Beginning today,
As with all others,
By moving into our most comfortable meditation position.
But as we do that,
This time let's bring to mind a quick thought,
Appreciation,
And gratitude for ourselves for showing up today as well.
Wherever you are,
Continue to relax.
Relieve the mind of any small movements it desires.
Feel any remaining tension melt away from the body and release into the ground that is supporting you.
Shifting our awareness now to our ever-present tie to life,
Our breath.
Notice the subtle movements created in the body as you inhale slowly through the nose,
Sending air deep into the abdomen at first,
And then allowing it to fill from there into the rest of your body.
Exhaling in the same fashion and lightly drawing navel toward the spine at the bottom of the breath.
Over the next few moments,
Continue to find balanced,
Slow,
And calm breath,
Eventually letting the breath fade into the background of your awareness over time as the mind begins to wander and we prepare to move more into the realm of the imagination.
And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul.
John Weir.
And your mind's eye begin to awaken into a forest of old.
An ancient forest that was here long before our time and will remain if untouched long after we have moved on to another life.
The trees that surround you tower into the sky,
Seeming to touch the clouds.
Their canopy high above you,
Allowing only small rays of sunlight to slip through,
Dotting the landscape in small golden patches,
Illuminating the immense trunks and giant roots that branch out in all directions,
Connecting this living world.
You reach out and gently place a hand against the nearest tree,
Feeling the soft and delicate moss that wraps most of the entire forest like a huge vibrant green blanket.
Holding your hand in place,
You breathe deeply.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
As you breathe,
You can feel the tree breathing with you in response.
The energy contained within it answers your touch,
As if saying you belong here too.
You are safe here.
We are one.
Knowing this,
You begin to move forward one step at a time,
One breath at a time.
A playful breeze moves through the forest,
Winding around your body and bringing with it the scent of the earth and distant sounds you did not hear before.
Wildlife,
Rustling leaves,
The voices of the forest.
Each step you take,
You can feel the vast network of life underneath your feet,
Guiding you and supporting you forward.
Soon,
A tiny clearing appears and as you move past the tree line into the clearing,
A light rain begins.
To your surprise,
It is warm and welcoming.
Deciding to stop here,
You lay down on the soft grass beneath you,
Gazing up at the sky as the rain falls from above.
Supported by the ground below,
You can't help but feel enveloped in the energy of this place.
Aware of the life that persists in such cyclical balance,
Not so different from your own.
Maybe we are much closer to nature than we often feel at times.
And so here we remain to reaffirm and reinvigorate that connection,
Knowing when it is time to move on,
That we will do so together.
Still in our mind's eye,
Slowly begin to stand and walk out of the clearing.
With every step we take,
The pristine ancient forest fades a little more.
The rain slows,
The sounds drift into the distance until nothing is left but our breath.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Slowly begin to open your eyes when it feels right to you.
Allow the light of the world to bring form to your surroundings once more.
Let the body make any small movements it desires.
As we move from here into whatever comes next,
Know this space is always available to you should you need it.
Until next time,
And with love,
Namaste.
