Welcome to this guided meditation and visualization.
To start,
Find yourself in a comfortable position,
Whatever that means for you today.
And we'll be here for maybe 10 to 15 minutes.
So finding something that would support you during that time and knowing that you can change positions if you need to.
And so just start,
Get grounded,
Orient with your space.
Maybe your feet are on the ground.
Maybe your back is on the ground.
Just kind of notice yourself in this space.
And maybe look around the room that you're in or the space that you're in,
Orient yourself with your surroundings,
Ensuring that you feel as comfortable as you can during this time.
Orient yourself with sounds in the space that you're in,
Whether they're sounds or sounds that you hear.
And then just look around the room that you're in and orient yourself with sounds that you're in,
Whether they're inside the room or outside of the room.
And take a couple of inhales and exhales,
Just focusing on your natural rate of breathing here.
And I want to also acknowledge the land that each of us is on.
So let's take a moment to notice our feet or our body in touch with the ground,
The earth.
And even if you don't know who the original stewards of the land that you're now on were or are,
Maybe just take a moment to thank whoever was here before.
Find some gratitude for the tending of this land.
The sacredness of this land that you're on.
And find yourself in this moment,
In this place with these sights and sounds around you right now.
And then just look around you,
And just look around you,
And then coming back to your breath,
Continuing inhaling and exhaling,
And allow any thoughts to take up space.
Your eyes might close at this point or keep them open,
Whatever feels more comfortable,
But allow yourself to tune in.
Tune into this feeling of being nurtured.
Allow yourself to rest in this bubble,
This space that you've created for yourself in this moment,
Regardless of what's going on around it,
Outside of it.
And continue to focus on your inhales and exhales throughout this meditation.
And now as we enter this time of year,
May 1 marked the start of Beltane,
Which is this Gaelic celebration that marks the coming of summer and fertility of the coming year.
It brings us to the point on the wheel of the year where the light is now strong enough and bright enough.
It's also the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice.
And so we might feel ourselves kind of stretching and reaching towards the light.
We might see and feel the lushness of nature that is around us,
All this new growth.
And so today,
Imagine that you're at the edge of your favorite place in nature.
This might be a place that you've seen or been to,
Or it may be a place that you've created within yourself.
And feel yourself moving along a path through this place.
You're starting your journey.
And as you're starting your journey,
You're starting to feel yourself moving along a path through this place.
You're starting your journey.
There are really no sounds from the outside world to interfere.
You mostly hear birdsong and the soft ruffle of the leaves as they dance in the spring breezes.
And as you look about,
You see that the leaves on the trees are shiny,
New,
That bright green.
Different shades of green,
Right?
All the trees are at different stages of growth.
And the ground around you is soft with lush moss,
Sprinkled with bright flowers,
Maybe wildflowers,
Maybe other flowers.
And you notice the spring breeze touches you.
And with that,
You inhale deeply this smell of rich,
Moist,
Earthy springtime.
And in this moment,
Maybe you turn your face towards the sun and you let a smile break,
Smiling to yourself.
Eventually,
You find yourself drawn towards one spot where there are several thick bushes grouped together next to a stream.
And allow yourself to be with the sound of the water as it sparkles and flows over the rocks on its way towards the ocean or another large body of water.
And you notice how it glimmers in the sunlight.
The sound of the water running over rocks mixed with the visual of the water sparkling in the sun kind of is almost like this tinkling of little bells.
And you get closer to the stream and feel the water with a hand,
With a foot,
With your whole body,
Whatever feels right for you.
And you notice the temperature and sensations as the water touches your skin.
Maybe your breath deepens as you experience this.
And then perhaps you allow your full body or whatever feels accessible to be in this body of water.
Imagine the water washing over your entire body,
Dissolving anything that's not needed for this growth that will be encouraged for the spring and summer.
Imagine yourself just washing and rinsing away the things that you no longer need,
The things that no longer support you for this next phase of your journey.
And when you feel complete,
You see yourself coming out of the water with clarity and brightness,
Embodying all those characteristics of the water glinting in the sunshine.
As you dry off in the sun,
You find a cozy spot to sit,
Lay,
Or stand next to the water,
Just basking in this sunshine,
Allowing the warmth to dry your body.
And your awareness and senses reach out towards all of the abundant,
Exuberant ways in which nature is bursting with new life all around you.
There's energies of desire and sensuality all around you,
So drawing these energies into your body and letting them connect you to the energy that is marked by this time.
Fully surrendering to your desires for this time,
For the month of May,
And for your life.
And over the next few weeks,
As the light continues to grow stronger,
What are you ready to nurture in the garden of your life?
What inspirational seeds will you plant?
And then how will you fertilize them and encourage them to grow?
Sit with those questions for a few moments,
Just allowing your breath to inhale and exhale naturally.
And when you feel complete,
And if you need more time,
Feel free to pause this and continue to think on these things or journal on these things.
But when you feel complete,
Think this natural area,
This forest,
This spot that you imagined in your mind for giving it,
Giving you all that it did.
And start to move back towards the path that you started on,
Moving back through this natural area.
Maybe you see things differently this time.
Maybe different plants,
Animals,
And trees stand out to you.
Maybe different sounds call to you.
Maybe the same things call to you,
Just noticing whatever you notice.
Just slowly retracing your path until you are back to where you began this visualization,
At the edge of this place.
And stand at the edge once more,
Taking it all in.
Take a deep inhale and exhale.
And then perhaps holding your body in a way that's comforting,
So maybe that's a hand on the belly and a hand on the heart or any other combination,
But holding your body in a way that feels comforting and safe.
Take some cleansing and grounding breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth,
Maybe a couple of those.
And when you feel complete and when you're ready,
Open your eyes slowly and reorient with the space around you,
Just how we started.
Take in the sights,
The sounds.
Notice where your body is in this space.
And notice how you feel in this moment.
Anything goes,
Whatever feelings arise,
Let them be here.
And thank yourself,
Find gratitude for yourself for showing up for you and this practice,
For tending to yourself,
Which is an act of resistance in our society.
Thanks for taking this time for you.
Thanks for allowing me to lead you on this journey.
I'll see you next time.
