Hi and welcome to my Sequoia Tree Meditation,
One of nature's medicines for easing stress and anxiety.
This is Barbara and I invite you on a journey of letting go and opening to the calming and ancient medicine of these wise trees.
So let's begin by resting into your breath,
Paying attention to where the breath moves in your body with each inhale and each exhale as you settle into your favorite comfortable and restful position,
Soothing any restless parts with this breath in and this breath out,
Letting your imagination open as an earth-worn path unfolds before you,
An invitation to cross over into the calming natural realm of the sequoias.
Above you,
Beside you,
Behind you,
Even underneath you are the massive and majestic trees.
Stepping on the earthen path as many have before you,
Your footsteps muffled in this mostly silent landscape,
A cornflower blue sky overhead,
Perfect morning for a walk.
The path brings you to a lush green meadow scattered with purple,
Yellow,
And rosy red wildflowers.
Bees,
Dragonflies,
And a variety of butterflies dance in the morning light as the mist lifts.
The meadow is home for all sorts of wildlife.
The occasional deer and brown bear visits as well.
Fallen limbs,
Toppled trees,
Uprooted trunks also lie in the sun-soaked meadow,
A reminder of sequoias that came before as these trees can have a lifespan of 3,
000 years.
On the perimeter of the meadow,
The gods and goddesses of this natural realm are the giant sequoias.
Watching over your journey,
Welcome,
Guide.
Following the trail further,
You come upon a group of sequoias standing in a grove like a family.
Some are stubby and muscular,
Others lean and sinewy,
Some older,
Some ancient,
And young ones too.
Most are marked by time and scarred by fire,
Which is a natural occurring event in the sequoias though have a natural resistance to fire.
Although their bark might be scarred and blackened by flame,
Their upper limbs continue to grow and their root system continues to thrive and nourish,
An example of resilience under stress.
Walking through the grove,
The calming energy of these majestic trees is beginning to take root,
Their ancient medicine seeping inward and soothing tight muscles.
As you feel your shoulders relax,
Your jaw softening,
Belly unclenching,
Your breath slower and much fuller,
Stressful thoughts and worries lessening,
Pent-up feelings releasing,
Your movements freer as you walk.
The path leads you to the center of the grove where you find a fallen tree trunk creating a bridge to the largest sequoia tree yet,
A solitary mass on an island.
The trunk beckons you to cross over,
Trusting your intuition,
You step onto the fallen tree,
Shakily at first,
Worried about losing your balance and falling into what lies below.
But the trunk supports you and alas,
You find yourself safely on the other side.
You sense immediately as you step onto the island that you are in the presence of divinity and can communicate with this giant sequoia who warmly welcomes you.
Awed and wonder and wonderstruck and with a deep sense of respect,
You bow to this divine being,
Aware that you are in the presence of an ancient soul that could be as old as 2,
000 years or more.
Walking around her massive stature,
You find an opening in her trunk,
Knowing it's an invitation,
You enter the cool,
Dark cavity of her body,
Initially in darkness,
But as your eyes adjust,
A magical and enchanted home unfolds before you,
Finding yourself standing in a hollowed out structure,
Darkened bark walls covered with ivy,
Brightened with miniature white and rose blossoms.
Fireflies glow here and there like fairy lights.
The floor is soft,
Carpeted with pine needles and weathered wood chips.
You feel like you have stepped into another realm and in fact,
Sparkling silver and bright green mosses cluster in one corner,
Providing a cozy and safe resting spot.
And so,
You settle on the mossy bed,
Your head supported by an oversized mushroom adorned with polka dots of purple and breathing,
You take it all in.
An awareness awakens within you,
You are in the heart of the tree.
You can sense the calming and wise energy pulsing within this sacred place,
Transmuting all your stress and anxiety.
Her powerful energy seeps into your being,
Lifting you up.
As the roots of the tree push up from the earthen floor,
Lifting the mossy bed you lie on,
You float upwards as if on a cloud of light,
Enveloping your whole being higher and higher until you are in the pulsing radiant heart center of the tree,
Who tenderly blesses your heart with love.
Breathing this in deeply with gratitude,
Resting more and more into this expansive experience.
A sense of compassion flows into you,
Your heart fills with love and joy,
Surrendering into this feeling with each breath in and each breath out,
Your body,
Mind,
And spirit releasing all remnants of anxiety and worry,
Lighter and lighter and freer and freer with each breath.
And so,
Resting in this powerful and ancient medicine,
Absorbing all the gifts you have received before taking leave,
The tree whispers a few words or perhaps images that you visualize in your mind's eye,
Sequoia medicine that you can take with you to calm any stress and anxiety in body,
Mind,
And spirit.
Going forward and remembering the love and compassion in your heart from this moment on and more.
Take leave when ready,
Gathering to you the wisdom and medicine of the sequoia trees with blessing and gratitude,
Crossing back over the bridge,
Journey back to the earthen path,
To the place of your departure,
And then back to the present moment,
Recording any aspect of this meditation in your journal.
