Hello.
Welcome to this guided meditation,
Sitting with Babbling Brook,
A practice for calm,
Centering,
And sensory grounding.
I invite you to find a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down,
And allow your body to feel supported by the surface beneath you as you settle in,
Lengthening your spine,
Perhaps placing your hands softly on your lap or wherever feels restful.
You may decide to close your eyes or soften the gaze.
Everything in this meditation is an invitation.
You remain in control.
At any point,
You may pause or adjust.
This is your time in your meditation.
Observing your body and noticing how it feels,
I invite you to gently bring attention to your breath,
Noticing the natural rise and fall with each inhale and exhale.
There's nothing to fix.
Allow your breath to arrive just as it is.
If it comforts you,
Repeat out loud or silently,
In this moment,
I am here,
I am safe.
Again,
In this moment,
I am here,
I am safe.
Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us that feelings come and go,
Like clouds in a windy sky.
Conscious breathing is my anchor.
Resting in the breath,
Observing and noticing how your body feels with each inhale and exhale,
Your own natural rhythm of breathing.
On your next inhale,
I invite you to imagine yourself beside a babbling brook.
Picture gentle water flowing over smooth stones,
Sunlight sparkling on the surface,
Hearing the soft rhythmic sound,
Sometimes a trickle,
Sometimes a bubbling rush,
Allowing that to wash over you.
Let the colors and sounds fill your mind,
Fresh green leaves,
Sparkling blue water,
Various earth tones.
Observing,
Observing this place that you have created,
The safety of the brook,
Listening to the water's gentle melody,
The rippling and cascading as it flows,
Perhaps there's birds singing in the background.
You decide.
This is your brook.
Seeing the sun dappled reflections,
The shifting patterns on the stream bed,
Watching flowing current as the water flows over the rocks,
Flowing and moving.
Taking it all in.
Smelling the damp earth.
Perhaps there's wildflowers,
The scent,
Wafting and swafting through the air.
Lightly touching your nose,
Smelling the fragrances,
The smells of the earth around you.
I invite you to feel the cool air on your skin,
The solid ground or grass beneath you,
The sun warming you,
Healing you as you're beside this babbling brook.
Imagine the freshness in the air,
Clean,
Crisp water.
And if anything doesn't feel good,
Simply let it go.
Focus on what feels good for you and your body.
Remember,
This is your place,
Your babbling brook.
You decide what is happening.
On your next inhale,
I invite you to begin a gentle breathing pattern.
Inhaling slowly for the count of four,
Pausing for the count of four,
And then exhaling to the count of six,
As if you're sighing and letting out anything that doesn't serve you.
Let's try it together.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Pausing,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Letting go,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
With each inhale,
Imagine drawing in calm,
Cool air from the brook.
Let's begin again.
Breathing in through your nose,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Pausing,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhaling,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
I invite you to do that in your own space and time.
If the numbers don't feel good in your body,
Play with that.
Exhales longer than the inhales,
And pausing.
You decide.
You're in control.
Beginning.
Remember,
With each inhale,
Just imagine drawing in calm,
Cool air from the brook.
With each exhale,
Imagine releasing what no longer serves you,
Carrying it away by the water,
Letting it go.
If your attention drifts,
It's okay.
Notice how the brook flows onward.
Nothing is stuck or forced.
The flowing of the water,
Sound of the water,
As you gently observe your breath,
Focusing on the inhales and exhales.
Rhonda McGee reminds us that there's nothing you need to do right now to be okay.
You are welcome just as you are.
When ready,
I invite you to return to your normal rhythm of breathing.
Notice where your body feels supported,
Contact points with ground.
Imagine like the stones in the brook,
Your body is gently supported by the earth,
Firm and steady.
Bring gentle awareness to the different parts of your body,
As if the sunlight is slowly touching each spot.
Sunlight across your forehead,
Your face,
Shoulders,
The warming sensation of the sunlight healing you,
Across your hands.
If emotions rise or bodily sensation,
There's nothing you need to do,
Just acknowledge.
Observe with a curiosity,
Inviting the warmth of the sun healing you.
On your next inhale,
I invite you to place a hand over your heart or your chest.
If it feels comforting,
Silently offer yourself phrases of care,
Repeating,
This is my moment of caring.
I am here for myself.
Like the brook,
I can return to gentle flow and soothing sounds again and again.
Sharon Salzberg says that you can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself.
And that person is not to be found anywhere.
You,
Yourself,
As much as anybody in the entire universe,
Deserves your love and affection.
So repeating again,
I am here for myself.
Like the brook,
I can return to gentle flow and soothing sounds again and again.
You are important.
You are worthy of self-care.
When ready,
I invite you to bring gentle awareness back to the room,
Perhaps bringing movement into your body ever so gently,
Wiggling your fingers and toes,
Observing how your body feels,
Noticing any sounds,
Light,
Or colors around you.
If your eyes are closed,
Gently opening them and reminding yourself that you are worthy.
You are important.
Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us that peace is present right here and now in ourselves and in everything we do and see.
The question is whether or not we are in touch with it.
Remember to be kind to yourself and offer yourself compassion and peace.
And remember that you can return to this meditation whenever you want,
Remembering the babbling brook.
Thank you for taking the time today to honor yourself.
