The Forest - A Meditation For Creative Decision-Making

The choices we make in our lives are personal and intuitive. We tend to make decisions based on our ‘gut’, feelings, despite our best efforts to make a rational choice. Do not discount the power of intuitive knowing based on the intelligence of the neural circuitry of the brain, and nervous system; like the complex vascular system of roots deep beneath a forest. Decisions are often instinctual, natural, and even contradictory. We only need to pause pay attention to ourselves, and regain clarity. This meditation guides you through that process, immersing you in a sensory experience that is both grounding and enriching. You take the lead, on the path you were meant to walk. Walk it with awareness and creative inspiration.

Transcript

A guided meditation, The forest. This guided meditation and visualization is designed to clear the mind and prepare you for creative thinking and decision making. Sitting in a comfortable position with your back supported and your feet comfortable wherever they are resting. Begin by doing a simple check in of your emotions, Your thoughts and the sensations in your body. Just notice what is happening without judgment or expectation. Take a few slow deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. Focus on the feeling of the breath, The movement of your chest, Your shoulders and the expansion of your lungs. Imagine that you are breathing through the soles of your feet. As you take a breath, Imagine that you are bringing warm healing energy to every cell of your body. As you breathe out, Imagine the breath cleansing your body of tension, Pain and old emotions. As you breathe in, Imagine filling your feet up with positive relaxing energy. Notice the warm pleasant sensations moving into your toes, The balls of your feet, Your arches, Your ankles, Through your legs and up through the rest of your body. Give yourself the time you need to allow this to happen and continue to focus on your feet and radiating this warm relaxing energy up through the body until you feel completely relaxed and comfortable. Have your feet on the ground, Supported and keeping you steady. Imagine they are on some soil, Grass, Grounded and connected to the earth. Imagine the sun is beaming down on you, On your back and your neck, Your shoulders and on your face. The air is fresh and clean and smells like flowers. You slowly begin to move ahead and look around. You see many trees, Listening to your footsteps as you make your way along the grass. The birds chirp in the distance and the grasshoppers join, Leaves are rustling in the winds atop the trees, Swaying branches, Leaves all shades of green. You notice how large and tall the trees are, The bright sun beams through them. Now you reach an opening into the trees, They invite you through. As you take your first steps into the forest, You take a deep breath in. What is around you? The forest has much to offer, Let your eyes explore. There can often be many paths into the forest and through the forest. Some are clear and marked. Some paths may be mapped, Other paths more discreet, More overgrown, Unknown, Less travelled. Some travel many paths a few times, Some travel few paths many times. Taking a few more steps now into the forest, The trees surround you now, Only specks of sunlight strewn along the path. Take in the smells with a deep inhale, Relaxing further as you exhale. The path you are on continues deep into the forest, You continue to notice other paths branching off from the one you are on, But also new ones starting in the distance. You realize there is less sunlight now and it becomes a little quieter too. As you walk through, Notice if you want to change course. As you make your choice, You stand still honouring where you are, Honouring yourself in the silence. Do you choose the path you have been walking on since the beginning, Or do you begin exploring one that has naturally branched off the original path? Do you venture out to follow a path other travellers may have started, Or do you start a new path for yourself? There is no right answer, Only how you are feeling in this moment. Continue to breathe, Take your time here, No rush. As you notice the various paths in front of you, The choices in front of you, Are there any thoughts or feelings or sensations that are coming up in this moment? As you begin to look in the direction of this path, Then noticing that path, And all the paths that are available to you. Often times in forests, Paths converge and split, It is natural to wander, Explore and be curious. In the deep forest, Where the air is colder and you can smell the wet soil, The dew left on the mushrooms from the early morning hours, You can hear a stream of water running through the trees far off into the distance, Mosquitoes buzzing around and beetles scampering about, But you focus, You focus on the paths ahead. There are unknowns along these paths, Being deeper than you've ever been before, Uncertain about beginning a new one. This moment can bring up many thoughts and feelings. Taking a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth, You have the breath to come back to when faced with decisions. Clarity and creativity become easier when the mind and body are relaxed, Giving yourself that pause, Standing at the roots of inspiration. These moments are available to you now and always, Between the in and the out breath, Between the out and the in breath, Knowing that all paths come out the other side. As you make your way through, Your choice is how you make your way through, The paths do not belong to you, You own only your decision to walk along them. Returning the specks of sunlight as you make it to the edge of the path you were walking, Maybe you are now walking along a different path, Maybe the one you were walking on before. You feel the warmth of the sun's rays on your neck and your shoulders and on your face once again. The birds are singing still, A deer scampers away as you reach the clearing on the other side of the forest. Take another deep breath here, In and out, Knowing you can come back here to this reflection anytime you need. Begin to bring awareness back into the body, Moving from outside in very slowly, Fingers and toes, Bringing awareness back into the ankles and the wrists, Into your head and your neck. Now through the arms and the legs and the rest of your body, As you come out of this meditation, You may open your eyes when you're ready, Alerting your senses and your mind that you are here, Continuing to breathe comfortably and only when you are ready to move back into your reality in the here and now, Hopefully with a renewed sense of clarity, Inspiration and space around you. Thank you for joining me in this guided meditation and relaxation visualization exercise.