Accept and Allow

Psychologist Carl Jung said, "What we resist persists." Today's practice centers on equanimity or the quality of acceptance that allows us to be with things just as they are. When we allow difficult feelings and experiences to be just as they are, they pass by more easily and we're left with greater clarity about what we need. When difficult emotions like frustration or shame arise, it's natural to have a knee jerk reaction and want to resist the emotional experience. It may sound strange to imagine that allowing our difficult emotions to be seen just as they are, could be helpful. However, this is exactly what interrupts unhelpful patterns that perpetuate our distress. Acceptance allows the emotional experience to move through us without getting stuck. It shows us that, though we can't always control what happens in our lives and the emotions that we experience, we do have agency over the way we respond. In the words of Viktor Frankl, "In our response lies our growth and freedom." And changing the habitual ways in which we respond takes practice. So let's get started. This meditation can be practiced from either a standing or sitting position. Please feel free to adapt your position to fit your needs. So let's just start with a few long deep breaths. In through the nose and out through the mouth. And on your next deep breath in, just hold your breath for a moment at the top of your inhale, and then sigh it out as you exhale. And if it's comfortable for you, you can close your eyes. And just take a moment either standing or sitting to notice the connection of your body to the surface that you're on. Feeling the support underneath you. And notice where your hands are resting. And then feel the length in your spine and the sturdiness of your posture. And now just take a deep breath in as you slowly shrug your shoulders up toward your ears. And then as you exhale, relax your shoulders back down. And just continue like this for a few cycles of breathing. Rolling your shoulders back and down as you inhale and exhale. And now just find stillness again in your posture. And notice sensations that call your attention. See if you can notice any sensations in your feet, in your toes. In your legs. Noticing sensations in your abdomen. And just pausing to feel your natural breath lifting and lowering the abdomen as you breathe. And then scan for sensations in your chest. Pausing to feel your lungs and rib cage expand as you breathe in. And contract as you exhale. And then bring awareness to your neck and your throat. Your shoulders. Just inviting your shoulders to relax down away from your ears. And notice any sensations like tingling or warmth. Maybe heaviness in your arms and hands and fingers. And then finally notice the sensations on your face and around your head. And check in with your jaw....