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Soul Oriented 21 Day Meditation Series: Day 9
““I'm not a mess but a deeply feeling person in a messy world. I explain that now, when someone asks me why I cry so often, I say, 'For the same reason I laugh so often--because I'm paying attention.' I tell them that we can choose to be perfect and admired or to be real and loved. We must decide.” 
- Glennon Doyle
Download or Stream Day Nine Audio Here
Nessy Notes:

  As I talked about in this week’s introduction, emotions are simply energy in motion - serving us by moving energy so we can adapt to new information, situations, etc... and be in the present time. If you tune in, you’ll notice that every emotion, when emoted, has a similar somatic feel of shaking/vibration and movement. If we have stuck emotion, any kind of emoting can help move it. You may scream, which opens the doors to laughter, which turns into tears which comes back to laughter and then ends with a long sigh. Or some other rhythm of your own. Honestly just moving your body will help move emotions!

It’s easy to be afraid that once we “open the flood gates” of harder emotions that they won’t ever close. But luckily, emotional waves, when expressed completely, are pretty short.... less than a couple minutes at most. And the more you emote, the lighter and more spacious you typically feel. The only “emotions” that last longer are the ones we have been “thinking” instead of “feeling,” which end up becoming “estuck.” Today we will play unfreezing those thoughts and letting your body move!


Centering Prayer: 
I Am Adaptive

Embodied Practice:

The Laughing Game! For years I have been giving my clients the following exercise, without any particular name, to set a timer and simply laugh and shake for no obvious reason.

One client, who I offered this exercise to in a period of her life where she was feeling overwhelmed and numb, shared the exercise with her four year old son. The two of them would joyfully  engage with it every day. Then a week or so later, she found her son with their infant daughter, both giggling. When she approached, he said “Look mom! I’m teaching her the Laughing Game!”  

To play the laughing game, simply set a timer for two minutes and then for the entire duration shake your body and make yourself laugh. It’s totally fine to fake laughter, although you might notice that the silliness of the whole thing breaks you into some authentic laughter too.  If you like, invite a friend or family member to join in with you… children are especially game, but doing this with another adult can be a sweet bonding experience too. If you want to laugh alongside me, you can do the a one minute version of this exercise with this video: 

https://vimeo.com/418233332/bce233959d

If you are willing, hit record, either audio or video, for at least some of your laughing exercise, and share it with your pod to inspire us. Laughing is contagious!


Meditation Practice:

Get in an upright, supported position and follow your breath and/or prayer repetition for five minutes (or longer). When you notice thoughts, compassionately return to your focus. 
Journal Prompts:  

What are the three emotions you most commonly experience?

What emotions do you avoid feeling or believe you “shouldn’t” express? What emotions would you like to connect to more easily?

Share whichever part of your answer you feel comfortable with sharing, along with any other insights from this practice in your journal and with your meditation pod, if you are in one. 

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Vanessa VerLee · Vanessa's Home Studio · San Francisco, CA 94112 · USA

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