Welcome to your meditation practice today,
Which is designed to help you cultivate and tune into the emotion of awe.
This meditation was inspired by the fact that awe is one of my favorite feelings.
I think it is just such a beautiful,
Profound,
Expansive,
Inspiring,
And really a soul-healing emotion.
So as we start this practice today,
I invite you to make yourself nice and comfortable,
Either sitting or lying.
And when you feel settled in the position you have chosen,
There is an invitation here for you to gently close down your eyes if that feels good for you.
Otherwise,
You may simply like to soften or lower your gaze,
But no matter which option you choose,
This is really sending a signal to your body and to your mind that this is your time to turn inwards.
And here I invite you to gently bring your attention to your breath.
And we're going to start this practice today by doing a few physiological sighs to bring your nervous system and body into a state of groundedness and calm.
So I invite you here to take a lovely,
Deep breath in through your nose.
Feel your lungs filling as your chest,
Your ribs,
And your belly expand.
And then when you get to the top of that breath,
You may like to take in another small sip of air as you fill your lungs to capacity.
And then just let it go with a big,
Audible sigh out through your mouth.
And we'll do this twice more.
So again,
Take a lovely,
Deep breath in through your nose.
Fill up your lungs.
And then when you get to the top of that breath,
Take in another sip of air,
Fill your lungs right to the top.
And then let it go with a big,
Audible sigh out through your mouth.
And once more,
Take a lovely,
Deep breath in through your nose,
Filling up your lungs.
And then when you get to the top of that breath,
Take in another sip of air as you fill your lungs to capacity.
And then let it go with a big,
Audible sigh out through your mouth.
And then you can simply let your breath return to its natural pattern,
Its natural rhythm.
And I remind you that your breath is always your anchor,
And you can return to it at any time throughout today's practice if you feel the need to.
So here I invite you to allow your mind to be drawn to a moment in time where you have experienced the awe-inspiring beauty of nature.
A moment in time and memory when you have just felt so filled with awe and wonder by the beauty that surrounds you.
And as I say this,
Your mind might start flicking through lots of different memories or images,
Searching for something to land on.
And that's okay,
But eventually it will settle on one that feels right.
And if you are having trouble here settling or picking,
My advice is to go with the very first thing that popped into your mind,
Because this is usually where your subconscious brings you something before your conscious mind has had the time or opportunity to jump in.
So I'll give you a few moments here to settle into this memory,
This moment,
This feeling of awe.
And as you land here,
I invite you to start by looking down at your feet.
Are you barefoot?
Are you wearing shoes?
What is the ground beneath you?
Maybe it's sandy,
Rocky,
Maybe you're standing on grass,
Woodlands,
Maybe leaves or pebbles.
What is grounding your feet to this moment?
And then slowly lift your head and take in your surroundings.
Where are you?
What do you see?
Paint a picture in your mind's eye of the beauty that surrounds you.
What colours are there?
Perhaps shades of blue,
Green,
Yellows,
Pinks,
Oranges.
What colours can you see?
And are they soft,
Or are they bright and loud?
How would you describe the light?
Is it the soft light of sunrise or sunset?
Are you under the full warmth and bright light of the middle of the day?
Perhaps it is golden hour,
Or maybe it's dark and you're under the light of the moon.
Consider the light.
Describe the light in this moment.
What natural elements surround you?
Maybe there's water,
Rock,
Earth,
Leaves.
Maybe there are animals,
Trees or vegetation.
Maybe there's wildlife.
And what do you hear?
Perhaps there is water lapping,
Wind whistling,
Birds singing,
The rustle of leaves,
Waves crashing,
Perhaps the chatter of people talking in the background.
What do you hear?
So now that we have turned outwards and observed the beauty that surrounds you,
Now let's take a moment to turn inwards and notice the impact that your external world is having on your internal world.
So as you are here in this moment in time,
This moment of natural beauty,
Awe and wonder,
What feeling do you feel?
And there might be a combination of feelings here,
Perhaps awe,
Wonder,
Maybe you're feeling inspired,
Happy,
Blissful,
Surprised,
Delighted,
Grateful,
Abundant,
Joyous,
Connected.
There's no right or wrong here,
Just take a moment to tune into you.
How do you feel?
And where do you feel these feelings in your body?
How does it show up for you?
Perhaps you feel the excitement of butterflies in your tummy.
Maybe your mouth forms a smile so big that your cheeks hurt.
Maybe you feel yourself standing tall,
Shoulders back,
Chest proud.
Maybe you feel goosebumps on your skin,
Or chills running down your spine.
Maybe tears start to form.
Maybe you even feel like moving your body,
Reaching your arms out high and wide as you soak up all the goodness that surrounds you.
And here I want to ask you,
Who are you sharing this moment with?
And this may be a physical person next to you,
That you are sharing this experience with.
But maybe you are alone.
But even if you are alone,
You are still connected to nature.
Connected to something bigger than yourself.
Connected to Mother Nature,
The Universe,
The Cosmos.
Sink into this feeling of connection.
This feeling of togetherness and oneness as you share in this experience.
So I'll just give you a few moments more here to really sink into and soak up every moment.
Soak in the beauty and awe of your surroundings.
Soak in the feelings that are unfolding within you.
Be present,
Be fully present in this moment of awe.
Knowing that the beauty you see around you is a reflection of the beauty you hold within you.
Because we are one with nature.
So as we come towards the end of our meditation today,
You might like to bring your attention back to your breath.
Just as we did in the beginning.
Maybe fill up your lungs.
Take a lovely,
Big,
Deep breath in.
And then when you get to the top of that breath,
Just let it go.
And as you return to your natural pattern of breathing and return to your body,
Maybe you start by wriggling your fingers or your toes or just stretching in whatever ways feel good for you.
And then whenever you feel ready,
And there's no rush at all if you feel like staying here for a little longer,
But when you feel ready,
You can open up your eyes,
Come back to your surroundings,
And as you move forward with your day,
Remember the feeling of awe.
