MEDITATION WORKBOOK. What is it you would let go of today? - MARY MANIN MORRISSEY

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1 L E T G O - W O R K B OO K

2 finding freedom MEDITATION WORKBOOK Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life. What is it you would let go of today? - MARY MANIN MORRISSEY One of the greatest aims of a meditation practice is to free ourselves from conditioned behaviors so that we may meet the world in a way that is fresh and new and thereby expand our creative potential. Though we know that life is dynamic and expresses itself in cycles of growth, maintenance & release, we often have trouble letting go of old ways of being. This is normal. And yet this is also one of the greatest obstacles to personal growth on all levels and can keep us running story lines that are no longer in alignment with who we want to be or where we want to go. This 5 day meditation series will offer you tools & practices that you can move through whenever you are coming to the end of a creative cycle, beginning a new project, or are needing support in letting go of self limiting behaviors or beliefs. The home-work sheets provided will enhance your practices both on and off your meditation cushion.

3 PRACTICE 1: CLARIFY & IDENTIFY Before you enter into this process take some time to clarify what it is you want to let go. Be as specific as you can and identify the ways in which holding on may actually be holding you back. PRACTICE 2: REFINE YOUR VISION Now that you are clear about what it is you are wanting to release in your life please take some time to envision how your life may look (and feel) once you have moved through this process of letting go. The more detail you can add in here the better as a positive motivation is often greater than a negative one. Focus on what it is you want to expand in your life or what it is you will be able to make space for by engaging this active process of letting go.

4 TRUST MEDITATION WORKBOOK Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live. - JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE Cultivating an attitude of trust is the first step in gracefully letting go of that which no longer serves us. When we are in a trusting state we feel full and supported, even when moving into unknown territory, whereas fear (which is the opposite of trust) is a contractive state which leads us into thinking small and feeling smaller. Invoking trust does not mean that uncertainty will disappear, indeed uncertainty is part of creating something new, but it will ensure that our actions are guided from our largest possible vision for ourselves. This workbook will enhance your practice of cultivating trust and support you in this process of letting go.

5 PRACTICE 1: INVOKE TRUST Take a moment to sit quietly and reflect back on a moment when you felt absolute trust. Pay attention to what it feels like on all levels. Observe the physical, mental, and emotional experience of being in a trusting state and write this down so that you can begin to create a reference point for this experience. PRACTICE 2: KNOW FEAR Now that you have a reference point for what it feels like when you are in a state of trust, please take a moment to consider its opposite. Reflect back on a moment of fearfulness, or bring to mind the fearful thoughts or ideas that may currently be keeping you from moving forward on your path. Again pay attention to what it feels like to be in a contractive state. Observe what it does to your body, your mind, and your heart. Take a moment to write these observations down so you can recognize this experience when it arises. PRACTICE 3: CHOOSE TRUST, WEAKEN FEAR You now have a reference point for what it feels like to be in a trusting state versus a state of fear. Your practice now is to maintain this awareness as you move through your day. Make your every activity a part of your meditation by observing yourself with curiosity, and pay particular attention to what it is that causes you to contract and move into a fearful state. When you notice that you are in a state of fear take a few deep and easy breaths, relax your outer body, soften your inner body and consciously invoke the experience of trust within. Do this as many times as you need to, understanding that this is a practice and it will become easier and more natural in time, supporting you in making choices from an expanded rather than a contractive state.

6 RELEASE MEDITATION WORKBOOK When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need. - LAO TZU The next step in letting go is to actively release, doing so from a place of trust rather than fear. At this stage in the process you will bring to mind exactly what it is you want to let go of and engage the meditation practice to support you in doing so. Remember that by actively engaging this process of letting go you are supporting a much greater creative process in your life, and yet still releasing old patterns can be hard and so by its very nature this part of the process is much more fiery in nature. This home-work will enhance your practice of release and support you in this process of letting go.

7 PRACTICE 1: LIVING WITH OPEN HANDS The Sanskrit word Aparigraha means not grasping or not holding and refers to the conscious practice of living life with open hands. There are many reasons why we might be afraid to let go and it is important to recognize them so that we can face them head on. When we name things they often lose their power over us. Take a moment to write down all the reasons why you might be fearful about letting go, despite the fact that you know holding on may be holding you back. PRACTICE 2: RELEASE Now that you have named all your fears related to this process of letting go please take a moment to once again name that which you are ready to release. State it clearly as an action you are taking. Example: I release my self limiting beliefs or I release my addiction to busyness or I release the experience of hurt & disappointment

8 PRACTICE 3: LET IT GO, LET IT BE, LET IT BURN The Sanskrit word Swaha is used when making an offering into a fire, and is a recognition that fire has the power to transform one thing in to another. By releasing what you are ready to let go of into the fiery intention of your meditative practice you are allowing it to transform into something else. Self limiting beliefs can now become self confidence, addiction to busyness can now become purposeful action, hurt and disappointment can become living wisdom. To take your meditation practice into your day, and build on the work you have been doing through this process, continue to notice when fear or the desire to hold on creates a contracted experience in your mind or body. When this occurs come back into your practice of trust, and then silently repeat the word Swaha as you create an internal gesture of letting go of that which you have chosen to release. Changing habits or ways of being is deep work, and so do understand that you may have to repeat this process many times before you are able to let go entirely, but by doing so you will be able to release completely which will free you up for something new..

9 patience MEDITATION WORKBOOK Patience is necessary, and one cannot reap immediately where one has sown. - SOREN KIERKEGAARD You are now deep into this process of letting go and the final practice is to engage patience. To engage patience is to live one breath at a time, allowing life and this process to unfold at its own pace. To be patient is to trust that you have done what you can to ensure you are on the right path, and now must simply walk that path with curiosity and openness. Letting go of one thing means making space for something new to arise, something that we may have no past experience of, or something that is truly larger than us. If we are impatient or try to control this process we may actually fall back into old patterns of being that limit this new experience from arising naturally. This home-work will enhance your practice of cultivating patience and support you in this process of letting go.

10 PRACTICE 1: BE CURIUOS To be patient is truly to be in a state of curiosity, which is in itself a state of receptivity and openness. Please take a moment to invoke the experience of curiosity so that you can create a reference for it. What does if feel like in your body when you are curious? In your mind? In your heart? Write this down. PRACTICE 2: KNOW YOUR TRIGGERS Patience and curiosity are inherently open states of being that can allow for new ideas and experiences to arise. Whereas impatience is a contracted state. When we are impatient we may think that we know what needs to happen, and we are often in a hurry for it to occur. Therefore we are trying to control our experience which is the opposite of listening, and can greatly limit us from receiving new ideas or responding in new ways. Can you recognize where impatience and expectation arise for you? And can you identify how this may be hindering your process of truly letting go and allowing something new to unfold in your life?

11 PRACTICE 3: CULTIVATE PATIENCE To bring this meditative practice into action in your daily life notice when you slip into a state of impatience, expectation or the desire to control outcomes. When this occurs notice how it feels and then choose to consciously practice patience and curiosity instead. Invoke the experience of listening and receptivity and be open to hearing new ideas or responding to your life in new ways. This is an advanced practice and will allow you to experience a freedom from conditioned ways of being so that you may manifest something truly new.

12 living the practice MEDITATION WORKBOOK To design the future effectively, you must first let go of your past. - CHARLES J. GIVENS We began this process of letting go by remembering that all of life is rhythmic and dynamic, and that holding on to outdated ways of being or belief may limit our creative process in life. We then moved through the practices of cultivating trust, actively releasing that which we feel is currently limiting us, and practicing patience as we move into the space in which new ways of being can arise. These practices represent a process that you can continue to engage for as long as you need to, and one that can be taken up again anytime you are needing to let go of something new. This home-work below will allow you to reflect on this process and remind you of the tools you now have at your disposal.

13 PRACTICE 1: REFLECT Take a moment to reflect on what you have learned while going through this meditative practice. Note down all insights and revelations that arose as well as any ongoing commitments you want to make in regards to these practice. PRACTICE 2: REMEMBER All the work that you have done during this series of practices can be put together into one active meditation practice if you desire. This is a way of remembering that you have many resources to support you in the process of letting go, and will allow you to keep working with the practices for as long as you need to. Step 1 : Set your intention When preparing for your meditation practice take the time to set a clear intention, reminding yourself of your desire to let go in service of personal growth and expanded creativity. Step 2 : Cultivate Trust Always begin your practice by cultivating an experience of trust. Allow your inner body to be full and bright, your outer body relaxed, your breath free and easy. Cultivating this state of being will ensure that you act and release from a place that is free from fear and so will offer you greater potency in manifesting a positive outcome in your life. Step 3 : Actively Release Name that which you want to release and create an internal gesture of letting it go or offering it up. You may choose to repeat the Sanskrit word Swaha (let it go, let it be, let it burn) or you may simply repeat what it is you are releasing a few times with intention. Do this with focus and a willingness to truly let go. Step 4 : Practice Patience Now return to an open, receptive and curious state of being in your meditation. Allow all thoughts, emotions and sensations to move through you and be alert to subtle insights and allow new perceptions to arise. Create an experience of spaciousness within and know that your life is unfolding as it should, guided by the clarity of your vision and intent.