Letting Life Be, Just As It Is

Tara Brach leads a guided body scan meditation about Letting Life Be Just As It Is. Sense sounds not just with the ears but with whole awareness.

Letting life be as it is can be harder than it sounds. In this guided meditation and body scan by Tara Brach, we are invited to practice a sense of whole body awareness to really take in whatever is immediately present in any given moment.

Tuning Into the Body

To practice letting life be as it is, we can use the physical body as an anchor into the present moment. By scanning the body, noting any visceral sensations or risings of energy, we harness our capacity to be present with things as they are. We can also open up our senses to the physical environment, witnessing whatever is most predominant as we sit. We might open our ears to the sounds that fill the air, or we might quietly observe the feeling of the earth beneath our feet or the air against our skin. There are several mindfulness exercises that can help to heighten our ability to be with whatever is present for us.

Witnessing Mental Tendencies

What often causes the most tension for us is our aversion to things that are present or our striving for something different than what actually is. Practicing mindfulness requires us to include awareness of these mental tendencies. As we open ourselves to the atmosphere or attitude of the mind, we come to see the present moment in a much clearer light. We can practice opening ourselves up to the mental movements we experience when anxiety, stress, fear, craving, or aversion creep in; any and all mental and emotional movements can be welcomed beneath a compassionate, non-judgmental lens.