This is an exercise in imagination that takes you into the world,
Perspective and senses of another being.
Today we will visit the world of the heron,
A beautiful bird with its striking slender neck,
Long legs and black,
White and grey feathers.
You may be familiar with its beady,
Watchful gaze.
You may have watched it yourself,
Held still with fascination as it stands motionless or moves with slow,
Careful steps through water,
At the shoreline of a lake or the sea or in a nearby stream or river.
In a previous meditation we entered the world of Heron at wintertime as she was hunting for fish in a stream.
In that imaginative reflection we came to experience some of her stillness and hopefully came to realise that we hold that capacity for stillness within ourselves.
It is your imagination,
Your capacity to empathically enter into the experience of another being that unlocks that stillness in you.
What other perspectives and qualities can your imagination unlock,
I wonder?
Let's spend this meditation exploring that possibility a little more.
Today we're going to use our imaginations again and explore those positive qualities of the heron that also lie within us.
Today we will go on a journey to experience the heron's peace,
Its capacity to be at ease in the world and to rest.
To begin this meditation I invite you to take a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down in a quiet place without distraction.
It may help to dim the lighting,
Maybe light a candle and put a blanket around you.
Once you're comfortable,
Close your eyes.
Close your eyes and first I want you to settle into yourself.
Do you remember what you are?
You are heron,
A long-necked,
Long-legged,
Big-beaked bird with a sharp,
Watchful eye and a cautious,
Quiet manner.
And do you remember who you are?
You are a female heron and two years old.
You are a skilled and patient hunter and you live within an area of woodland that has a river running through it.
Sometimes you visit the ponds of nearby parks and houses.
You are shy and highly perceptive.
And right now,
Where are you?
You are resting on a perch of one of your favourite trees.
You are resting here and taking the world in.
You can feel the warm,
Feathered cage of your ribs,
Your broad wings folded by your sides.
Your long and slender neck is poised as you look out,
Calm and curious from your tree perch.
The wind ruffles the long feathers around your head and neck.
And you can feel the branch is strong and solid in the grasp of your talons.
It holds you steady on your perch.
It is a perfect place to wait and watch and take the world in.
The leaves are rustling about you.
The wind is brushing its way through the leaves and branches.
Everywhere is wind and whispering and restless motion.
But you are still and patient as you stand here,
Noticing,
Being yourself.
You hear the rush and babble of water beneath you.
It's really rushing now.
It's been a wet and turbulent world lately.
The river is heavy,
Busy and caught up in its own strength.
You can hear the songs and calls of other birds.
They are busy with their own search for food and conversations.
Without deeply listening,
You know their calls and their meaning.
You are aware of these other lives.
Sometimes their calls and songs tell you that everything is calm.
Everything is unfolding as it does,
Just as it is.
Sometimes,
However,
They tell you that there is threat,
Danger,
Alarm and need to retreat or fight.
But right now,
Here on this branch,
You are just being.
Taking in this world that is yours.
Listening to the messages of your body.
It's a perfect place to wait and watch and take the world in.
You are at the centre of this whispering,
Rushing,
Breathing world.
The ground,
The branch,
They support you.
And your wings,
Just resting now,
They are also resting.
Always ready to lift you up.
You stay here.
Being yourself.
Taking it all in.
While the light is dimming and night is arriving.
This is your nighttime perch.
Your attention rests and drifts from one thing to another.
The rush and babble of the busy water.
The wind whispering through the leaves and branches and ruffling your feathers.
You feel the branch.
It responds to your grip with strength and steadiness.
You feel the warmth of your wings.
Folded around your ribcage.
You notice subtle changes in light and movement as the songs and chatter of other birds begins to quieten down.
Their restlessness calms with the night arriving.
And you are ready to settle now.
This is where you will sleep for the night.
To get a little more comfortable,
You tuck your head neatly onto your breast where it is warm and out of the wind.
You tuck your head and close your eyes.
The water continues to rush and babble.
The wind whispers through the leaves and branches.
The branch is steady in your grip.
And your attention turns inwards.
The water continues to rush and babble.
Though the sound of it fades in your awareness.
The whisper and rustle of leaves grows quieter.
The branch is always steady.
Your head is tucked neatly onto your breast where it is warm,
Out of the wind.
The world is steady beneath you,
Sleeping.
