Embracing Life
Embracing Life is a powerful practice that teaches us how to embrace whatever is showing up in our present experience.
In this practice, we learn how to bring acceptance as opposed to rejection to our emotions, thoughts, and sensations that are arising in every moment. No matter if it is fear, sadness, pain, or joy. Through this meditation, we are learning to bring a wide-open yes to life.
Of course, this does not mean there are instances of danger or proper moments to draw boundaries and say no.
This meditation teaches you how to open yourself to what life is presenting to you now, as opposed to always acting from aversion and desire. Reaching out for something we don't have or pushing away something we are experiencing now. As an example, if we are feeling sadness well up in our body, we often will push it away and numb ourselves by doing something to take our mind off of it.
Eli guides you during a 45-minute practice.
Tips:
Take the first few moments to regulate your nervous system.
Practice a couple of grounding breath cycles.
It is recommended when starting this practice to start with a medium-charged situation so as to not overwhelm the system with emotions. Take a look and find what about this situation provokes the strongest feelings. Allow yourself to observe this situation as it may provoke thoughts as images or words, or it may provoke feelings or sensations in the body.
It can be helpful to bring a smile to your face and to really open your body so that you are embodying the energy of yes.
It can be helpful with this practice to revisit a situation a few times especially if it's a more heavily charged situation in our system.
Allow your thoughts and feelings to run free and whatever comes up say yes. Give yourself total freedom to experience this situation.
As you bring this new attitude you should feel more freedom in your being. As you say yes you may feel yourself getting lighter as if your are emptying your backpack. In this way we open our hearts to acceptance and a wide open yes to life.
As you say yes be mindful of where the tension of this situation was being held in the body previously and if it has become lighter, more spacious or open?
Now reflect on how it would be to live your life from a space of yes. Taking some clearing breaths by inhaling through the nose and out through the mouth. Then take a few inhales and sighing out through the mouth.
Wiggling the fingers and toes and gently bringing yourself out when your ready.