Welcome,
My friends.
Today we are going on a journey,
On a quest for a happy mind and a peaceful heart.
Through the practice of meditation,
We will learn how to become aware of our thoughts and feelings in order to achieve inner peace.
So let's begin the journey into the depths of our own minds.
Find a position that is peaceful and comfortable,
Either sitting or lying down.
Keep your eyes closed and take a few deep breaths.
Focus on the air entering and leaving your body.
Now imagine a tree in front of you,
With its leaves and branches moving in the wind.
Imagine a lake near the tree and a boat floating on the lake.
Imagine yourself in the boat,
Gently drifting along the lake.
You see a temple on the shore and you think to yourself,
I'd like to see what's inside that temple.
You bring your boat to the shore and you step out,
Keeping your eyes focused on the temple,
And you imagine yourself walking towards it.
You enter the temple and there you find a statue of a person who is sitting in a meditation position.
Now take a moment to admire the statue.
You hear a voice speaking to you from inside your mind,
Reminding you to be kind to yourself and to others.
You feel peace and calm spreading all through your body.
You turn to leave the temple,
But before you do,
You take a moment to reflect on what you have learned.
Keeping your eyes closed,
Imagine yourself as a monkey swinging from tree to tree in the jungle.
Feel the sensation of your arms and body as you move from branch to branch.
Imagine that each branch is a thought in your mind.
Notice how each thought is different,
But also connected to all the other thoughts.
Take a deep breath and bring your attention to your heart.
Feel the warmth and strength of your heart beating in your chest.
As you breathe in and out,
Imagine that each breath is a wave of peace and calm washing over you.
Now find a branch that feels peaceful.
Notice how the branch is connected to all the other branches.
Take a deep breath and remember that all your thoughts and feelings are connected,
Just like the branches in the jungle.
And remember that thoughts and feelings are like clouds,
Clouds floating across the sky of your mind.
You may notice the clouds,
But the clouds are not the sky.
You may notice the thoughts and feelings,
But thoughts and feelings are not your mind.
You can watch them come,
You can watch them go.
Be at peace and know that you are safe.
Thank you for meditating with me today.
I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day or night.
Remember that when you find yourself starting to feel tense,
Anxious,
Or in pain,
You can use mindful breathing to calm yourself.
Taking even one conscious breath can make a difference.
Five or ten breaths are even better.
Before we go,
Let's take one minute to share some of the good feelings we've generated today with our friends and family,
And with everyone all around this world.
We can spread these good feelings by saying out loud,
Or just thinking,
May all living beings be happy,
Free from suffering,
And full of joy.
May each moment be a reminder of the beauty of life and that we are all connected.
May we all be blessed with peace,
Love,
And compassion.
Namaste.
