Meditation
Step Five - Meditation to Be As You Are
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Practice acceptance!
Video
Key Information
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LENGTH: six minutes
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FREQUENCY: every day of the week
SETTLING
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Find your way to an upright and dignified posture. Close your lower your eyes in a soft gaze. Place your feet on the ground, rest your hands on your lap and lift the crown of your head toward the sky. Take a nice deep breath in through your nose and let all the air escape on the exhale
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After settling into your position, see if you notice anything new: how your body moves with each inhale, listening to the sound of each exhale, noticing any muscle tension
THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS INVOLVED
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3. Allow yourself to become aware of your thoughts and observe what crosses your mind. As you exhale, imagine blowing these thoughts away.
4. Notice what emotions you are carrying with you today; how do they feel in your body? Become aware of how you respond to these emotions. Is there an open acceptance of their presence and how they feel? Is there some unhelpful judgement from your inner critic?
5. Practice just noticing these emotions without any extra commentary from that inner critic. All you need to do is notice and breathe. Allow the emotions to be felt and heard giving them space and acknowledgement that they crave. All feelings are acceptable. It may be helpful to silently tell yourself that it is ok to feel that way and be open to it. This doesn’t mean that you have to like these sensations, it is natural to not want them around
BREATHE WITH THE SENSATIONS
6. Then, start saying to yourself on each out-breath: “softening, opening” or “breathing in and out from”. This is to help you let go of the tendency to tense and brace against the sensations you feel as negative thoughts arrive
7. Try to remain aware of these bodily sensations and your relationship to them. Breathe with them, letting them be just as they are.