So if you feel comfortable to do so and it's safe to do so,
Then please close your eyes or lower your gaze.
And allow your breathing to fall into a steady rhythm.
Allow yourself to fully relax into this moment.
Breathe in and as you breathe in,
Breathe in love and patience and gratitude.
And as you exhale,
Release any tensions or distractions and just really bring yourself to this moment,
This gift that you've given yourself,
This five minutes pocket of peace.
So the story today is about a traveller.
A brave traveller who went on a journey through unfamiliar lands and landscapes and they got really prepared for this journey.
They had new boots and they took weatherproofed gear and they took sticks to walk with.
They really,
Really prepared.
But as they went along the way,
They realized that there were just things that they couldn't have known about.
There were more blisters than they realized that they would get.
There were more weather conditions than they thought they would be.
And they encountered various challenges that they'd never even thought of.
The hills were steeper than they thought they would be.
The dense forests they had to get through.
The snakes and creatures that they met along the way,
The wrong turns that they took.
And at times,
This traveller felt lost and unsure of her direction,
Of their direction and unsure that this was even the right thing to do.
There were times when in tears,
They wished for an easier path.
And every time that they felt like this,
The journey felt harder and they struggled to believe that it would get easier.
But then there were other times along the journey where they felt they trusted their instincts and guidance would seem to appear or signs would seem to appear along the way and she would meet people that seemed like guides and would tell them things that they didn't know before.
And what they realized was that true hope lies in not knowing every step,
But in trusting that each step will reveal itself as needed.
And that suffering is optional.
Suffering comes from wanting things to be different from how they are.
So we're just moving to a short visualization now.
I invite you to bring your awareness once more to the heart center where that tiny spark resides that represents hope and hope through trust rather than desire.
Trust in life.
If it feels good to do so,
Place a hand on your heart and a hand on your solar plexus.
And as you feel yourself breathing,
Just imagine that spark getting brighter.
With each inhale,
See the light growing brighter and spreading the warmth through your chest and through your body.
Imagine that warmth expanding outwards beyond your physical form and encompassing your entire being,
Filling your cells with warmth and assurance.
You might want to visualize yourself walking down a path illuminated by the glowing light within you.
You'll notice that it doesn't show the light all the way to the end.
It actually shows each step and each step forward reveals a little more light ahead.
Not because you know exactly where you're going,
But because you trust that the new insights will appear as needed.
Rest here for a few moments,
Basking in that glow and that peacefulness and that serenity and know that all is well,
Even amidst the waiting period or the unknowns and uncertainties that surround us on a daily basis.
Know that you are guided by the universe,
By your inner guide,
Whatever you want to call it and that when you get quiet and when you take a moment,
You can find that guidance.
It's always there,
It's never not there.
In a moment,
I'm going to bring you back to the room.
Let's take this last few moments to acknowledge yourself for showing up,
For gifting yourself with just a few moments of peace and reflection.
And acknowledge everyone around the world that is with us today.
As you get ready to come back to the room,
Wriggle a little bit,
Move your head on your shoulders,
Wriggle your body,
Wriggle your toes,
Wriggle your fingers.
Take a final deep breath in and out.
And as you bring your awareness back to the present surroundings,
Feel that gentle glow that remains inside your heart and know that you are ready to face whatever comes.
You can be confident and calm knowing that you are always guided from within.
As you go about your day,
Or evening,
Or your day tomorrow,
And a current situation feels unclear,
See if you can trust that there will be a step that you can take that moves you towards clarity.
