Giraffe and Grace.
These planet meditations are designed for you to sit with the beautiful elements and life in all its glorious creation on our earth as you quiet yourself to be here right now.
So I invite you to softly close your eyes,
Beginning to feel your breath flowing in and out of your lungs and taking a few moments here.
Becoming aware of the softness of your breath,
Feeling it entering and leaving your whole body as you simply sit or lie or perhaps stand.
Maybe this is the first time today you find yourself here,
Remembering to stop and pause and beginning to notice your breath and the physical sensations in your body,
Your own body here,
Resting with whatever you notice now.
And if you can't feel anything at all,
Just noticing that.
And now breathing gently in your own natural rhythm,
In your own ebb and flow,
Coming back to each breath,
To this breath and the next.
Noticing where your mind travels and then with the next breath,
Bringing it back to the flow of your air,
Your own ebb and flow in and out of your lungs.
As our mind wanders,
Our body awaits with compassion for us to return.
So maybe smiling gently now as you allow your mind and body to come together right now with your breath,
Breathing smoothly.
Or maybe noticing the sounds you can hear,
The sounds of your body,
Of your breath,
Of the movements of your clothes or a sound in the room or outside.
Whatever your ears hear,
Not following the sound,
Just noticing it,
Letting it come and then perhaps leave again.
Now bringing your attention back to the breath,
Bringing your awareness as you slowly scan now down through your body,
From your head to your shoulders,
Your arms,
Elbows,
Wrists,
Hands,
Perhaps noticing the position of your hands as you rest here now.
Back up your arms,
Into your chest,
Bringing your attention to the front of your body and round to the back,
Spreading out between your shoulder blades,
Noticing any tension and breathing.
And now down to your hips,
Into your legs,
Past your knees,
Your ankles and down to your feet.
Your feet that rest on the ground,
Feeling their contact with the earth.
Maybe you can even notice your toes,
Are they touching or apart?
Coming back up into your body now,
Bringing your awareness to the whole of your body,
Resting here with you as you give yourself this time with gratitude and compassion,
Safely supported by the surface you're resting on.
Breathing naturally,
Drawing in the clean air and feeling the joy perhaps of being here right now with each breath.
And now bringing into your mind's eye the image of the open grasslands of an African savannah,
Seeing this wide open space in your mind,
Seeing the yellows and greys,
Greens of its grasses and the shadows of trees in the distance.
Maybe it's a place you've visited or know,
Or maybe it's a savannah you've seen on film or in a book.
Breathing here now and seeing your savannah,
Seeing its blue skies and the fierceness of the sun above,
The shady spots at the edges of the sparse forests.
And as you focus on this place of wildness and beauty,
You see some shapes moving across its edge and how tall they are,
Shadows long in the early evening sun.
And seeing their necks swaying,
You bring their image closer and notice it's a pair of giraffe,
A male and female perhaps,
Or a mother on calf,
Walking across your savannah and seeing the colours of their bodies.
The astounding geometric shape,
The pale creaminess of their underbelly and the bright zigzag manes.
And as you look at your pair of graceful giraffes,
Grazing and resting,
Walking together at one in their own habitat,
One of them stops,
Turns its long head toward you.
Perhaps it's the female and you notice the softness of her mouth,
The beauty of her long fringed eyes gazing straight at you,
Seeing you as you see her.
And in her warm dark eyes,
You see her wisdom,
Her acceptance,
Her calm steadiness.
And as you breathe here now,
Safely supported by the surface on which you rest,
You and the giraffe are as if one,
Breathing in and out together.
Sharing this earth,
Sharing each day,
Waking,
Sleeping,
Eating,
Moving,
Loving.
Living your life as your giraffe lives hers,
Meeting your challenges,
Finding your wisdom,
The wisdom of life you see in her eyes deep within your own.
And as she swings her head away and you draw your mind gently away from her and you see once more the vast scope of your savannah,
The limitless space,
The peace and yet the life.
Now leaving your image,
Bringing your awareness into your body and to the surface that's supporting you once more.
Feeling the pressure of your heels and calves on the floor,
Your back beneath you or the soles of your feet planted firmly on the ground as you sit,
Beginning to become aware again of the sounds of your breath and other sounds around you.
And now if you wish when you hear the chime,
Slowly opening your eyes,
Bringing your attention into your fingers and your toes,
Gently moving them,
Taking a stretch perhaps that feels right for you and the smile.
May your week be filled with the grace and wisdom of your giraffe.
