0:06 Good morning friends. This is Kelsy Timas from Guiding Wellness Institute, coming to you live this morning, in some pretty uncertain times.
I’ve had a lot of questions coming in recently with what’s going on in our world in our, in our local economy. And that certainly has also been affecting our ability to see you face to face. And we are definitely missing having you at home in our space. So, this morning, I think this is a really good time to practice the tools that we’ve been learning about just getting present– being present in the moment.
And so, if you don’t already have a warm cup of tea, or your morning cup of coffee, then maybe just, you know, take me along with you, as you go and prepare that. There’s something powerful about just having a conversation, sitting down, having a conversation, and in Eastern medicine, the heart and lung meridians start at the tips of the fingers, and the palm of the hand is a is a powerful connection to both our heart and our lungs. And that Meridian runs all the way up the inside of the arm and across the upper chest. And so you may notice just you know, sitting down and pausing for a moment can feel good. But notice the difference when you put your coffee cup or your tea cup, and I have mine right now, my coffee mug today it has California on it, I’m thinking about all my family that are there, and the distance that’s between us.
And so when you wrap your hands around the mug, and feel that warmth in the hand, it’ll actually start to radiate up the arm and into the chest and it has a sensory soothing to the self. So, I offer you that today, and and any day that you may need that. And so this heart lung combo of how we our heart beats, you know, our physical heart, the breath, that the power of that connection of being a body but also being a breath. And I think what we’re experiencing now, in this climate of social distancing, and grief, fear, and already senses of loss– or fear of loss, that is challenging to the heart and lung meridian.
So, on top of that this particular virus concern that we’re working with is affecting that region also. And so the way it shows up in the body and its challenge to our body and even the threat of it to the body, is in that same region to the lung in the heart.
So, just taking some time to connect with that, and if you’ve gotten your tea and your coffee by now, find your seat, find either maybe that space that you’ve created for yourself in your house for meditation or quiet and get get comfortable, even cozy. And there’s that difference between being comfortable but being cozy, and that these elements that I’m in I’m inviting you to participate in this morning are really about taking comfort, one step further into cozy and that coziness is where you can be with your Sankolpa, or your intention, formed or born at the heart, and really connect with yourself and connect with the sensation of being a body resting in your chair, or on your back, or wherever you may be supported. And then notice the breath.
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Notice all of the senses, maybe the taste of that first sip or two of your beverage, and maybe there’s a smell aroma coming from the ears this hearing, hearing, not the same as listening, listening has almost more effort, hearing, just hearing the sound of my voice coming toward your ears. And also hearing your inner voice, you know, coming toward the heart leaning in.
And then your sight, the eyes are open just taking in the room or the space around you. Noticing colors and textures. And then maybe even close the eyes and take the gaze inward. And notice within our sight notice how inner sight starts to connect with or even inform you of a feeling. And then a feeling maybe a sensation.
Maybe there’s a sensation of warmth running up the insides of the arms like a big hug. Maybe that sensation of a hug feels different today, with new appreciation for being able to reach out and connect. And then notice how that can start to inform an actual feeling: a feeling of gladness or sadness, maybe there’s even mad, or the arms of mapping mad. Maybe there’s afraid, ashamed, or hurt. So, these primary emotions and all of the sub emotions that arise around those primary emotions, and just feel into those, feel into and welcome with curiosity, whatever is rising today.
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And as you welcome the emotion notice how thoughts will begin to stream in kind of like live streaming our thoughts. Or this live streaming of information. What do you think about being sad, or mad, or hurt?
What are you thinking about? Being afraid. And notice how this narration of the mind– the difference between a thought that is yours. And I thought that is a projection. Maybe it’s a it’s a thought coming from something you’ve been told or you’ve heard.
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And notice as the thoughts roll across the screen of your mind, the ones that you want to latch on to and follow into a full conversation. And then just for now, let those go. And watch for the next thought to roll across the screen of your mind. And notice is that more or less enticing to follow along and have a conversation with and then let that go. Notice the breath in the body. And maybe there’s even a deeper breath. You’re already settling into an active form of meditation.
Meditating on your thoughts and observing them one at a time. And then imagine that you could turn down the speed so you could speed it up or you could slow it down and for now, just slow it down.
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Enough where you can observe each thought in its entirety, and then be able to let it go without this sensation or feeling it’s fleeting, there’s no need to hold on to it so that you won’t forget or hold on tightly so that you won’t lose that information. As if you were just editing this live stream of your own, slowing it down, then adjusting the dial so that it’s at a pace that is comfortable for you are the thoughts come and go and move along at a pace that is comfortable for you to be able to keep your drishti, or your focus straight ahead, and begin to find a place in front of yourself.
Maybe it’s far beyond, maybe it’s just a few feet in front, with a soft gaze, and preferably something that’s not moving. And as you focus your sight, whether that’s the eyes or even the inner sight, on that space directly in front of you. Feel back into being awareness itself. The one who is aware of yourself observing your thoughts as they come and they go. aware of yourself as a feeling person. And notice how they emotions rise and fall and pass away.
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And notice that space between having a feeling and then a thought comes. And then letting that thought go. And maybe another feeling arises and begin to observe this choreography of the bras, feelings, thoughts. There may even be a unique pattern for you. Of one prompting the other. Maybe even notice how the influx of an emotion or a thought can maybe cause the breath to deepen. And allow that breath to be deep and full. And then on the exhale, feel how there’s this softening.
And this letting go of the feeling and the thought as you allow it to pass by or pass through. There may even be a few quiet breaths before the next sensation rises. And observe again, how you’re feeling body and your thinking mind in invite and engage the breath in a different way. That your willingness to inhale deeply and exhale fully aids this process of life moving in and life moving out.
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As this too shall pass; as it’s always passing, that this too will pass; that as easily and noticeably as the breath comes in and the breath moves out.
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These moments of our life roll in and roll out all the time, no need to grasp at them in any way. No need to rush them along and make them pass even faster. No need to slow them down and keep them longer. But just notice how the self wants or longs to manipulate life. To control have a sense of control of our life. And notice the peace that comes in this moment of just letting life be just as it is. Moving in and moving out as each moment moves in and out notice how less sticky that becomes as you practice. Practice welcoming. And practice letting go. Non attachment, non attachment to the outcome. And as you experience life moving through you, in and out life moving through you. Notice your beliefs. Notice of now what rises to be true for you to believe, in this moment. Notice the subtle difference between these thoughts that move in and out of your mind. And this other thought or thought form that’s bigger, maybe even if it may even feel like it hovers over you.
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Further above your head, it’s less fragmented. And welcome today. What do I believe? What do I believe to be true? And notice what rises just as it is no need to make it more or less important.
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Notice with curiosity. Welcoming the belief just as it is. And as you hold that to be true.Notice how the body mind responds. What are the thoughts or the feelings or sensations that co-arise in the body-mind.
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When you sit with that belief and then if there was an opposite– if there was an opposite belief to that belief, that you hold to be true for yourself. What would that be? Just welcome the opposite belief to rise. With curiosity. Notice how the body mind responds allowing the sensations to change as you welcome the opposite belief.
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Then, welcome back the original belief and allow your attention to move back and forth between these two opposites of belief. First, one, then the other, and then a hold them both at the same time. Notice how you’re thinking mind can’t do this. And so as you soften that space behind the eyes, in between the ears and hold both opposites of belief at the same time until they merge into one. Notice how they might resist each other at first. Maybe the intent bounces from one to the other first. And then breathing deeply and holding both to be true at the same time.
And notice what happens. Notice the sensations that arise in the body or does a third thought or belief rise out of those two?
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Then, invite a sense of gratitude. A deep sense of being grateful, grateful for this moment grateful for taking the time to practice then as we move from this settling in exercise into a question of: Who are you? What are you doing? And why are you doing it?
Now, these three questions, whether you want to just continue to hear the sound of my voice and just experience this, or even if this feels appropriate to be a time to be journaling, some of that. Maybe be comfortable taking notes on that. But appreciate this moment of just taking time to reconnect with yourself, and then to ask yourself in this moment: who am I? What am I doing? And why am I doing it? And there’s so much truth and that can be revealed and in that net when we feel ourselves scurrying and scrambling and in, in the fearful busyness or maybe, you know, caught up in the theatrics of it all.
Notice the power of stopping, pausing, come back to reconnecting with yourself. And then in this moment, are you who are you being? And notice that with that question: Who are you all these versions of yourself?
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So, there’s the child; you are born of someone, you’re also– a there’s a form of either a victim or a victimizer part of ourself that oftentimes is the house of where the fears live. And then there’s this this survival part of yourself; notice the part of you, that is, you know, that part of you is talking are alive and well. Because it’s all about surviving.
And then if you are in a partnership, that the husband or why for friends, friend, lover, and also your professional self, you know, at this time, as how do you how are you experiencing the world as a healthcare provider, or as a first responder or as a parent, mom or a dad or a teacher? An entrepreneur, a business owner. And just taking some inventory of who are you? Who are you beyond this name, that you are called?
Noticing that these feelings and these thoughts that were all part of one conversation even just a few moments ago, are really part of this collective conversation of the self. That some thoughts that come darting through the mind are part of the survivor. Other thoughts are part of a protective mother father. And then maybe there are some other thoughts that come racing through that are the provider, the business owner, the professional. And take a moment of compassion for yourself this morning to realize that the current state of the world is really affecting a big part of yourself.
And all the all the sub parts of yourself that these inner conversations that we’re having, between our beliefs and our fears, and our thoughts can be a little overwhelming, when it’s not an organized conversation. So maybe even visualize a, a staff meeting or board meeting, where there’s a place where you can go to sort it all out, sort out all of the feelings and the thoughts around changes that affect everybody maybe allow that sense of calm or organization of thought to be calming meditation at any time, you can stop and ask yourself, Who am I? Who am I being in this moment? And, and and what am I doing? And why?
And so the What are you doing? First connect with Who am I? Who am I being who what part of myself is responding right now and and what am I doing?
What are the actions of that part of myself? And observe those– maybe there’s lots of, you know, preparing. Maybe there’s a sense of emotional paralysis of unknown and uncertainty. Maybe each day, it’s a little bit different. And then why am I doing and the Why are sorry, these all these little small why’s that are truly motivating our behaviors and motivating our actions and the way we spend our time. And all of those little wise are invested in or are deeper, have a deeper connection to our big why the big why the why I am who I am, the why I do what I do. And the why I’m here. And so feel into that today. The why, why are you doing what you’re doing, and how that’s so connected to who you are and how that connection, just taking a moment to really connect with who you are.
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And all the versions of yourself. And how that is can also almost meet a sense of Meet the sensation of loneliness and meet the sensation of feeling separate from when this part of yourself is always with you. All of these talents, all of these ideas, resources, all of the lessons that your whole self has learned. All of the experiences that your whole self has ever had. All of that embodied in in you, available to you. And so invite again some compassion, compassion for yourself. Compassion for your whole self for everything that you’ve ever experienced, endured survived, but also had the opportunity to experience all of these amazing life experiences that have culminated into the way you show up today. And some gratitude for having such a full sense of life and self that’s beyond the name that you’re called.
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And then from here, look forward into today are you today? What are you going to do today? And why will you do it today? So allowing it to be simple: that all there is, is this day, this day ahead is the only task at hand, and who is the part of yourself that is rising to the surface this morning, that has the greatest and and best way to lead you forward? And what activities in the day, what tasks are relevant to that person and that parent of the person? And “the why”. Valuing “the why” It is necessary to be creative, or be still and calm, or maybe even to be busy. There’s a need to be busy with details and have a sense of being productive at the end of the day. Maybe there’s this need to start a new project or work on something that was unfinished and then meet the day with sincerity and devotion.
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Investing today, invest today into your tomorrow by fully showing up being present, being present to those that are around you. And most importantly, in this time of social distancing and, and spending more time at home of showing up to yourself so thank you for joining me this morning. And I wish you much connection today and much connection in the days ahead.
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And I look forward to be able to continue to reach out and and share some some meditations and some offerings in the week ahead. Thank you so much for joining me and we’ll see you next time friends.
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