This meditation is for anyone else who struggles to fit in and suffers because of it.
You are not alone.
So I invite you to get into a comfortable seated position with good contact with the ground,
With the earth,
And when you're comfortable,
If it feels good to you,
I invite you to close your eyes and let's take two or three nice big deep long breaths just to help us to arrive and get set up for this meditation.
So take the air down into your belly nice and deep and slow and one more like this.
And now I invite you to imagine in front of you there is a lovely head of garlic.
However,
There is one clove missing and in its place there is a perfectly sized,
Perfectly shaped mandarin segment.
So take a moment to observe this,
To let this sink in while you ponder the expression,
Just because you fit in doesn't mean you belong.
And I wonder if that expression resonates for you in some way.
And the invitation now is we're actually gonna liberate and free this mandarin segment that does fit in with this head of garlic but really doesn't belong.
So imagine taking the mandarin segment,
Take it gently into your hand,
And then we're gonna imagine going outside and in front of you under your feet there is lovely lush earth.
So with your hands you can dig a little hole and place the mandarin segment inside and then cover it up.
And then you're amazed because really quickly this incredible tree shoots up.
Now it's not necessarily a mandarin tree,
What it is is the most unique,
Beautiful,
I would even say weird,
Quirky tree that you have ever seen.
And it shoots up big and stable and bold.
Totally magnificent and totally unique.
And you wonder at this tree and you just drink it all in and then you realize that this tree is your tree and it's an expression of your true self and true essence.
And it feels wonderful to see this tree and to feel seen at the same time.
Because you look beyond your tree and you realize that you're in a forest of trees and every single tree is completely different.
Different shapes,
Different sizes,
Different colours.
Some trees are evergreen,
Some trees are fruit trees,
Some trees have got flashing lights or rainbow colours.
Some trees are filled with fairies or sweets.
Everything goes here.
And isn't the diversity beautiful?
And allow yourself to connect with this feeling of joy,
Of celebration,
Of belonging,
Of embracing the weirdest,
Most quirky,
Misfit,
Oddball parts of yourself.
As all the other trees are doing in this wonderful forest.
So you sit down now at the base of your tree and lean your back against the trunk.
Feels really lovely and calming to sit here.
Supported,
Connected.
And you imagine the roots of your tree that are also your roots.
And you give yourself permission to connect to those roots and to imagine below the surface what's happening.
And you imagine these roots deep and strong.
Exploring.
And you notice how stable this makes you feel.
And you realize that actually your roots aren't the only roots down there.
Because of course there's all the other roots of all the other trees in this wonderful forest.
And you realize that all the roots are interconnected and intertwined.
Mutually supporting each other.
And lifting each other up.
And it feels so incredible to imagine this interconnected world.
And you sit there for a while longer simply feeling it all.
Celebrating the diversity.
Feeling free.
Feeling held.
Feeling seen.
And I'll leave you with one more phrase to ponder.
And it is that you were never meant to fit in.
You were meant to stand out.
And we were never meant to fit in.
We were meant to stand out.
And as you take everything in that we have explored in this short meditation just come back to your breath.
Take a couple breaths as you slowly start to move your fingers and toes.
Knowing that you can come back to this place whenever you need.
And then when you're ready you can slowly open your eyes and come out of the meditation.
