Steven Webb:
00:00:00
Hi, I'm Steven Webb and welcome to a little meditation to help you create a little space between
Steven Webb:
00:00:08
when things arise and we react and then sometimes we regret what we do or say.
Steven Webb:
00:00:16
As we settle in, just become comfortable.
Steven Webb:
00:00:19
It doesn't matter if you're sat down or lying down at a kitchen chair. Just allow your body to become
Steven Webb:
00:00:27
relaxed and alert.
Steven Webb:
00:00:34
Allow your breath to be what it is. Your body knows how to breathe.
Steven Webb:
00:00:44
And as we allow the shoulders allow the face to relax,
Steven Webb:
00:00:49
allow the rest of the body to relax.
Steven Webb:
00:00:53
And yes, even our ears and our nose. We can even allow our eyes to relax.
Steven Webb:
00:01:00
And
Steven Webb:
00:01:02
our knees, fingers.
Steven Webb:
00:01:09
And notice when the body relaxes, the mind also goes a little quieter.
Steven Webb:
00:01:15
The mind doesn't have to stay quite so on alert.
Steven Webb:
00:01:25
So just while we're still settling in,
Steven Webb:
00:01:29
just anger and frustration and sometimes we
Steven Webb:
00:01:34
try to get rid of these feelings because they feel quite uncomfortable. But
Steven Webb:
00:01:40
I've never met an angry person that doesn't care deeply. It may not be the same thing that you or
Steven Webb:
00:01:47
I care about. It may be just a simple car park space.
Steven Webb:
00:01:52
But for some reason, deep down, it's something they care about. And
Steven Webb:
00:01:59
very often when we go deeper into caring is something that from our childhood or younger.
Steven Webb:
00:02:05
But the most important thing is anger and frustration always come from a place of deep caring
Steven Webb:
00:02:13
somewhere. And it's guiding us. It's guiding us from more hurt. It's
Steven Webb:
00:02:21
guiding us with fear and feeling unseen. It could be any of these. And
Steven Webb:
00:02:29
just bringing it to our awareness. Allowing us to feel the anger. But bringing the anger into our awareness,
Steven Webb:
00:02:37
sometimes
Steven Webb:
00:02:39
we can react with more wisdom and courage because we all have the wisdom and courage because we all look
Steven Webb:
00:02:46
up three hours later and say, I wish I had said something different I wish I hadn't said that. So
Steven Webb:
00:02:54
we have it in us but we don't very often have the space between what's arising and the best way
Steven Webb:
00:03:01
to respond.
Steven Webb:
00:03:04
And this meditation is just gonna Slow it down a little bit and recognise that there's three
Steven Webb:
00:03:12
parts. There's what's arising and
Steven Webb:
00:03:17
there's a small gap.
Steven Webb:
00:03:20
And then how we react or respond.
Steven Webb:
00:03:23
Reacting means we don't think. It's just a reaction. Responding is
Steven Webb:
00:03:31
something we think about and consider.
Steven Webb:
00:03:36
So think back to a recent time where you reacted quite quickly and you said something or...
Steven Webb:
00:03:46
You shouted or you reacted in some other way. Perhaps you went quiet and dismissed it.
Steven Webb:
00:03:56
And just consider how you felt.
Steven Webb:
00:04:08
And we've just been aware of the event and we're almost like looking at it from the outside as an
Steven Webb:
00:04:14
observer.
Steven Webb:
00:04:21
And then think back to how you reacted and how little space there was between
Steven Webb:
00:04:28
when it arose and
Steven Webb:
00:04:33
how you reacted to it.
Steven Webb:
00:04:36
You'll notice there was virtually no space whatsoever.
Steven Webb:
00:04:46
Now consider staying quiet and just having that little pause a little
Steven Webb:
00:04:54
bit of space.
Steven Webb:
00:04:59
And then imagine responding from your deeper, wiser self.
Steven Webb:
00:05:11
What would you have done different? What would you have said different?
Steven Webb:
00:05:16
How would you have felt when you responded differently?
Steven Webb:
00:05:32
And that's why I say... You and me and everybody has a deeper,
Steven Webb:
00:05:39
courageous, wise self inside that
Steven Webb:
00:05:46
very often gets hidden in the reaction. It just doesn't get a chance.
Steven Webb:
00:05:57
And I know in this meditation alone we're not going to fix every reaction coming up in future. If
Steven Webb:
00:06:04
it manages to just catch one then in that moment you're enlightened. I
Steven Webb:
00:06:11
don't think there's ever any... Part that you'll get to a point that you'll never react again. I don't think
Steven Webb:
00:06:19
that's realistic.
Steven Webb:
00:06:23
But we can sit on the outside and recognise that if only we had that little bit of space.
Steven Webb:
00:06:33
And I offer these three
Steven Webb:
00:06:35
mantras or sayings or just feelings to feel throughout your body that may help with this just a little.
Steven Webb:
00:06:43
You're not expected to remember them. The body and the mind will remember them.
Steven Webb:
00:06:50
So may this feeling be allowed to be here.
Steven Webb:
00:06:54
May this feeling be allowed to be here.
Steven Webb:
00:07:05
May I see the space between what's arising and how I respond.
Steven Webb:
00:07:17
May I see the space between what's arising and how I respond.
Steven Webb:
00:07:28
And may I recognise anger comes from a place of caring and I can respond with courage
Steven Webb:
00:07:36
and wisdom.
Steven Webb:
00:07:43
And may I recognise anger comes from a place of caring and I can respond with courage
Steven Webb:
00:07:50
and wisdom.
Steven Webb:
00:07:58
So just before we come back to the awareness of the room and we end this meditation, I
Steven Webb:
00:08:05
just want you to recognise how it feels to recognise you have got a wiser, deeper self inside and
Steven Webb:
00:08:13
how responding from that just slightly more often. Whether it's at work or whether it's with
Steven Webb:
00:08:21
the children or
Steven Webb:
00:08:24
whether it's to a driver while you're driving or anything really. Could be in a supermarket queue. Just
Steven Webb:
00:08:32
responding with that wiser self. How
Steven Webb:
00:08:36
that would feel.
Steven Webb:
00:08:39
And then we don't go through the cycle of suffering.
Steven Webb:
00:08:51
So in a moment I'm going to count back from five.
Steven Webb:
00:08:56
So five, just become aware of the room. Four, become aware of your breath.
Steven Webb:
00:09:05
Three, just gently open your eyes if you've got them closed two shake out your arms, wiggle your fingers and
Steven Webb:
00:09:12
toes. And
Steven Webb:
00:09:15
yeah, just take a deeper breath and perhaps smile and We just laugh now about all the time to re-reacted
Steven Webb:
00:09:22
Nothing you can do about any of them. But realise that you have this wisdom deep inside of you to
Steven Webb:
00:09:30
be able to respond.
Steven Webb:
00:09:36
I want to say thank you for sitting with me today. It does mean a lot. Thank
Steven Webb:
00:09:43
you for listening on Inner Peace Meditation. These
Steven Webb:
00:09:48
are brought to you completely free by people who donate just to coffee. And I do have another
Steven Webb:
00:09:55
podcast called Stillness in the Storms. And that just helps you through difficult times. And if you'd like to either
Steven Webb:
00:10:03
support or the link to that free podcast as well, just go to StevenWebb.uk. And please also
Steven Webb:
00:10:11
message me if you've got an idea for a meditation. Take care. See you next time. Bye for
Steven Webb:
00:10:19
now.
