This is a forest meditation by Barbara Brown from the book,
Sylvan Reflections,
Wanderings,
Paintings,
And ponderings from the forest.
Find a comfortable position either sitting or lying down with your spine as straight as it can cover you.
Close your eyes and rest your gaze on the back of your closed eyelids while relaxing your eyes and feeling a smile in their corners.
Relax your cheeks and your jaw,
Feeling that smile gently touch the corners of your lips.
Release any tightness in your shoulders and scan your body for any other areas of tension and let it go.
Relax your eyes and your jaw,
Feeling that smile gently touch the corners of your lips.
Relax your lips and your jaw,
Feeling that smile gently touch the corners of your lips.
Relax your lips and your jaw,
Feeling that smile gently touch the corners of your lips.
Turn your attention to your breath and breathing deeply from your belly but with calm,
Gentle,
Natural,
And unhurried ins and outs,
Begin to count your exhalations.
Deepen your relaxation with each out breath.
As your mind wanders gently and lovingly bring it back to counting your exhalations.
Don't worry if you lose count,
Simply start again.
Now imagine yourself in the forest,
Surrounded by its soothing green wildness.
Imagine the smells,
Trees and flowers,
Soil,
The clean oxygen rich air itself,
Healing aromatherapy.
While continuing to count your exhaled breaths,
Imagine the sounds of the forest around you.
Are you near a creek?
What bird songs are you hearing?
Is a breeze rustling leaves?
Is there a squirrel or other creature nearby quietly going about its day?
What bird songs are you hearing?
What bird songs are you hearing?
Feel your weight on the forest floor beneath you,
Mother Earth supporting you.
Feel the soft,
Pure air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
Keep counting as long as you would like.
Keep bringing yourself back to your exhalations and to the forest surrounding you with its healing embrace in your imagined senses each time your mind wanders away.
Feel the air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
Feel the air on your skin.
And when you're ready,
With a final round of gentle exhalations,
First think of Earth,
The element Earth.
And while doing so,
Be aware of your bones and your flesh.
Second,
With an exhaled breath,
Think of water and place your attention on the blood flowing through your veins.
With the next out breath or two,
Think of air and place your attention on your breath,
The air in your lungs and the oxygen it brings to your whole body.
Next,
Think of fire and with an exhalation or two,
Feel the heat that your body generates.
Now,
Imagine the vast spaces between each cell of your body and between each proton and electron that make up those cells.
And think of the vast spaces of the ether of the universe.
And finally,
With your last exhaled breath,
Spread your arms wide,
Open your palms,
Open your eyes and say out loud,
I am.
And feel the vast resonances of that I am consciousness.
