Foundation 12

If you’d like to support our work, consider signing up for our free weekly newsletter at ⁠⁠hopemindfulness.com⁠⁠. Each issue shares insights into ancient biblical practices and Christian meditation to enrich your spiritual journey. You can also explore all of our meditations in one place at ⁠⁠hopemindfulness.app⁠⁠. And don’t miss our completely free audio Bible podcast, ⁠⁠Scroll & Voice by Hope Mindfulness & Prayer⁠⁠, available at ⁠⁠hopemindfulness.app⁠⁠ or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hi and welcome back to day 12 ofyour journey with Hope,
mindfulness and Prayer. Today is all about relaxing and
really letting your awareness rest deep.
So enjoy yourself. OK, let's go ahead and get
started. Take a moment to get comfortable

(00:23):
in your seat, and when you're ready, take some nice big deep
breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth, and on
the next exhale, let the eyes gently close like the sunsets.

(00:50):
Let the body become heavy and already begin to relax.
Sink into your chair, let go of the hands and let go of the

(01:11):
feet. Let the face relax and let the
shoulders fall away from the ears.
You're simply letting go. There's nowhere to be.

(01:38):
There's nothing to do. You're exactly where you need to
be. Simply relax now.
Gently bring your awareness to the breath and without trying to

(02:06):
change the breath, feel the breath.
Feel the breath come in, feel the breath go out.
Relax into the breath. Notice the rise and the fall of

(02:36):
the chest and if thoughts take you away, remember to be easy
with the thoughts and gently bring your awareness back to the
breath. Listen to the gentle sound of

(03:04):
the breath, simply relaxing withthe breath.
Simply let go, relax, and let your awareness rest into the

(03:30):
arms of God. Take a moment to rest with His
verse very early in the morning,while it was still dark.

(03:58):
Jesus got up. Left the house and went off to a
solitary place. Where he prayed.
And again very early in the morning, while it was still

(04:20):
dark. Jesus got up.
Left the house and went off to asolitary place.
Where he prayed. Solitude, reflection and prayer

(04:48):
were essential to how Jesus operated on a daily basis.
It was a regular and consistent practice for him.
When we think about Jesus, we very often forget that he was
equally a man as he was the Son of God.

(05:12):
We forget that it was important to him to spend time alone and
pray to spend time with his Father so he could reconnect and
be one with him. Jesus introduced a new humanity
to the world and a new way of seeing the world.

(05:35):
He invited his disciples and friends to adopt his habits so
that they would begin to see theworld in the same way that he
did. When dropping a Pebble into a
pond, you first have to approachthe pond.

(06:02):
Then all you have to do is let go of the Pebble.
Gravity will take care of the rest.
The Pebble will hit the water, sending ripples out into the
lake, and the Pebble will sink further down into the pond.

(06:29):
Resting with God is not much different.
All that's required of you is toapproach God and decide to let
go. Decide to let go your hurts and
hang ups. Decide to let go of control.

(06:52):
God will do the rest. Letting go may cause some
ripples on the surface of the water, like our attachments to
thoughts and emotions, but as you rest deeper with God, you'll
find calm in your life. You'll feel God's love just as

(07:22):
the Pebble sinks deeper into thepond.
As we draw closer to God, He'll draw closer to us, effortlessly
resting into His arms. The deeper our relationship with
God, the less we're affected by the ripples on the surface, the

(07:48):
less we're affected by the ups and downs of life.
The world outside of the pond hasn't changed, but the way you
experience it has. When you feel God's love and
presence in your life, it becomes easier to live with

(08:12):
intention and joy, easier to letgo of control and just drop the
Pebble into the pond and allow it to sink.
Happiness and contentment can befound in your life right now as

(08:36):
it is. You just need to change the way
you see it. Be easy with yourself, it'll
come with time. God loves you and wants to
connect with you. He's present in your life right

(08:59):
now. Sometimes just takes the
quietness of the depth to hear Him.
Very early in the morning, whileit was still dark.
Jesus got up. Left the house and went off to a

(09:24):
solidary place. Where he prayed.
Jesus, thank you for this gift of life.

(09:46):
Thank you for this present moment.
Help me have the discipline to take the time to cultivate a
relationship with you. Help my faith grow.
Infuse my life with your presence.

(10:08):
I know you love me exactly as I am.
Give me patience with the process of resting deeper with
you. I want to know you.

(10:31):
Gently bring your awareness backto the body and back to the
feeling of weight in the body. Then, like the sun rises, slowly
open your eyes. Well, congratulations, you did

(10:56):
it. You just completed all 12
sessions of the Foundation package.
I hope you enjoyed the meditations and we're able to
find a little more peace in yourdaily life.
One of the hardest things about meditation and prayer is just
learning to make it an active part of your life.

(11:16):
But the good news is that you'vealready taken the first step on
the journey. The truth is that growth and
transformation don't just happen.
It takes a regular commitment oftime and intentional effort.
I encourage you to join us and continue this journey.

(11:38):
You can subscribe right here on the app.
We have meditations on everything from sleep, anxiety,
self esteem, happiness and even finding your purpose as well as
many others. Also we donate 10% of every

(11:59):
dollar you spend to charity. Thanks again for spending this
time with us and hope, mindfulness and prayer and we
hope you continue your journey with us.
Until then, be easy with it and remember you are loved.