Hello.
This meditation is called Waterfall – Returning to the Flow.
Now before we start,
Take a moment to settle,
To be comfortable.
Nothing is being asked of you,
Just be here,
Relaxed,
Just as you are.
Now to begin,
Take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
Then,
At the top of the breath,
Pause for a moment,
Then quietly release.
Endeavour to make the outgoing breath to be slightly longer than your incoming breath.
Then,
At the bottom of the breath,
Again pause,
Before breathing in again.
Remain with this breathing rhythm,
With this relaxed flow.
You will notice within a few minutes that the body will relax further,
And the mind will become increasingly quiet.
Now,
As the body and mind quietly soften and relax,
You find yourself walking in a beautiful mountain forest.
You can smell the fragrance of the pine trees,
The damp earth and the forest leaves.
The ground beneath your feet is soft,
And in the background,
You can hear the soothing sounds of a distant waterfall.
And next to you,
A gentle flowing,
Clear mountain stream,
Winding its way between the forest trees.
You are deeply moved by the calming presence of the forest,
The stream,
And the gentle sounds that the stream is bringing.
And as you walk,
You come to a mossy bank by the stream,
And here you sit and rest for a moment.
Taking in all of the sounds and sensations,
Being felt so sweetly in the body.
In this quiet,
Your senses are awakened.
The air is fresh and crisp.
The water is refreshingly cool against the skin of your hands.
And your face.
And the soft morning light filters through the canopy of the tall trees,
Onto the forest floor,
Touching the earth,
Flickering gently on the flowing stream.
And here you are relaxed,
Finding yourself now sitting on a large water-worn boulder,
In the middle of the stream,
Surrounded by the soothing sounds and sight of the water flowing all around you.
The atmosphere is calming,
Uplifting,
And nourishing.
The sounds of the forest,
The stream,
And the waterfall,
Combined for an effortless experience of joy,
Flow,
And connection.
You are grateful to be here,
Filled with deep peace and gratitude.
Your heart is full.
The mind is still,
The body fully relaxed,
Nourished by the gentle movements of nature,
As you breathe deeply this harmony and peace.
And you realise that this stream can be a reflection of life itself.
Steady,
Peaceful,
Progressing,
Moving quietly and calmly,
Surrendering to each moment as it unfolds.
And as you sit quietly,
As you listen and sense,
As you feel,
As you touch,
As you receive and embrace,
Something deeper begins to be recognised.
This movement,
This flow,
This ease,
Is not separate from you.
There is an outer,
Natural presence felt here.
There is also a timeless,
Natural inner presence.
Your breath is flowing.
Sensations rising and falling.
The eyes are seeing.
Sounds appearing.
Dissolving.
Feelings being awakened.
The heart is feeling.
Sitting where you are,
The clear flowing streams,
Carefree movements awaken and energise you,
Holding you in a quiet,
Connected embrace.
All is free,
To come and go,
Effortlessly,
To pass by,
Nothing is held,
All is as it is in the moment.
Everything simply here,
Quietly present,
Flowing freely.
And just like the waterfall and its journey in becoming this stream,
There is no effort to be seen.
All is quietly,
Timelessly unfolding.
All is light,
Eternal.
Life is flowing effortlessly,
All around and within you.
Thoughts may come.
Thoughts will leave.
Leaves,
Carried by the stream,
Appear for a moment,
Then quietly pass in the steady current,
Appearing,
Drifting on,
Continuing their timeless journey.
No need to stop or follow.
All is as it is,
Effortless and free.
There is a deep awareness now of how flow and ease of timeless movement leave you deeply connected and relaxed.
You are aware that the clear water in this stream is on a timeless journey of its own,
One that will see it merge from a life of a mountain stream,
To being the embodiment,
Vastness,
Depth and clarity of the ocean itself.
And as part of this progress,
The stream slowly and steadily now begins to slow and widen as it approaches the ocean.
And with this awareness,
You too reflect on your own life journey as it begins to deepen,
To mature and to open more fully.
Like the stream,
You too are not bound by what you may be now,
For life continues to inspire,
To awaken,
Move and flow.
There is a mirroring of two life paths here,
The water in the stream and your own life,
Both on a journey that sees both approaching something greater,
Deeper and vaster.
The opening present of the vast ocean,
And the expanding awareness of your own infinite nature.
And here there is a softening,
Something changing,
Unfolding naturally.
And just as the sounds of the waterfall are not separate from you as you sit in the forest,
Neither is the expanding presence of your inseparable awareness,
Separate from your timeless,
Peaceful nature.
In both,
There is a deeper stillness,
Timelessly present.
Beneath all movements,
Beneath all changes,
There is an unmoving background of awareness,
Present,
Timelessly still.
The body breathing,
The ocean calling,
Both gently moving in their own quiet rhythms.
Within a vast stillness,
Where nothing can be disturbed,
The one vast,
Spacious presence.
Quiet,
Open and still.
And now with one long,
Slow,
Deep inner breath,
Gently bring your awareness back to the body,
To where you are sitting.
Feeling the presence of the body again,
Gently roll your shoulders,
Softly open and close your fingers,
Move your hands,
Your feet.
Bring your focus back to the breath,
A return to its natural flow and rhythm.
And when you are ready,
Gently open the eyes.
Now carrying this quiet awareness with you,
This simple knowing,
This deeper truth,
That nothing is separate,
All is one field of inseparable conscious awareness.
When nothing needs to be held,
Nothing needs to be kept,
Life flows,
Just as it always has.
And beneath that timeless flow of ease,
A stillness,
A calmness,
A spaciousness,
Unchanging,
Ever-present,
Eternally present,
As the heart of one's peaceful awareness.
