Begin by finding a comfortable position.
You may choose to sit or lie down.
Whatever feels right for you today.
Allow your body to settle.
Into the surface beneath you.
And for the first few moments,
Simply notice you are here.
Just settling in.
If your eyes are open,
Begin by noticing what you can see around you.
Carlos.
Shapes.
Lie.
Shadows Allow your eyes to gently take in your surroundings.
Without needing to focus on any one thing in particular.
Just becoming aware.
Just noticing.
And when you're ready,
Allow your eyes to gently close.
Begin to notice any sounds around you.
Sounds close by.
Notice what you can hear in your environment.
Distant sounds or can you hear further away?
Allow them to come and go.
Notice where your body makes contact with the surface beneath you.
The contact points.
The weight of your body.
Resting.
The temperature of the air against your skin.
Or perhaps the feeling of your clothing.
Notice if there's any scent in the air.
Perhaps even notice any taste within your mouth.
Nothing needs to be changed.
Nothing needs to be forced.
Just noticing what is already here.
Bring awareness to your breathing.
Just breathe in your own normal,
Natural way.
Feel the natural movement of each breath.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Where you might imagine yourself standing at the beginning of a quiet path through nature.
There is nowhere you need to get to.
There's nothing you need to achieve.
This place is simply a place to wander.
Begin walking slowly along the path.
Notice the earth beneath your feet.
Perhaps the path is soft.
Perhaps covered in grass.
Soil.
Sand.
Or fallen leaves.
Notice what this place looks like.
Look at the trees around you.
Some maybe tall and old.
Others young and still growing.
Notice the different shapes of their trunks.
They're branches.
Their leaves moving gently in the air.
Perhaps sunlight is finding its way through the branches,
Creating small patches of light across the ground.
Peel the warmth of that sunlight against your skin.
Continue walking.
And begin listening.
Maybe you can hear birds somewhere amongst the trees.
The movement of leaves.
The breeze.
Insects.
Or simply the quiet sounds in the natural world continuing all around you.
Notice that none of these sounds need your attention.
They simply appear.
And disappear.
Just like thoughts.
As you continue along the path.
You begin to hear water in the distance.
Can you hear that water?
Maybe it's faint.
But with each step,
It becomes a little clearer.
Eventually the trees opened.
And you find yourself beside a gently flowing river.
Take a moment to simply stand here.
Notice the movement of the water.
Never completely still.
Never exactly the same from one moment to the next.
Water moving around rocks.
Over stones.
Continuing downstream.
Perhaps you find somewhere comfortable beside the river to sit.
Feel the earth supporting you.
Look at the water.
And allow yourself just to stay here for a while.
As you watch the river,
Perhaps notice how little effort the water seems to make.
It meets rocks and it bends.
Changes direction and continues on.
Thoughts can be like this too.
Feelings can be like this.
Experiences come,
They stay for a while,
And eventually they change.
There is nothing you need to push away.
Nothing you need to hold on to.
Allow your experience to move in its own time.
Like water moving downstream.
Now begin to notice everything surrounding this river.
The trees.
Plants.
But.
.
.
Insects.
The soil beneath you.
The air moving around you.
And you sitting here amongst it all.
For these next few moments,
You aren't simply looking at nature.
You are part of this place,
Breathing in the same air.
Feeling the same warmth of the sun.
Sharing this moment with everything around you.
Take a slow breath in.
Gently breathe out.
Perhaps notice how the breath itself connects you with the world around you.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
A simple exchange that has been happening your entire life.
Stay here beside the river,
Just for a while longer,
Just a little while.
Nothing to do.
Nowhere else you need to be.
Justice.
E-mail.
And when you're ready.
Begin to make your way back along the path.
There's no hurry.
Notice the ground beneath your feet again.
The trees.
The light.
The sounds around you.
And slowly allow the imagined landscape to fade.
Bringing awareness back towards your physical body.
Notice any smells around you.
Begin listening again to the sounds of the space you're actually in.
Sounds far away.
Sounds close by.
And finally,
When you're ready.
Allow your eyes to gently open up.
Let your vision settle.
Notice colors.
Shapes.
Notice the lie.
And the space around you.
Take your time.
And perhaps carry just that little bit of connection with you.
As you continue with the rest of your day.
