10-Minute Meditation: The Power of Acceptance

Find a comfortable position. Preferably put some ear buds in your ears or a headset on, then press: (THE LISTEN BUTTON)

You can sit upright with a supported spine, or lie down fully on your back, or get comfy on your favourite arm chair. Let your hands rest gently in your lap or at your sides.

Gently close your eyes, or soften your gaze toward the floor.

Bring your awareness to the room around you. Acknowledge the sounds, the temperature of the air, and the feeling of gravity holding you down. Instead of trying to change anything in this environment, simply let it be. Practice your first act of Acceptance right here by allowing this moment to be exactly as it is, without wanting anything to change even if you have an ache or pain, I want you to try and ride it out.

Now, shift your attention inward. Take a deep, clearing breath in through your nose... and surround any intrusive thought that you may have with your breath and let it go with a soft sigh through your mouth. Do this as many times as you want, to clear those recurring and annoying thoughts.

Scan the body, replacing tension with permission to relax.

Bring your awareness to your body. Notice any areas of tightness, discomfort, or restlessness.

Often, when we feel tension, our instinct is to fight it, to wish it away. For the next few minutes, we are going to try a different approach with unconditional Acceptance. Soften your jaw, let your tongue drop away from the roof of your mouth. Drop your shoulders. Let them fall away from your ears. If they feel heavy, let them be heavy. Send your breath into your chest and belly. Notice the rise and fall. If your breathing is shallow, accept it. If it is deep, accept it. There is no “perfect” way to breathe right now, try not to let your breathing be a problem.

As you scan down through your hips, your legs, and your feet, imagine saying the word “soften” to any tight muscles. You aren’t forcing them to change; you are simply giving them permission to stop working so hard. By accepting the current state of your body, you allow its natural relaxation response to take over.

Working with thoughts and emotions without any type of judgment is a welcome release.

Naturally, thoughts will arise. Your mind might drift to your to-do list, a memory, or a judgment about this meditation, you will never stop your mind from drifting off, its our default mode that we were born with. But we do have the power to be aware of this happening and bring your thoughts back to the present time, to the now were everything happens.

When a thought appears, notice how you respond to it. Do you get frustrated? Do you try to push it away?

Instead of fighting your thoughts, treat them like clouds passing across a wide, blue sky. Acknowledge them without latching on to them. You can say to yourself, “Ah, there is a thought,” or “There is that worry.”

The Mantra of Acceptance:

As you breathe in, silently say: “It is what it is.”

As you breathe out, silently say: “I will let it go for now”

Resistance is what causes mental friction. When you stop fighting your thoughts, the mental chatter naturally begins to quiet down. You are creating a spacious, calm environment inside your own mind.

Sinking into a state of pure being.

Carry this spirit of Acceptance with you into the rest of your day. Remember that you can always return to this calm space simply by stopping the fight with the present moment and allowing things to be exactly as they are.

If you enjoyed this meditation on Acceptance let me know by pressing the like button and sending me a comment to see if it’s feasible to start a regular meditation blog on my page.

I’m always trying to think of new ideas on how to get the message of Acceptance across to all you readers on Substack. When you do find the way to true Acceptance and change the way you are thinking, your life will never be the same again. You will find that inner peace you have been seeking all your life. I did it so can you.

For the next 5 minutes there is absolutely nothing you need to do, nowhere you need to go, and nothing you need to fix. You are completely whole, right here, right now. Inhale the feeling of space and peace. Exhale any remaining resistance.

(Enjoy 5 minuets of beautiful music while still breathing gently by pressing the play button below)