Hello,
I'm Tia Norman,
And this is a contemplative prayer for times of discomfort.
A perspective in which to consider and define contemplative prayer is as a system or network of practices and methods that support our awakening,
Our liberation,
And our expansion into our most authentic self,
Both in the presence of our being and the action that we take.
What I'll guide you through in a moment is a form of contemplative prayer known as the welcoming practice.
Guides and teachers often seem to have the ability to describe in language what the soul may only be able to feel.
Sarah Blondin says,
We have all kissed the feet of a difficult experience.
Author Michael Singer says,
To feel great love and freedom,
To find the presence of God within you,
All of your stored pain must go.
This practice is for difficult times.
This practice supports us in letting our stored pain go.
The welcoming practice reminds you that your body is the storehouse of all of your emotional energies,
And it creates a safe container in which you remember that how you feel does not define who you are,
And it allows the stored energies to pass through.
In this practice,
Letting go of all of your emotional energies means passing through the energy and not around it,
Not running away,
Or pushing it back into the unconscious through denial or distraction.
You do not identify with the feeling,
The emotion,
The sensation,
Or the thought,
And act it out,
But you allow it to be transformed through the simple act of sticking with it and experiencing it.
I invite you to return to this meditation anytime you become aware of emotional discomfort as a healthy way to be with your feelings.
It is meant as a compliment and not a replacement to any other means of supporting your mental and emotional well-being.
Before we begin,
I'd like to share with you that the practice ends with some phrases that may feel counterintuitive.
These phrases help loosen your attachments and settle you into the realities of the present moment.
I am here as a guide and support.
You are not alone.
You are never alone.
You are never alone.
May this support you in being where you are as we settle in and begin.
Although it's not required,
I'm going to recommend that you bring your body to a seated position,
One in which you can place your feet flat on the ground and bring your spine to a comfortable yet attentive posture.
If this does not feel appropriate or is unavailable to you at this time,
Then take a moment to tune into your body and allow it to guide you to a place of comfort,
Eventually bringing yourself to a place where movement slows and stillness finds you.
Notice where you are.
Look around and see what surrounds you.
Notice your placement in your environment.
Now draw a deep breath in,
And as you do,
Let your eyes settle into a soft gaze or completely come to a close as you exhale.
Notice your breath.
Let your next inhale find its way to your belly.
Let your belly fully expand as you breathe in and release any tension in the area as you exhale.
Do this three times,
Breathing deep into your expanded belly and exhaling,
Drawing a deep expansion into the belly and letting go.
Now let your breath find its way to your belly,
And as you do,
Allow it to rise up to your heart,
Allowing your awareness to settle fully into the heart space.
You can even place a hand on your chest as a way to fully reside with the wisdom that you hold here.
Allow the heart to reveal a discomfort that is asking for loving awareness,
Perhaps a conversation that was had,
An event that occurred,
Or a thought that repeatedly finds its way to you.
As this revelation unfolds,
Acknowledge its presence not as good or bad,
But simply as an energy and occurrence that you are now being invited to hold.
Let your breath begin to open up to your body,
Remembering that you stay in your power when you are able to name what is.
What is the energy of the emotion you are welcoming at this moment?
Are you able to acknowledge it by naming it?
Remain with the feeling,
The sensations,
Any thoughts or commentary as you begin to feel what is happening in your body.
Bring your awareness to your feet,
Noticing where your feet meet the surface beneath you,
Seeing if you can feel into the sensation of your feet meeting the ground.
And with your mind's eye,
Allowing this awareness to move from the soles of your feet to the top of your feet,
First your right and your left,
Until your awareness has been placed in the top of both of your feet.
And guiding this awareness now to your ankles,
Your lower legs,
Your knees,
Moving to the top of your thighs,
And wrapping around to the back side of your thighs,
And guiding this awareness to your seat,
Noticing where you are being physically held and supported in this space,
And gently moving from your seat to your lower back,
Drawing this awareness from the lower back area around to your belly.
And then moving this awareness once again from the lower belly back around to the lower back,
And the lower back,
You move to your mid back,
Your shoulder blades,
The top of both shoulders,
The upper arms,
Your elbows,
Your forearms,
Finding your way through your wrists,
Out into the palms of your hands,
Letting the full awareness be drawn from the palms of your hands out into the tips of each finger,
Of each finger,
Sensing into any sensations or energy that you may be aware of resting within your hands,
Noticing where your hands may be held and supported in this space,
And moving now from the tips of the fingers back to the palms,
Through the wrists,
Your forearms,
Your elbows,
The upper arms,
Back to the top of your shoulders,
Awareness draws to your neck,
Your throat,
Your jaw,
If you are clenching your jaw,
Then I invite you to breathe into this space and release the tension,
Letting your tongue fall from the roof of your mouth,
Making your way to your lips,
Following the jaw line out to your earlobes,
Breathing into the space between your earlobes and your shoulders and letting your shoulders be pulled closer to the earth,
Awareness moves back to the earlobes,
Up and around to your temple area,
Allowing yourself to breathe into any areas which may feel constricted or where you sense pressure,
Moving to the brow area,
Releasing any tension that you are carrying in your forehead,
As your awareness makes its way to the crown of your head,
Notice how your body is moving to the brow area,
Allowing your body to be on its way to the crown of your head,
Noticing what it's like to be in your body,
And acknowledging this experience,
You also acknowledge the presence of the spirit that resides within you,
The part of you that remains connected to the divine,
Using your inner voice,
Welcome this divine presence into your experience by simply saying welcome,
Draw on your full awareness with this welcome,
Noticing what happens within,
Resting here for a few moments in the reality of what is.
So we begin to emerge from this practice by reciting letting go phrases.
I'll offer up these phrases and also invite you to make them your own,
Perhaps inserting the named energy you may have become aware of as the practice progressed in place of what I offer,
Either out loud or to yourself.
You repeat,
I let go of my desire for security,
Affection,
And control.
I let go of my desire to change this feeling or situation.
You're welcome to rest here for as long as you'd like.
And when you're ready,
Returning to the world by noticing the gift of your own breath,
Noticing what it's like to breathe in this moment.
And when you are ready,
Returning to your space by opening your eyes.
So
