Resting with tawny owl.
Settling yourself into a comfortable sitting position or lying down.
Gently closing your eyes and take two full breaths.
Breathing slowly in and then out.
Sitting with an upright but relaxed posture.
Dropping your shoulders.
Breathing with ease.
Relax your hands.
Soften your jaw.
And just breathing here.
Gently in and out.
Focusing on the feeling of being right here,
Right now.
In this moment.
Nothing else to do.
Becoming aware of your breath.
Sensing it entering and leaving your body.
Letting yourself pause.
Breathing.
And now perhaps you can begin to be aware of sounds around you.
As your breath flows in and out.
See if you can notice sounds with a gentle curiosity.
Just noticing.
No need to follow the sound with thoughts.
Simply letting them come.
And leave again.
And always returning to the sensation of your breath.
Entering and leaving your lungs.
Letting your mind rest,
Be at peace.
Whatever feelings,
Emotions,
Physical sensations that may arise.
As you sit here or lie.
Breathing steadily.
Focusing on your breath.
Can you sense your own rhythm of breathing?
As the air flows gently in and out of your lungs.
Maybe you feel it moving somewhere else in the body.
Noticing whatever you can of the breath.
Is it cold?
Or maybe warm?
As you bring your awareness to your breath.
Resting gently here.
In its soft,
Capable rhythm.
No effort.
Calm.
At ease.
No judgements.
Breathing and at ease.
Relaxed.
Aware of this breath.
And this one.
Each moment.
As you sit or lie.
Restable.
And resting.
Here in the present moment.
And when you feel ready.
Bringing into your mind's eye the image of a small thicket of trees.
Perhaps it's one you've seen.
Or one you know.
Maybe you walked past it.
Or just an imaginary small wood.
Bringing the image in your mind into more focus now.
What does your thicket of trees look like?
What are its colours?
Perhaps it's a thin,
Stretched out copse of skinny trees.
Lying low.
Or a dense clump of stubby trees clinging in the winds to a hill.
Whatever your wood's like.
Seeing its colours.
And maybe the way it sits beneath the sky.
And now.
As you come even closer.
Perhaps you can see in one of the trees.
A small owl.
Peering out from the gnarled strong trunk of its tree.
Looking now at the shape of your owl.
Noticing its beautiful markings.
The dot and dash colours of its feathers that frame its wise,
Dark eyes as it peers straight back at you.
Breathing deeply.
Feeling the surface supporting you here as you relax.
And returning your attention to your beautiful,
Tawny owl.
And now noticing its overall shape.
Its feathers.
Perhaps it's sitting out from the trunk and you can see its squat,
Almond body.
And how it sits completely at peace in its wood.
Feeling safe.
And at ease.
And its perfect camouflage in the trees.
Your trees and your tawny owl living in moment to moment awareness with all the life that's here.
And seeing the calm eyes of your owl as you and he gaze in silence at each other.
Breathing.
Seeing.
Feeling.
Listening to your breath now as you draw it in your own natural ebb and flow.
And being with the owl and the trees as you breathe together.
And then becoming aware as you rest here in this moment.
Of the serenity of your owl in its tree.
Tonight it will hunt.
Calling its perfect owl call.
Flying with grace and precision.
Perhaps it will find a mate.
And as the threat of man removes its habitat that becomes harder.
This owl sitting here now in its tree.
In your wood.
Lives breath by breath.
At ease.
Calm.
And focused only on its daily life.
Maybe other larger owls will come this night.
Right now.
As it nods and sways on its branch.
Close to its home.
Its steady relaxed breathing.
Is all it needs.
It may take a pause.
And ruffle its feathers gently.
In its full flight.
It may sleep.
It may open its eyes wide as a noise is caught in its satellite face.
But in the moment the perceived threat has passed.
It returns to its steady calm gaze.
And seeing yourself now as your owl.
As you rest here supported by the surface which holds you safe.
Breathing.
Feeling the air passing into your lungs and traveling softly down to replenish your body.
Any perceived worries or threats or turbulences in your mind's eye.
Are simply thoughts in this moment.
Knowing in the moment something needs your focus you'll find it.
And now relaxing back into the soft capable body as you rest with the tawny owl.
Breathing.
Calm.
Steady.
At peace.
And now bringing your attention away from you the owl and finally your thicket of trees.
Focusing fully back into your body.
Sensing the air on your face.
And bringing a gentle attention to your shoulders,
Upper arms,
Down into your wrists and from your back to your stomach.
Down through your hips into your legs through your calves and finally your feet.
And as you slowly begin to notice the sounds now in the room around you.
Feeling your completeness and your own wisdom.
And when you hear the bell.
Gently moving your wrists and ankles.
Wriggling your fingers and toes.
May the wisdom and resilience of our beautiful yet endangered tawny owls be with you this week.
Blessings.
