-Atisha
TO LISTEN TO AN AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV9cuQeRcZs&t=98s
What does it mean to let go?
Some of us believe letting go is to just stop thinking about a
problem. Others see it as replacing a problem, in the form of a person or situation, with another person or a different situation. However, before we move on, we need to let go. Letting go is, essentially, how we heal. Healing is made up of layers; heart, mind,
body, and spirit. When we let go we
clean out the negative thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that hold us back from
achieving what we want in life. As we go on living, layers of dirt and grime accumulate and, like a drain pipe, the channels of our heart, mind, body, and spirit become clogged with past hurts, losses, and disappointments. It becomes necessary to unclog those channels in order to let go and to heal.
The following meditation can help us take a step in the process toward letting
something go in our life.
·
Sit in a comfortable chair with your feet
uncrossed and flat on the ground. Close
your eyes and think about the person or situation that you are having trouble
letting go of. Notice any images that
arise related to the issue. What emotion
is coming up? Identify the emotion;
fear, anger, sadness, confusion, overwhelm.
Notice where you feel it in your body.
Be aware of any muscle tension, warmth, coolness, heaviness, or tingling. Give the emotion a color that represents what
you are experiencing. There is no right
or wrong color. It just needs to reflect what is happening in the moment.
·
Now imagine a big bubble floating in the air at
eye level in front of you. Take a deep
breath in through your nose with your mouth closed. Exhale through your mouth, forcefully
releasing the air. See it as your chosen
color. Imagine blowing the colored air
into the bubble. See the bubble expand
with your colored breath inside. Continue
taking deep breaths and then exhaling into the bubble.
·
After several breaths, pause and notice the
degree of emotion you are feeling in the moment. Notice if anything has changed in your
physical body. Has the sensation moved,
lessened, or increased? Are there any
new sensations? If you feel the emotion
has subsided to some degree and you are okay with that, you can proceed to the next
step or, if you want to release more, take a few final breaths in and blowing
out.
·
When you are done releasing, see in your mind’s
eye, the image of the bubble filled with your colored breath. Imagine taking your finger and popping the bubble,
releasing the air. See the air like
colored smoke, floating up and dissipating into the atmosphere until it is completely gone.
·
Now, sit with your back straight and your hands
resting on your thighs, palms facing up, fingers relaxed. With eyes closed, repeat silently to
yourself, “I am letting go. I am
receiving healing and freedom from ______________________________.”
(Fill in the
blank with a specific emotion)
It is important to be gentle with ourselves and to know
that, depending upon the intensity and the layers of “dirt”, we may need to
practice this exercise more than once.
It may be more comfortable to release little bits at a time, rather than
to let the feelings go all at once. We
need to be sure to listen to our inner self, to honor it, and to be fully
present in the moment.
May we all practice moments of letting go, embracing a sense
of joy and freedom in our relationships.
TO LISTEN TO AN AUDIO VERSION OF THIS EXERCISE CLICK HERE www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV9cuQeRcZs&t=98s
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