and out.

And here we rest,

Resting in this awareness.

You might notice that in this resting,

That this quality of pushing away resistance or aversion has softened,

Has lessened.

Any amount that it's softened or lessened,

Notice that.

And in that space there's some freedom.

There's freedom to be just as you are,

Knowing the experience of release and letting go.

And at the same time there's a desire,

A natural desire to be freed from that which constricts the heart,

From that which blocks the natural capacity to rest,

Have clarity of mind.

And so we offer ourselves these blessings of compassion,

The capacity to cultivate compassion for ourselves.

So placing some awareness into the heart center now,

Sensing into the energies of the heart,

Us noticing the space of the chest and the upper back,

Even the upper side ribs,

The whole heart center.

Repeating these phrases to yourself,

Giving yourself the gift of your own wishes for your well-being.

Imagine giving yourself this gift.

May I accept myself just as I am right in this moment.

May I accept myself just as I am right in this moment.

May I surround my limitations and challenges with respect and care and love.

May I surround my limitations and challenges with respect,

Care and love.

May I be supported with strength,

Steadiness and courage.

May I be supported with strength,

Steadiness and courage.

May I rest in the beauty and goodness of my awakening heart.

May I rest in the beauty and goodness of my awakening heart.

Sensing into the heart space once again and noticing whatever is here,

Any goodness,

Any softening.

Maybe there's a little more access to the goodness of who you are.

Accepting ourselves just as we are right now.

What a gift.

Surrounding our limitations with respect and care and love.

Honoring who we are in these limitations and challenges,

How natural and human it is.

We can't do this practice and we can't do our lives alone.

So we include,

We ask for,

We accept strength and steadiness and courage from our community,

From those who love us,

Those around us.

Because we trust this practice,

We trust our own inner wisdom,

We can rest in the beauty and goodness of this awakening heart.

We can trust that.

And rest in this peace and ease.

And rest in peace.

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