End of the year support + Practice
As the year winds down and we head into our final weeks of 2021- I have been hearing a collective song of heart-ache ringing out- not just in my personal community, but around the world.
And I feel that it must not be ignored- we so often tend to rush through our discomfort in hopes that we find ourselves on the other side, but we often miss the opportunity to pay attention, and let our grief be our teacher. But in doing so, we miss invaluable lessons. So I challenge you, this time, to let your grief teach you.
We have all been touched by death- in one way or another.
We have all been robbed of countless hopes and dreams- plans to travel, plans to buy houses, plans to invest in relationships.
We have all been disappointed by the way our fellow humans and neighbors will tear one another apart over the smallest differences.
We have all witnessed violence and terror- from the streets, to our schools, to the opposite ends of the world.
We are all tired- of pushing through it all- continuing to clock-in, to show up, to pretend like it’s just another day.
And for many of us, hope is wearing thin as the grief has settled deep in the pits of our stomachs and keeps us from lifting up our heads. Keeps us from dreaming.
The world we once thought we lived in doesn’t exist anymore- it is like a veil was pulled back- and none of us can un-see what was revealed.
Our body aches and our bones are tired from carrying on through it all.
But this is not it, no this is not the end.
The pressure always builds before a revolution. A great awakening. A reckoning of the things we truly care for.
And so we must turn the corner on pain and bitterness before we gaze into the beauty of what we dream this world could be. We must account for every thing that we have lost and hold it with reverence, so that we may be sure of what we truly desire as we step forward.
We must not forget what we’ve witnessed the past few years, harrowing as it may have been, so that we may let it reverberate through us and alchemize into something meaningful.
Like dust into gold.
And so I offer you this short practice, this meditation, like a cup of warm tea to accompany you on your journey. To warm your hands and your spirit.
Find a comfortable seated position- supported with a blanket or pillow beneath you.
Allow the top of your head to lift upwards, as if your spine is gently being tugged by a string from above.
Release the shoulders back and down, inhaling as the heart space naturally unfolds.
Gently close your eyes, and begin to draw inward.
Simply tune in here. Noticing the quality of your breath, and the quality of your being.
Without changing a thing- just notice for a few moments.
If it feels comfortable, bring one hand to your belly and the other to your heart.
Now, allow a wave of breath to fill your lungs- as if your breath is breathing you. Lungs expanding, heart lifting.
Pause for just a moment-
Before exhaling every last bit of air out with an audible sigh.
Take two more breaths like this- drinking in oxygen, and life,
before releasing and returning to back emptiness.
Begin breathing in, and out of your nose now if you can.
As you breathe- imagine your lungs like a pitcher of water- being filled from the bottom of the diaphragm all the way up to the top,
and then pouring back from the top to bottom- until empty.
Noticing and honoring the pauses, the spaces in-between.
Now, imagine the color red emanating from your heart space.
As you inhale- the red light grows brighter and reaches further,
and as you exhale- the light dims and fades.
Continue this breath- focusing on the light and how it reaches out- maybe all the way to your fingers and toes,
before curling back into the vast darkness at the center of your being.
Notice what the feeling of the light brings to you- any sensations, thoughts, emotions.
Hold anything that comes to mind with curiosity- releasing any judgement, allowing whatever arises within you to reveal itself to you,
before returning to another Inhale, and Exhale.
Continue breathing like this, with gratitude, and reverence for your being, for three minutes, or longer.
No agenda. Nowhere to be, but here, with your self.
When you are finished, return your attention back to your body.
Notice the areas of you that are touching the floor, keeping you grounded.
Bring your awareness back into your breath and take your deepest breath yet into your body- filling up completely with air, before exhaling it all back out with a sigh.
Take a moment to notice any sensations you feel as you finish your practice.
And here- allow yourself to feel a sense of gratitude. Towards your self, towards your body, for getting you to this moment and caring for you along the way.
You are exactly where you need to be.
Thank you for taking the time to practice with me.
I hope this mediation has blessed you with a sense of peace, and calm on your journey.
-Marisa