Tracy Lapreziosa (00:06):
Welcome to today's Healing Circle. Today is November 4th, 2024. A day when many of us have a lot of anxiety about what may be coming in our near future with the upcoming election. Um, our Healing Circle tonight... I'm Tracy Lapreziosa from Networks for Training and Development, and our Healing Circle tonight is going to kind of steer away from that. We're not gonna talk about that. We're gonna put that out of our minds. Put it elsewhere, leave it at the door, leave it wherever you leave, things that trouble you. Our Healing Circle Calls occur the first Monday of every month, regardless of whether or not it's a holiday, and it's a time where we can share space, share thoughts, and or meditation. So like I said, we're gonna try and put all those anxieties and things that are troubling us off to the side.

(01:08):
It's early November and you may be experiencing the changes in the seasons and the temperatures, or you may be recently been looking back on memories of those who have passed on as maybe you celebrated All Saints' Day or Day of the Dead, or El Día de los Muertos, or maybe you had been paging through old photos, or you visited old friends from long ago, taking that trip down memory lane. So November for me, is always a time when I go through all my old photos and I take the time to remember those who have passed at this time of year. But this year I made several trips down various memory lanes of my life by doing some, doing some projects, some old photos, sorting from my childhood, which like brought out all these memories of all my aunts and uncles and people who are no longer with us. But really just brought me back it's memories of a simpler time, (laughs) uh, for me and for many others. Just a very simple time where we took joy in the simple things.

(02:29):
And then I also recently attended my 45th class reunion and took a tour of my old high school, which it was amazing to me how you can meet up with someone that you haven't seen in decades and all of a sudden things pop into your mind that you had totally forgotten about. Or maybe they mentioned a story and you're like, oh, I forgot about that. But then all of a sudden it comes back to you just so clear and so vivid that you, you know, it's like you're there again. And I took a tour of my old high school, which I was really excited to do because my high school had been one of those experimental buildings with no walls and they've gotten rid of all that. It took 'em 20 years apparently to do so, and they got the walls and the structure back in there.

(03:27):
But even so, there were many portions of it as I walked down the halls that just brought out so many memories, just that feeling of walking down the hall, the feeling of looking in the cafeteria and seeing the, you know, the tables and chairs and almost imagining myself there sitting at lunch. Going into the gym and hearing the roar of the crowd for a basketball game or wrestling match. Um, I was really into, uh, attending wrestling matches when I went high school, when I was in high school, and I was the announcer at some of the meets and, um, did some of the stats. And it was just, just walked back in there and all of these stories and feeling just came rushing back over me.

(04:15):
So those trips just really opened the pathways in my brain to bring memories to the forefront that had so long been forgotten. And I'm just always amazed at the brain's power to retrieve something that perhaps I haven't even thought about in decades. So what triggers it? It could be photos. It could be imagining hearing the voices of loved ones who have passed. It's just images. The smells. It- for me, it was smell the smell of a school and walking down the hallways and the echoey sounds, tastes, and so much more. 'Cause our senses are strongly attached to memories. But we don't really need to manipulate those physical objects or physically revisit places and spaces to take that trip down memory lane. We can do it in our minds. So tonight we're going to do a brief meditation that will allow us to take that trip down memory lane in our minds.

(05:34):
So find a quiet space face where you could be comfortable. Sit in a comfy chair or lie down on a soft surface. Quiet your mind. Quiet your mind. Maybe perhaps all of this chatter about memories started to bring memories back into your mind. So let's take some deep breaths, breathing in bright light and exhaling tension. Inhale light and exhale tension. Inhale light and exhale tension. Focus on your breathing and just feel your chest and diaphragm move as the air goes in and out. In and out. Let's take a few minutes to just focus on our breathing.

(07:10):
Now, just imagine that you are standing in front of a large, beautiful door. This is the door to your mind and your unconscious. Focus on your hand and imagine that there is a key in your palm. Feel the weight. Feel the edges. Feel the design. Maybe you're envisioning running your thumb over top of the key around the edges. Maybe it brings up memories of a special key that you had in your past. Key to your diary. Key to your room. Key to a special place. Take a deep breath and use the key, insert it into the lock, and gently turn to open the door.

(08:23):
Now imagine pushing it open and stepping over the threshold into a peaceful garden. There's flowers and butterflies, little lizards, soft breeze. You're standing on a path. Imagine the feel of a path. Is it stone? Is it sand? Is it grass? Is it leaves? Focus on your palms. How are they feeling? Now that you're standing in this garden looking at this beautiful sight? And your feet, feel the surface beneath them. And focus on your neck, is it relaxed? Is it tense as you're looking out over this beautiful landscape, this beautiful garden?

(09:44):
So take a deep breath and begin to slowly walk along the path. Along this path you'll see that it is lined with symbols and images of your life journey. Take time as you walk. Take time to look at each symbol, each image. Experience any emotion or thoughts that may arise. Where do you feel sensations? Focus on your body and the sensations as they arise. Continue to observe the symbols, images, and stories that come to mind. Don't judge or even try to understand them, just observe them. Just observe. Let the memories bubble up inside of you. If there is a story or a memory that may need to be unpacked, do it gently. Continue to breathe slowly and deeply.

(11:54):
It's okay if something doesn't need to be unpacked, just continue down the path, observing the images and symbols of your life. Sometimes we may feel the need to stop and unpack and some- but not always. It's perfectly fine to just observe and feel. Maybe as you travel this path, feelings of confusion or clarity may arise. Either is fine. There is no right. There is no wrong on this journey. There is no judgment.

(12:56):
Take a few more minutes to just continue to take deep breaths. Breathing in and breathing out. Strolling down the pathway, taking note of the images and memories that pop up in our minds.

(14:06):
When you feel that you are ready, turn around and head back towards the door. As you walk, feel the breeze on your face and skin. Feel it flowing through your hair. Release any remaining tension that you may have, or any emotions that you want to be rid of. Slowly walked toward back towards the door, putting one foot in front of the other, passing by waterfalls, flowers, large trees, leaves blowing ever so slightly, birds singing overhead.

(15:37):
As you get closer to the door, continue to breathe deeply, in and out. Breathing in light, breathing out any tension, any emotion that may have bubbled up. And as you reach the door and you exit the door, feel the cloud of peace and clarity surround you, a big, soft, fluffy blanket. Continue to take deep breaths. Remember to be kind to yourself, be patient and be kind. When you are ready, slowly open your eyes and wiggle your fingers and wiggle your toes. Come back to your present space.

(17:15):
I hope you have benefited from today's meditation and trip down memory lane, I know I have. And I'd like to encourage you to visit our website, www.NetworksforTraining.org to check out all of our previous episodes and meditations from the Healing Circle, of which there are many, many, many. There is something there for every season, every mood, every thought. And we hope that you will join us again next month, either live or by accessing our recordings of past meditations. And as always, thank you for listening.