Hello!!
This dispatch is coming in a little bit later than usual—I’ve been quite out of sorts with food poisoning and couldn’t look at my computer until a couple hours ago because I was so nauseous!
Due to said affliction, today’s offering is what people in the tv industry call a “re-run”, but a carefully selected (slightly edited) one.
I hope you can forgive me, but I really like this meditation because it serves all sorts of moments. It’s for whenever you need to step back and observe.
When I listened back to the original version of this meditation, I felt I didn’t leave enough room to actually just sit and see. So this meditation is a bit longer than the original release.
It’s a moment to check in with your body and mind. By seeing what’s going on from an observer’s perspective, we have a better chance of breaking the cycles of thought before they become unwelcome parts of our identity.
I hope you enjoy it, whether this is your first or second time.
xx
James
In today’s meditation, we will create a bit of space to look at where we’ve been putting our most recent attention. Sometimes, it can be very difficult to observe our mind’s patterns, when we are so looped into the process of thinking and overthinking every little detail. These next few minutes are devoted to opening ourselves up, so that we may find a bit of distance from the thoughts that feel so ingrained in our existence. First, let’s begin by coming into the presence of our own being. Ensure that your body is comfortable, in whatever position is most relaxing to you right now. Start to become aware of the breath as it travels in and out of the body. The breath is often a signifier of our emotions. Without casting judgement, take stock of the rhythm and depth of your inhales and exhales. With attention on the breath, see if you can deepen the inhales ever so slightly, smoothing the exhales as they float out of the lungs. Relaxing the breath allows for a greater space of observation in the mind and body.
In this space of stillness, is there any place in the body that is holding tension? It doesn’t have to be a dramatic sensation, but perhaps you’re placing stress somewhere that is overcompensating for you now. If you find a place of stagnation, send breath into that area of the body, breaking up any stale energy. You may do this for as many places in the body as you’d like, envisioning the breath scattering the tension like dust on a glass counter. The tension disperses into the air, leaving your physical realm.
Now, gradually move your attention to the mind. Keep the breath relaxed and smooth, creating a space for the eternal to gaze upon the temporary. The eternal rests in a place of stillness, of serenity and deep connection. As this eternal observer, take stock of how your mind feels. Is it a place of support and ease? Has it felt scattered and frenetic? Perhaps it is tired and overwhelmed. Maybe you sense focus and drive. There may be a little bit of a lot of different things here, take it all in. Is there anything that the mind has fixated on, to the point where it feels like an identifying factor?
From the perspective of the eternal observer, all of this is temporary. It is the river rolling over bedrock.
You can experience whatever set of emotions you have, but know that they are not your eternal essence. Give yourself permission to grow out of the frustrating emotions, give yourself permission to use what may feel like a roadblock and transform it into fuel for something greater. It might be that you need to slow down your pace, trusting that everything will come with divine timing and a focussed mind.
It is natural to want to plan ahead and remove all room for error, but it is within the unexpected that we learn the most. When we over identify with the chaos, our bodies and mind’s take the burden, but we are not responsible for carrying these things. Let them enter your life and exit, just as the breath comes in and out of the lungs. It is a cycle, not a set state.
Whatever you’ve found in the mind, give yourself gratitude for taking the time to create this crucial space to check in. All we can do is come back to ourselves again and again. We are working in tandem with our eternal form. We are one with the limitless energy and the stillest space.
Let us take a breath together, to close this ceremony.
First let all the old breath out, now breath in through the nose, hold at the top and exhale long and smooth.
Thank you for being here today.
I’ll see you next time.
Sit and See