Saturate then Sit (Audio Meditation)

Revisiting this idea and adding an audio track.

Nov 01, 2023

I’m revisiting this post for a couple of reasons. The first is many people reacted to Dori’s beautiful reflection on the concept of Saturate and Sit that I shared in Sunday’s Marlow’s Musings.

The other reason is many of you have told me you use the audio narration on these posts for quiet meditations.

Because there was no audio narration for this post initially, I’ve gone back and recorded one so you can use it as a meditation.

We’ve also added hundreds of new subscribers, and this will be their first time hearing about Saturate and Sit.

Enjoy!

Audio meditation by David Marlow

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Reimagined artwork by David Marlow from an original photo by Keegan Houser

I've been practicing what I like to call 'Saturate and Sit' lately.

Sometimes, when pondering the big questions, I get intense, saturating my thoughts.

Then, walk away for a while.

After taking a break, I sit with it again for brief periods, sometimes over many days.

Saturate…then sit.

My mind needs time to work through its process; if I try to force it, I'll get more superficial results. I need these multiple sessions for the deep work.

My most pressing question has been about the concept of striving.

What if I stopped striving? What would it mean? How might life be different?

I've always been a striver. Invariably, the next milestone, next goal, next achievement.

One day, a while back, I decided to saturate and sit with the question of striving.

To give you some idea of how it went, assume for a moment that after years of struggle, you stopped all the striving, hustling, and trying.

Instead, you rested and looked back on life so far. Whether the past is good, bad, or somewhere in between, you begin seeing yourself now. With grace and acceptance, acknowledging what has been.

Then imagine you are standing on a beautiful shore with a new invitation. You are drawn to the surprise of the new horizon.

Life is now ready to complete what has been left undone.

That’s where I ended up.

Sitting with it multiple times is like co-designing with two great minds. Each session contributes a new idea or insight to the more extensive design.

A single session alone doesn't provide the space and time to let the answers to big questions percolate.

When I make space for this, it almost happens by itself.

Embracing this process has given me the courage to embrace a new chapter in life, a new season. I am learning to welcome the mystery that is me, free from judgment, expectation, and relentless toil.

Our life journey deserves moments of reflection, grace, and acceptance.

Saturating and sitting with these contemplations has revealed that it is time to live out my essence and purpose in harmony with all I do, embracing the mystery beyond judgment, expectation, and work.

It is time to enjoy pursuing dreams I have deferred until now.