Lake Meditation (Drift Version)

Andy's popular visualization meditation is remastered with new music. Embody the healing qualities of a lake in this gentle relaxation meditation for stress and anxiety. Best listened to with headphones and a cup of tea. All music written and performed by Andy Hobson. Music features synths, violin, piano, bass guitar, and samples.

Transcript

So just beginning by settling into your meditation posture,

Noticing those contact points where your body meets the surface that you're resting on and just allowing your body to be supported and held by the ground.

Maybe just scanning through your body,

Just noticing how you are beginning this meditation,

Noticing any areas of tension,

Tightness.

So now taking a deep breath in all the way in down into your belly,

Breathing out and just letting your body melt into the ground.

Letting go of any worries about the future or any thoughts about the past.

Just settling into the here and now,

Into this moment,

The only moment that really exists.

Taking another deep breath in,

All the way down your body,

All the way down into your feet and breathing back out and letting your body sink a little bit deeper into the ground and letting go a bit more as best you can.

And as you do this,

Making the clear intention to stay with this practice and giving each moment a quality of attention and each and every time your mind wanders off,

Just gently noticing it's happened and bringing yourself back to the guidance or to your own experience of this meditation.

Remembering that you can always tune out my voice if you need to.

Now shifting your focus to your breath,

Your breathing,

Noticing where it's most vivid in your body.

So it might be at your nostrils,

Down at your belly or maybe somewhere else.

So focusing on your nostrils,

Just feeling the cool air coming in and the warm air going out.

Or if you notice it down your belly,

Just gently noticing it rising and falling as you breathe.

Really tuning into the subtle nuances of your breath,

The short pause between your in-breath and your out-breath and your out-breath and your in-breath.

Noticing if your breathing feels alive or labored,

Very prominent in your awareness or very gentle and in the background.

So just being with your breathing for a moment or two and knowing that each in-breath is a new beginning and each out-breath you can let go a bit more as well.

So we can bring the qualities of a lake to our meditation practice.

Lakes like to gather in low places,

They like to find their own level and they are held by the earth's surface and this low abiding gives them their humility,

Stillness,

Calmness,

Openness and flow that can move with whatever arises.

So now picturing a lake in your mind's eye.

Maybe it's a lake you know or from a photo or maybe it's an imaginary one.

Noticing how big your lake is,

How deep,

How wide.

Does it have a colour?

Is it clear or muddy?

Maybe there are plants and trees and rocks and mountains or hills surrounding your lake.

Noticing if there are streams or waterfalls flowing into your lake from the mountains.

So just continuing to picture your lake now.

Now bringing the image of your lake into your body,

Becoming the lake and if it feels unnatural to do this you can just continue to picture the lake in your mind's eye if you prefer.

So becoming one with your lake and your lake is very still and calm.

You can see the sunlight sparkling over the surface of the water,

Shimmering and your lake is like a mirror reflecting the plants,

Trees and rocks at the edges and the clear blue sky above and your lake just rests,

Held,

Supported as a deep pool of awareness and aliveness and as you breathe with your lake body,

Just letting go a bit more of anything you might still be clinging on to from the past or future.

Just remaining with your lake body and now the wind begins to pick up and that shimmering mirror like surface turns to ripples and storm clouds begin to gather and your lake gets a bit darker,

The wind gets stronger,

The water becomes choppier and small waves arise,

Crashing into the surrounding rocks and the plants on the edges but deep under the surface your lake remains calm,

Peaceful and held by the earth and the life underneath the surface is unaffected by the storms above and just abiding in the depths of the lake as an observer of the storms above abiding in calmness,

Peacefulness but not turning away from the unsettled surface above,

Embracing the entire experience.

Now the wind dies down,

Rain begins to fall on your lake,

Droplets of water to leave ripples,

They move outwards and connect and reflect off each other and the rain begins to ease,

The clouds move on and the Sun slowly goes down as the night comes and the light changes on your lake and the moon and stars appear,

Reflecting with a shimmering presence on its once again mirror like surface and the trees and plants,

Rocks at the edges create silhouettes that dance on the water with the gentle breeze and your lake constantly changes but remains alive and still underneath,

Grounded receptive to all change and in the depths of your lake there's a deep awareness,

An understanding of all that happens on the surface and continuing to be in your lake body,

Resting in tune with its peaceful presence,

Stillness aliveness and wakefulness,

Breathing with your lake moment by moment.

Now the moon and stars melt away into the hazy sky as dawn begins,

The surface of the lake is shrouded in a soft mist and the Sun begins to rise,

Beams of golden light flood across your lake,

Lighting up even the darkest areas and as the Sun continues to rise,

It's a new beginning,

A new dawn as the lake comes to life your lake once again calm,

Still and reflective,

Abiding with all change so now continuing to rest and breathe with your lake body,

With openness,

Kindness to yourself and awareness as the Sun continues to rise and our thoughts,

Emotions and body sensations are like our own weather,

Causing ripples and waves on the surface and sometimes they can overwhelm us in the midst of often busy lives but just knowing that we can always return to the stillness and openness of our lake and we're not trying to stop the ripples and waves but rather just be aware that they are there,

Sitting beside them,

Befriending them so now taking three mindful breaths very slowly and as you do this,

Allowing your lake to dissolve into the background of your awareness and just becoming aware of your body,

Present,

Breathing and now becoming more aware of the space that your body takes up in the room,

Maybe noticing the air in the room moving over your skin,

Noticing the light through your eyelids and in your own time and when you're ready,

Gently opening your eyes as we end this meditation

Reviews

Beautiful meditation
I was able to imagine being at Lake Quinault in Olympic National Park where I visited two years ago. It was very healing for me because I have end stage cancer and can’t go now.

This is a lovely meditation Andy 💖🌟 Thank you so much 🙏

So serene and relaxing! Beautiful! 🙏🏻

The very first of Andy’s meditations that I listened to and still one of my all-time favorites. Maybe because there is a lake that was very important to me as a child.

This just replaced your Mountain meditation! I have a new go-to! Thks so much Andy 🌧 ☀️ 🌊 💧 💨 🐟 🦋🦆🌅🦦 🤗

Beautiful and soothing. Felt very calm, balanced and blissful afterwards.

Wonderful Andy. My lake is Pine Lake in the Lake District.
We were there in a holiday cottage a few years ago and it was so beautiful. I have been there this afternoon with you! Thank you.
🚣‍♂️🙏💖😊

I love the imagery of the lake and the calm underneath the choppy waters.

So grateful for your meditations, Andy. It was a joy to be guided back to a lake that was a big part of my life years ago. To re-member and feel it’s peace and tranquility … to imagine my whole body as both the lake and the lake bed. Beautiful. Thank you for guiding me to that special place & re-membered experience. 💚🙏🏽✨

Thanks Andy!

Beautiful. Thank you 🙏🏼

Excellent! Love his visualizations! His boice is soothing and consistent! Thank you🙏