Welcome,
My name's Paul and I'll be guiding you through the nature immersion meditation sequence today.
If you haven't already switched off notifications or vibration on your phone or other devices,
Please take a moment to do so now.
Closing down your eyes,
Checking you're comfortable and your back is supported.
Feeling free to adjust how you're sitting at any time during the meditation.
Taking a moment to acknowledge the effort you've made to be here and how you're feeling right now.
Recognizing that for the next 20 minutes,
There is nothing for you to do but simply rest.
I invite you to notice your breath as it is.
Not seeking to change or control it in any way.
Just observing it.
Noticing whether your breath is fast or slow.
Shallow or deep.
Noticing where your inhale begins and where it ends.
Noticing where your exhale begins and where it ends.
You may continue observing your breath or you may practice a few minutes of belly breathing.
If you wish,
You may place one hand lightly on your chest and the other on your belly.
This is for feedback.
In your own time,
Take a slow and steady breath in through your nose,
Feeling your belly rise as you do so.
Breathing out through your nose,
Letting your belly gently fall.
As you breathe in and out,
Keeping your chest relatively still.
A little bit of movement in your chest is fine,
But for the most part,
It's your belly that's doing the rising and falling with your breath.
Taking slow and steady breaths,
But never to the point of discomfort.
Continuing at your own pace,
Knowing you can return to the natural rhythm of your breathing at any time.
In the practice of effortless meditation,
Whenever you happen to notice your mind is on your thoughts or emotions,
Or just wandered away,
Choose to gently and effortlessly rest your awareness back on your anchor,
Such as your breath right now.
It doesn't matter how many times your mind drifts away,
Or how many times you rest your awareness on your anchor.
There's no place to get to,
No state to achieve.
There's no such thing as a good or bad meditation.
We only assess the effects of a meditation after we've finished it,
And observe how we feel afterwards in our daily life.
Taking a few more belly breaths.
On your next exhale,
Allowing your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
I invite you now on a journey using my voice as your anchor.
Whenever you notice your mind has drifted away,
As it will,
Gently and effortlessly resting your awareness on the sound of my voice.
Imagine yourself standing in a field,
Which is covered with grass and filled with wildflowers.
The sky is a deep blue,
With some wisps of clouds stretching across it.
You hear the sounds of birds calling out to each other.
On one side of the field,
There is a calm emerald green lake,
With its waves softly lapping against the shore.
Behind the lake,
There are mountains in the distance.
You walk towards the edge of the lake,
To a small grove of trees.
Reaching the trees,
You smell their rich fragrance and freshness.
You see some seeds that have been carved into some old logs.
The seeds have been worn smooth by visitors over the years.
You sit down to take in the view of the lake,
Surrounded by the field of wildflowers and the mountains.
Hearing the sounds of birds and the gentle waves on the lake.
Resting here a while,
Enjoying the experience and beauty of nature.
Staying here in this place,
Your anchor can shift to the image in your mind of this place.
Or you can choose your breath as your anchor,
Which I'll guide you through.
I invite you now to rest your awareness on the natural rhythm of your breathing,
And to use your breath as your anchor.
Not seeking to control your breathing,
Just letting it move through you at its own pace.
Tuning in to the flow of the air,
In and out of your body.
Focusing your awareness on where you feel your breath.
You might feel your breath in the tip of your nose,
Or in the back of your throat,
Or in your chest or your belly.
The place in your body where you feel your breath may naturally change throughout your meditation.
Your thoughts and emotions will come and go.
Whenever you happen to notice your mind has drifted away,
Gently and effortlessly resting your awareness on your breath as your anchor.
Continuing at your own pace.
Drifting away,
Drifting back,
Effortlessly resting your awareness on your breath as your anchor.
Gently letting go of your breath as your anchor.
Slowly starting to deepen your breath.
Deepening your breath and becoming aware of your body once more.
Aware of your surroundings.
Aware of the tips of your fingers and toes.
Noticing gentle movement into your fingers and toes,
Hands and feet.
Gradually expanding this movement into the rest of your body.
Stretching or twisting in whatever way feels good.
In this place,
Noticing how you're feeling.
Maybe setting an intention to carry these feelings throughout the rest of your day.
Thanking yourself for meditating.
You can gently open your eyes whenever you're ready.
Or keep them closed and rest a little longer.
Please take as long as you like.
