[Daily OM]: We all know the feeling of walking
through life as if we are carrying the huge burden of our worries and
stresses on our backs and shoulders, struggling to keep moving forward.
There is no real way to move freely and fluidly in such a situation, and
we are all longing to lay our burdens down. Just imagining that it
would be possible to do such a thing can be enough to elicit a sigh of
relief and a feeling of lightness.
The human imagination is a powerful tool, and we can use it to take
journeys to faraway places without ever leaving our home. Because of
this, we too can lay our burdens down at the feet of a divine being such
as the great Mother, Buddha or a mountain. Releasing ourselves from
that which we can't handle on our own. No matter how smart we are, how
capable we are, or how hard we work, no one can single-handedly cope
with all the worries that we tend to take on in the course of our lives.
And, we aren't designed to do so. Our well being depends upon our
ability to hand over that which we can no longer carry by ourselves.
Visualizing yourself carrying your burdens to the feet of someone or
something much bigger than you can be a powerful daily practice. To
begin, sit with your eyes closed and envision an all powerful, supremely
comforting being in what ever form that takes for you, standing at the
end of a road. See yourself carrying a large sack, box, or other
container, imagining that all your worries are inside it. Watch as you
make your way to the being of your choice, and lay your baggage down at
their feet. Allow yourself to feel the lightness and relief of this
action, express your gratitude, and surrender. You will be amazed by how
this simple meditation can liberate you from a burden you were never
meant to carry.