Tara Brach - Meditation: Yes to Life (2021-05-19)

Episode Date: May 20, 2021

Meditation: Yes to Life (2021-05-19) -  In the moments we release all resistance, we relax open to inhabit the fullness of our Being. This meditation guides us to an embodied, openhearted presence that welcomes the changing flow of life.

The following meditation is led by Tara Brock. To access more of my meditations or join my email list, please visit tarabrock.com. As you take these moments to settle yourself, let yourself be really aware of the physical posture, and you might either close your eyes or let your gaze be downcast, and make whatever subtle adjustments allow you to be sitting in a way, way that's upright, so you're alert, also at ease, relaxed.

We can collect our attention, breathing together, starting with a very full deep breath, so inhaling deeply, filling the lungs, and counting to five, four, five, so it's a full in breath. and then a slow, even out breath again to the count of four or five. Breathing in, filling the chest and lungs. Slow out breath, feel the release of the breath, letting go, letting go. And again, nice deep, in-breath, smooth, even out-breadth, relaxing outward, letting go. One more time, inhaling deeply, counting to four or five.

That slow out breath, releasing, letting go, letting go. And then allowing the breath to come back into its natural rhythm. And observing, noticing the quality of presence that's here. And you can add some kindness and receptivity to that presence with the image of a smile. You might imagine a smile curved and spread through the sky, filling the sky, just to visualize that. And then let your mind merge with that sky. So you can sense the smile filling awareness.

feel the receptivity of it, the inclusiveness, the openness. And you might soften the eyes and sensing that smile spreading through the eyes, lifting the outer corners of the eyes, let the brow be smooth, and just feel that region of the face, relaxing, awake, feel the aliveness of sensation. perhaps the flickering of light at the lids. You can unhinge the jaw, sense a slight smile at the lips, a smile at the inside of the mouth. And again, feel the aliveness, the sensations that fill the mouth,

inviting and welcoming the life that's here, intimate with the life that's here. Allow the shoulders to fall away from the neck. and let the shoulders fill with awareness, allowing and sensing, possibility of a dissolving, a letting go through the shoulders so that you can feel more intimately the life that's there. Yes, to the life that's there. Let the hands rest in a very easy and effortless way. And then consciously soften the hands, and soften again, and feel the hands from the

inside out. Notice how much more intimate you can be with sensations when you relax and soften. Allowing the life to express itself fully in the hands. Let the chest be open. Let the belly be relaxed, allowing this next breath to be received in a softening belly. This breath and now this one and again. An open chest, a soft belly. and feeling from the inside out the life that's here in the torso a receptive presence you might sense the curve of a smile spreading through the heart not to cover over but really to make room for what's here and then deepen the attention saying yes to whatever's here in the heart area notice what it's like when you offer that kind of a receptive, welcoming presence to the life of the heart. And widening the attention to feel this whole body sitting here breathing.

Places of contact where you're sitting the pressure, warmth of the chair, cushion. Feeling where your feet contact the floor, warmth and pressure there. So that as you widen the lens, you can sense. this whole body is a field of sensation, you might sense that curve of a smile spreading through this whole field of sensation, receptive, allowing, and sense what happens when you don't oppose anything, when you really let life live through you. What does it mean in this moment to really not resist aliveness, to say yes, a deep yes to the aliveness that's here? continuing to feel the gentle receptivity of the smile.

You might open to sound, listening to the sounds that are here. Then listening to and feeling the whole moment to moment flow. Continuing to rest in this openness and receptivity, senses awake, listening to and feeling the changing experience. and if anything feels strong or intense, if anything feels uncomfortable or difficult, bringing the kindness and receptivity of a smile, offering space, offering gentleness,

saying yes to the life that's here with open-hearted presence. And you might sense if there's some part of your body or some mood, some part of your heart that's asking for attention, asking for acceptance, and discover what happens if you deepen the yes, that energetic expression of receptivity. What happens when you truly allow the life that's here to be here without resistance with the gentleness of, an open heart. A poet Dana Feld's in the shared quiet, an invitation arises like a white dove lifting from a limb and taking flight. Come and live in truth. Take your place in the flow of grace. Draw aside the veil you thought would always separate your heart from love. All you ever longed for,

is before you in this moment. If you dare draw in a breath and whisper, yes. You might sense your breathing, sense if there's some way you want to begin to move your body mindfully as you transition from the meditation to a more informal meditation, still sensing the possibility of meeting what arises with that receptive heart. Namaste.