Changing Relationships

Settling now into a posture that feels supportive of this body. Perhaps sitting, lying down, or standing. Let a part of your body touch the ground, the earth. Notice the weight of your body resting against the earth. Bring your awareness to the part of the body that is touching the earth. Notice the sensation of firmness in the contact. Notice the support from the earth. Always there. Firm and steady. Allow the support to be felt throughout the entire body, every single cell. Breathing in, aware breathing in the support of the earth. Breathing out, aware of the whole body breathing out. Releasing and relaxing into the earth. This body breathing in, this body breathing out, just skin, flesh, and bones. Like any other body, just skin, flesh, and bones. Breathing in and breathing out. Breathing since as a baby, aware that this body is no longer a baby or a child. Experiencing this body as it is now at this age, having gone through many life experiences, growing up and older now. A body that has gone through many changes, just like many other bodies. You, me, all of us. And aware of changes in relationships. Friends come and go. Families evolve. Children grow up. Parents grow older. And partner, present or not, is their intimacy? Is it welcome? Is there loss? Is that welcomed? Or is there fear? What is known right now as you contemplate yourself embedded in this web of relationships? This web or relationships that have endured over time: sickness, aging, births, and deaths, is the body feeling tight from unresolved tensions in the relationships? Does your heart soften from knowing care is there? What is the body telling you? Which relationships are showing up right now in your heart? Breathing in, breathing out. Relax into what is known and felt right now. Even if there are resistance, fear, or worry, anxiety and loneliness, there are no more responses to loss and the unknown. Uncomfortable feelings visiting you, be brave, be courageous. Remember those feelings are impermanent and there is stability of the earth beneath you. Remember, you're not the only one feeling this. Can you tune into the physical sensations associated with those feelings? What part of the body feels tight, contracted, heavy, or numb? How about the mind? What's happening there? Is it busy trying to find a way to cope and understand, to make it better or to make it go away? Relax and allow. Notice how you're responding to change, to what is perhaps unwanted. Are those responses beneficial? Do they bring you ease? The body will know. Usually, the body tightens with resistance and relaxes with acceptance. Remember the stability of the earth underneath, the feeling of peace and freedom. It's all still there even in the midst of difficult changes. Stay close to the wisdom of your body. Notice the body breathing. Sometimes taking in a bigger breath all on its own and notice the release that comes...