Hello and welcome.
This is your host Adele D'Arguido,
A mental health counselor,
Yoga and meditation practitioner,
And a human being on this healing journey.
We come together to practice the art of being present.
By turning inwards,
We set the intention of waking up to this very moment and to this life where all transformation is possible.
Today we're going to practice one of the most foundational elements to cultivating mindfulness,
And that is patience.
We're typically challenged to practice patience whenever we're grasping for the future.
We can become very stressed out about things when they're not the way we want them to be,
When they're not happening fast enough,
And where we feel like we're not where we're meant to be right now.
So when we practice the skill of patience,
We choose the path of least resistance.
We can enjoy the process,
We can enjoy this present moment without getting so frustrated and anxious.
And we can trust the timing of our life.
To begin this practice,
Find a comfortable position,
Seated or laying down.
Your eyes can be closed,
Or they may remain gently open with a soft gaze.
I invite you to turn your attention to your breath,
To notice its natural rhythm.
That rise and fall in the chest,
Or in the belly,
Following the breath.
Now I invite you to take a nice deep inhale.
And then exhale slowly,
Making the exhales nice and long.
Find the rhythm in your body.
You can bring your attention to your chest and the rise and fall to guide you.
And there's no need to rush,
This finding a rhythm that works for you.
Making the exhales nice and long.
Lao Tzu said that nature does not hurry,
Yet everything is accomplished.
And today,
We'll move our minds very slowly through this whole journey.
Trusting the timing of our bodies,
Of the natural cues.
Notice any part of your body that may need your attention,
That might need some softening.
Maybe it's in your neck,
Your shoulders,
Your hips.
Places where we typically grip our emotions,
Where we hold them in place.
If you might gently bring your breath to those areas.
Imagine the breath traveling through your body,
Taking its time.
Imagine that through the exhale,
You begin to soften this part of your body.
Feel the sensations of softening at your own pace.
Abide in this stillness.
And if your mind wanders,
Know that this is a practice.
You can always return to the breath as your anchor,
As your support to guide you to this present moment,
Where nothing needs to be changed.
Observe your natural breathing.
The ebb and flow of the inhale and the exhale.
Without trying to control it,
Notice how it continues without our effort.
In this natural state of ebb and flow,
Let's take a moment to rest here.
To enjoy slowing down.
Nowhere to go,
Nothing to be.
Continuing to breathe and relax.
Lao Tzu once said,
Nature does not hurry,
Yet everything is accomplished.
I invite you to take a moment to contemplate on the seasons of your life with the images of nature.
Perhaps you'll think about a gentle stream,
Eroding the rocks,
Which like these rocks we can soften over time.
The image of leaves falling in the autumn time.
Or the wintry mountain tops covered in white blankets.
In times of our life when we are in hibernation.
And then there's a season for growth,
Where the birds are chirping and returning.
Feel the warmth on your skin.
Sense how these images resonate with you,
In your body and in your experience.
As you patiently move through your life.
Breathing gently.
And remaining as the observer of these ebbs and flows.
You may affirm for yourself,
I am right where I'm supposed to be.
Feel the emotions that the words bring when you sincerely mean it.
I am right where I'm supposed to be.
Resting in the words.
In this season of your life.
There's no need to rush to the next.
Only to trust this moment.
Take a nice deep breath in through the nose very gently and slowly.
At the top of the inhale,
Hold.
Without gripping,
Just hold gently.
And exhale nice and slow.
And at your own pace.
Begin to flutter your eyes open.
Looking around.
Integrating your practice by slowly moving out into the world.
SustainedZE Recently
