The Steep Path

There are times in life when we might feel trapped, bogged down, unable to find a way out. At times like these, it's useful to 'zoom out' and gain some perspective - yes, we *can* move, there *are* ways, we *will* see better times.

One way to gain this perspective is by imagining ourselves in the future, looking back towards this difficult time. This visualisation uses the imagery of a path leading up to a hilltop.

Transcript

This is a meditation for when we're feeling stuck, When we're feeling that life is not moving, When we're feeling trapped in a situation and we can't see any way out. And we know that life is always moving, Life is always changing, Even when it doesn't feel like that. So in this case sometimes the best thing to do is to gain some perspective and we can do that inside our mind. So whether you are lying down or sitting up, Just make sure that you are nice and comfortable. If you are sitting, Check that your spine is nice and straight and also relaxed. You can let your shoulders drop, You can let your jaw drop. And especially if you are feeling anxious right now, Take a few deep breaths and really take your time to breathe out. Because it is the long out-breaths that help us activate the parasympathetic nervous system which is our rest and digest mode, The opposite of fight-flight-freeze. So this will help us feel nice and relaxed. So I'd like you to imagine that you are on top of a hill. You are standing in a beautiful meadow and the weather is just right. Whatever you prefer. It might be a sunny day if you enjoy the sunshine. It might be windy if you like the wind. Or it might be raining if you enjoy feeling the rain on your skin. Whatever your preference is, The weather is just right for you. And I'd like you to really take your time to look around and enjoy all the details, All of the beauty of this place and know that this place is your place. This place is just for you to enjoy. So look around. Look at the wildflowers. Look at the green grass. Are there any trees around? Is there any water? Maybe a stream or a lake or a river? If it is raining, Feel the rain on your skin. If there's a breeze, Enjoy the breeze on your face, On your hands, In your hair. And if it's sunny, Enjoy the warmth. The smell of the ground. The smell of the grass. The smell of the trees if there are trees. And because this is your mind and this is your own place, Feel free to put in all of your favourite smells, Any of your favourite smells. What can you hear? Can you hear water? Can you hear birds singing? Maybe the sound of the wind or the sound of rain? Enjoy everything coming from your senses. And now I'd like you to use your imagination to see a path in front of you. This is the path that led you to the top of the hill and I'd like you to cast your gaze all the way down your path and see it winding and tuning. See how long it is and see how steep it was in places and how it was more gentle and soft in other places. And I'd like you to rest your gaze on all of these areas where the path was steep. It was rough, It was hard, It was difficult, Narrow. In some points it looked almost impassable. And now home in on the place that you feel you are finding yourself in now. This difficult time. This time when you're feeling you're not making any inroads. This time when you're feeling trapped and stuck. What does it look like? Is it maybe steeped in darkness? Is the ground boggy and sticky? What obstacles can you see? Anything from big rocks, Fallen trees, Maybe something or someone trying to stop you from moving forwards. Maybe a snowfall, Snow drifts, A storm. Or it could be simply a very hard, Very steep climb. And as you are looking at this, This point in your life, It is okay to feel compassion for how hard it was. Compassion for yourself, Having had to go through that. Looking at this from your vantage point now at the top of the hill, You can still see how hard it was. You can still feel how hard it was. It would be hard for anyone, Not just you. This is not to do with your weakness. This is nothing to do with any perceived faults of yours. This path is hard. So please do offer yourself some compassion and some appreciation for your resilience, For your perseverance. In the circumstances you've done well, In these circumstances you are doing well. And I'd like you now to look at the distance separating where you are standing, That hilltop, This blissful, Beautiful hilltop from that place in your life. This is your vantage point. This is your perspective. This is the place where you will be at some point in your life looking back. Look how far you've come. Look at all this distance. Look at this long stretch of path that you've covered since then. It was hard, It was steep, It was arduous but you made it. You have made it to the top. You deserve to stand in that meadow. And as you are gaining an appreciation of the distance between you and that spot in the path, I'd like you to also see all of the steps that led you out of that situation, Out of that spot. Look at all of the safe places to put your feet. Look at all of the safe, Stable, Flat stones waiting for your feet, Welcoming your steps. Look at the whole way that led you here. Look at how the path evens out after that spot and becomes gentle, Flatter, Smoother, Maybe a little bit of soft moss to walk on. And finally look around yourself again. Look at this beautiful place that you have reached. Well done, You have made it. It was worth it. And again, Take a minute just to enjoy it and know again that this is yours. This is all yours. Well done. Be proud of yourself. You can be a good friend to yourself. Enjoy the rest of your day.

Reviews

Thank you for this lovely, uplifting meditation! I enjoyed the metaphor of life's journey to a walking journey that goes through tough terrain to ultimately reach a beautiful peak.