Welcome,
Take a moment to settle into stillness.
Find a comfortable position,
Allowing your body to relax.
Feel the surface beneath you supporting you,
Grounding you,
Holding you steady.
Now let your shoulders soften,
Let your jaw unclench,
Let the breath flow naturally,
Easing you into the present.
Now take a deep,
Steady inhale,
Drawing in the energy of the river,
And now release it.
Feel its cool,
Refreshing flow moving through you,
Awakening every cell,
Filling you with movement,
Clarity and ease.
Let's take another deep breath in,
This time hold it,
Feeling the energy let ripple through you,
And now as you gently exhale,
Imagine breaking through a dam,
A dam of resistance,
Limiting thoughts or beliefs.
Feel the rush of release as the waters of your being begin to flow freely downstream.
Let tension dissolve like ancient stones worn smooth by the current,
Let doubt and fear be carried away in the river's embrace.
No more barriers,
No more holding back,
Only movement,
Ease and the natural current of life guiding you forward.
You do not need to push the river,
Simply let it flow.
Let your attention drift gently to the natural ebbs and flows of your breath.
Picture your body as the river banks and your breath as the steady flowing water,
A constant current flowing through you,
Carrying you deeper into the present.
Notice how effortlessly the river flows forward,
There's no force,
No rush,
Just the quiet certainty of motion.
If your mind feels restless or thoughts ripple through like restless waves,
Simply return again and again to the breath,
No struggle,
No force,
Just gentle persistence.
Remember the river cuts through rock,
Not by sheer power,
But by unwavering persistence.
Each time the mind wanders,
Bring it back to the breath like a leaf carried by the current,
Gently finding its way downstream.
Every river begins humbly,
Small,
Delicate,
Uncertain,
A trickle of water finding its way through the earth,
Unsure of its path but trusting in movement.
Yet,
As it journeys onward,
It gathers strength,
Carving its own unique path through valleys,
Over stones,
Finding its way even through the hardest landscapes.
At its source,
The river is fragile,
But in full flow it is powerful,
Strong,
Yet soft,
Resilient and fluid,
Forever changing,
Yet always moving forward.
It does not fear the bends ahead,
It simply flows with them,
Shaping the land as it moves.
Like the river,
We all begin with different advantages and challenges,
Yet regardless of where we start,
All rivers are heading to the same destination,
The vast,
Endless sea.
Some rivers adapt with ease,
Flowing around obstacles effortlessly,
Others gather strength by joining forces with streams and tributaries along the way.
Yet,
No matter the path,
All rivers are bound for the sea.
No river flows in a straight line,
Some twist and turn,
Doubling back on themselves before surging forward.
Others carve new landscapes,
Creating deep valleys and hidden lakes.
But every river,
No matter its course,
Eventually finds the ocean.
None of us know where our sea lies or how long the journey will take.
Some stretches may be effortless,
Meandering gently under golden sunlight,
While others may be turbulent,
Churning through narrow gorges carving new landscapes.
Life flows in seasons,
Sometimes gentle,
Sometimes fierce.
There'll be moments of drought where the riverbed feels bare,
And times of abundance when waters rise and rush forward.
But even when the river runs dry,
It does not disappear,
It waits patiently,
Knowing that rain will come again.
Troubled waters always pass,
Sediment settles.
Rivers smooth,
And clarity always returns.
There is no point in comparing rivers with others,
No point in measuring our bends against theirs,
For the only certainty we share is that we're all flowing,
All evolving,
All heading to the sea.
So do not resist the current.
Let go of anything that weighs you down,
Release what no longer serves you,
And flow freely towards what does.
Take delight in the unknown bends ahead,
And instead of fearing them,
Embrace them as an invitation to grow.
Now gently bring your awareness back to your breath.
Feel the steady rhythm of inhales and exhales,
Like the gentle lapping of water against the shore.
Each breath a tide that rises and falls,
Cleansing,
Renewing,
Guiding you home.
Now take a deep inhale,
Let it fill you with the river's vitality,
And as you exhale,
Surrender any resistance,
Letting your breath merge with the rhythm of the river.
The greatest rivers of the world do not resist the lands they flow through.
They do not wish for different mountains or demand smoother banks.
They simply become one with the terrain,
And in doing so,
They carve breathtaking beauty into the earth.
The river is teeming with fish,
Opportunity swimming all around you.
If you rush too fast,
You'll miss them entirely.
If you remain distracted,
You'll cast your net without focus.
But when you're still,
When you're cultivating presence,
You become a skilled fisherman,
Casting your net with intention,
Recognizing the right moment,
The right opportunity,
The right catch,
And drawing it towards you with steady hands and unwavering trust.
Take a deep breath in,
Drawing in the wisdom of the river,
And as you exhale,
Release any doubts that cloud your vision.
There is always something waiting beneath the surface.
All we need to do is slow down enough to see it.
Iain Shamir reminds us,
Dear friend,
Go with the flow.
Be thoughtful of those downstream.
Slow down and meander.
Be clear.
Follow the path of least resistance for rapid success.
Delight in life's adventures around every bend.
Let difficulties stream away.
Live simply and gracefully in your own true nature.
Moving,
Flowing,
Allowing,
Serene and on course.
Rough waters will smooth.
If you find yourself babbling,
Just smile.
Go around the obstacles.
Stay current.
The beauty is in the journey.
I will leave you now for a little while to meander downstream with your breath.
Slowly bring your awareness back to the present,
Keeping your eyes closed.
Just let yourself rest in the stillness you have created,
Saving the peace within you.
Reflect on how far your river has come,
On the strength it has gathered,
The bends it has embraced,
The lessons it has learned.
None of us know what tomorrow will bring,
Nor how long it will take before we reach the sea.
So focus your energy on being present,
On enjoying the journey,
Meandering forward with trust and an open heart.
I invite you now to bring your palms together at your front,
And then vigorously start to rub them together,
Creating heat through the friction.
When you're ready,
Place those palms onto each respective eye,
Keeping them closed,
Letting the warmth from those palms soothe the closed eyes.
Keeping the palms in place,
Slowly start to flicker the eyes open,
Letting them adjust to the darkness behind your palms.
Slowly draw the palms away,
Releasing the arms to your side,
And just let your eyes naturally and slowly refocus.
Thank you for sharing this journey with me,
And I look forward to flowing with you again soon.
Namaste
