219 : Meditation : What Story Are You Telling Yourself?

[00:00:00] Welcome and Community

[00:00:00] Adam Coelho: welcome to this guided meditation.

As always, these meditations are. From our Mindful Fire Legends community, a community that brings together people on the fire path to build connection, support, and encouragement along the way. If you'd like to join us for one of these live meditations and community meetings, you can sign up mindfulfire.org/join, and we'd love to have you.

[00:00:22] Stories Shape Reality

[00:00:22] Adam Coelho: So what I was thinking is this question of, is this useful for stories that are unhelpful? So the idea here is Our stories create our reality. The thoughts we think and the stories that we tell ourselves really impact how we perceive the world. And the ones that we pay attention to most are the ones that ultimately create the reality that we experience.

And I've been having a lot of, doubt and unhelpful stories just popping up, bubbling up. And I thought. Let's see what's there, and just play with that a little bit.

[00:00:54] Settle In and Breathe

[00:00:54] Adam Coelho: So let's begin this meditation by finding a position that allows you to be alert and relaxed at the same time. Sitting with a tall, straight back, resting your hands, wherever's comfortable closing your eyes, and just dropping in with three deep breaths in and out.

So let's begin this meditation by finding a position that allows you to be alert and relaxed at the same time. Sitting with a tall, straight back, resting your hands, wherever's comfortable closing your eyes, and just dropping in with three deep breaths in and out.

[00:02:28] Body and Mind Scan

[00:02:28] Adam Coelho: And on your third exhale, I invite you to bring your awareness to your body and just notice how you're arriving here in this moment.

Noticing any sensations in your body

can scan from your toes up to your knees, to your belly, to your chest, to your arms. Just scanning up all the way to the top of your head. Just observing whatever's there to be observed with a kind, curious awareness.

Right now in my body, it's like this.

It's like this.

Expanding that awareness to your mind as well. Noticing if it's busy or calm, tired or awake. Not judging, just simply observing.

Right now in my mind it's like this,

[00:04:20] Return to the Breath

[00:04:20] Adam Coelho: and now just finding your way to your breath, resting that same kind, curious awareness. Wherever you notice the breath sensations

observing as you breathe in,

observing as you breathe out.

Breathing in, I'm aware that I'm breathing in.

Breathing out. I'm aware that I'm breathing out.

And whenever you notice, your mind is drifted off and that thoughts are happening. No problem, just noticing what's on your mind

with that same kind, curious awareness, and then gently coming back to the breath and beginning again.

Each end breath is a new beginning.

Each out breath is a chance to let go,

and each time you notice that your mind is wandered. And you see what's on your mind. 

[00:07:01] Notice Unhelpful Stories

[00:07:01] Adam Coelho: Patterns may arise, may notice, judgements about doing it wrong, mind being all over the place, or the root of many of these things. A story about not being good enough.

Bring that same kind, curious awareness to these judgements because after all, they're just thoughts. Mental events arising in your mind, like bubbles off the bottom of a pot of boiling water. Rising up, coming to the surface and then popping away.

As you notice these patterns of the same thoughts or stories arising,

meet them with mindfulness.

[00:08:21] Is This Thought Useful

[00:08:21] Adam Coelho: If they're particularly strong and always ask, is this useful? Is this thought moving me towards the life I wanna live, the feelings I want to have? Or

is it taking me away?

And if it not useful, and if it's not useful, you can simply choose to let it go, to let that thought pop and float away.

After all, it's just a thought, not the truth. Not who you are.

So just resting in a kind, curious awareness of this whole experience

over and over again, returning to this in breath and this outbreath.

And again, if your mind has drifted off as mine. Has just noticing, choosing come back, choosing to come back to the breath and beginning again.

[00:13:44] Choose a New Story

[00:13:44] Adam Coelho: And as we approach the end of this short practice, I invite you to bring to mind a question.

What story would you like to embody? Throughout the rest of your day leaving this meditation, what story would you like to carry that would be useful, that would move you towards your vision? Sitting with that question and seeing what bubbles up

I.

There may be a few bubbles just observing them and trying them on.

And how does it feel in your body as you sit with that story? As you begin to embody that useful story, that story that propels you towards your vision,

does it feel different? I.

[00:15:41] Plant the Seed Daily

[00:15:41] Adam Coelho: Carry that story forward with you into your day, into your week, and into your life, the more you practice that story. The more it becomes who you are each time you remind yourself to let go of an unhelpful story and to choose instead the story that propels you towards your vision, you're planting a seed and watering that seed.

Catch the unhelpful story with mindfulness, a kind, curious awareness and refocus on planting and watering the seed that will move you towards what you want

Again and again until it becomes your reality.

Letting go of all of that. 

[00:16:44] Closing Breaths and Invite

[00:16:44] Adam Coelho: Let us finish with three deep breaths together, breathing in

and breathing out again in

and, and once more.

And,

and when you're ready, coming back, opening your eyes.

Thank you so much for your attention, and we invite you to join us to meditate, live and mindful fire legends community at mindful fire org slash join.