In this meditation,
We will practice visualizing letting go of worry and regret,
Settling into the present moment with a sense of freedom and relaxation.
To begin this meditation,
Bring kind awareness to why you chose this topic.
As you meditate,
Notice how your belly,
Chest,
And head feel when you reflect on this topic,
Along with the emotions that you can associate with these visceral feelings.
Notice the positive or negative impact of any stories you believe in regarding this topic that may come to mind as you meditate.
Consider when you can apply increased mindfulness to this topic in your day-to-day life.
To help you settle into this meditation,
Start by taking a moment to relax your body.
Soften any unnecessary tension in your belly and shoulders.
And find a posture that feels both relaxed and alert.
Now close your eyes or look downwards and rest your hands in an easy,
Effortless way.
Take a few moments to scan your awareness through the sensations of your body and wherever possible,
Soften and release any obvious areas of physical tension.
Imagine standing in the street outside of your home with two heavy suitcases.
One of those suitcases is full of worries about the future,
And the other suitcase is full of regrets about the past.
Take a moment standing there in the street holding these two heavy suitcases,
Feeling their weight holding you down,
And reflect about each one.
Reflect about the future.
Notice what worries come to mind.
The fantasies your mind is creating to fill the gaps of the unknown.
And now,
Standing out there in the street,
Reflect about the past,
The other heavy suitcase weighing you down.
Notice what regrets come to mind,
And any negative self-talk or beliefs that may stem from the past.
You're standing there in the street,
Feeling the weight of these suitcases,
Baggage that you may carry around unintentionally throughout your day.
In this moment,
In the here and now,
Remember your wisdom in the truth of things.
Remember that the future will come on its own accord whenever it comes,
And how most of what we worry about will never happen.
Consider how the past cannot be changed,
That all we can do in the present is to learn from it,
Put in whatever corrections make sense for how we want to live our lives,
To become more skillful,
To become a better person,
And move on.
And now ask yourself,
Do you want to keep holding onto this worry,
Or do you want to drop the baggage of worry about the future?
If so,
Make a conscious decision and simply drop it.
Simply drop it.
Then standing there in the street with the other suitcase,
Carrying so much heaviness about the past,
Make a conscious decision.
Do you want to drop it?
And if so,
Just drop it.
Just drop it.
Once you have dropped the two suitcases,
Walk into your home and take your seat right where you are now,
And settle down,
Feeling so relaxed,
Like someone coming home from a long trip,
Dropping their suitcases and just relaxing after a long journey.
Being rested in the present and just breathing.
Breathing in the fundamental well-being of awareness itself,
In awareness which does not worry or regret.
Awareness which is this present moment.
Allow yourself to simply rest,
Feeling a sense of peace,
Of joy,
Of well-being,
A natural happiness.
This is always your true home without carrying the heavy baggage of worries about the future or regrets about the past.
Simply rest here in your body right now with total relaxation throughout your body and mind.
In this relaxed and present state,
I invite you to consider when you can apply increased mindfulness to this topic in your day-to-day life.
When might you benefit from continuing to practice dropping the suitcases of worry or regret?
How might you remind yourself that you are capable of dropping these suitcases and instead choosing to be present?
Without forcing it,
See what comes to mind.
If you're unsure,
You can always come back to this topic outside of meditation,
Like through doing some self-reflection and journaling or talking with a close friend,
Loved one,
Therapist,
Or coach.
Now bring some awareness back into your body,
Still feeling light and free from dropping the heaviness of worry and regret.
Taking a nice deep breath with a long controlled exhale.
And when you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
Thank you for meditating with me today.
I hope this lightness carries with you,
Allowing more room for you to be present and grounded.
Take good care.
