Welcome to the Lake Meditation.
This practice is best done lying down.
As you lie here,
Becoming aware of your whole body,
The effect of gravity pulling you down into the mat,
Noticing the support of the ground beneath you,
Relying on it,
Letting your body melt as best you can into the mat or the floor,
Becoming aware of the touch of your clothing,
The air around you,
Noticing the flow of breathing,
Feeling the rhythmic waves of the breath as it moves in and out,
The subtle sensations of breathing.
Inviting you now to picture in your mind's eye an image or sense of a beautiful lake.
It could be a lake that you know well or one from an image or photograph or it could even be an imaginary lake for that matter.
Noticing the qualities of this lake,
The size,
The shape,
The color,
How deep it is,
The land surrounding it,
Noticing any plant life,
Animals or birds in or around the lake,
Observing how the water of the lake is held by the earth,
Cradled and contained,
Resting deeply on the earth,
Fully supported.
At nighttime the moon and stars dance on the lake,
Their light reflecting on its surface.
The surface also reflects the deep shadows of the trees and the land.
In the daytime when the weather is calm,
The water on the lake is smooth,
Flat and mirror-like.
It reflects rocks,
Trees,
Blue sky and clouds.
The surface reflects the sun as it moves across the sky throughout the day.
Tranquil and calm.
But it's the nature of water to move and change.
Maybe something drops into the water from above or a small water creature might cause the surface of the lake to move in ever-increasing circles until they eventually disappear.
Perhaps a breeze begins to blow across the lake and small waves appear,
Reflections distort on the surface.
Sunlight might dance in the rippling waves like a myriad of jewels.
Small leaves may ride the waves lightly,
Much like our attention rides the waves of the breath.
The sound of the breeze moves across the landscape and the waves move to the edge of the lake.
The sound is rhythmic and reaches the ears without effort or strain,
Simply arriving.
The lake changes with the seasons.
In winter the wind picks up,
The waves increase in size,
The surface becomes more turbulent.
At times there may be storms of great intensity that rip up pounding waves and confusion in the water,
Muddying the water.
Even then,
In the depths of the lake,
There is stillness below the surface.
Refuge can be taken in this stillness.
Refuge below the turbulence and confusion up above.
As the storm passes,
The surface of the lake returns to being calmer,
Smoother.
Sounds and movements become gentler.
As you lie here breathing,
You might like to bring this image of a lake inside yourself completely,
So that your being merges with the lake,
Becomes one with it.
Holding all of yourself with openness,
Compassion,
Non-judgment for yourself,
Just as the lake's waters are held by the accepting and safe basin of the earth herself.
Noticing how you two experience moments of quiet and calmness and how it's so much simpler in these moments to be reflective and clear,
To accurately reflect on what is around you and to see with greater clarity what is within you.
In day-to-day life,
As our minds become more unsettled,
Notice how that creates more distortion within our thoughts and emotions.
Seeing our thoughts and feelings as the waves of our being,
Noticing their effects and how our thoughts can whip up even greater turmoil in our minds.
How our minds can become muddied and confused.
But just like the lake,
Knowing that there is a reservoir of awareness beneath the turbulence,
A reservoir of awareness that is still calm and peaceful.
After all,
Isn't having a rippling surface and murky waters part of being a lake?
Even as the storm rages around us,
We can be rich in the knowledge that it will pass and calmness will re-emerge.
Can we hold ourselves with gentleness and kindness through the difficult times,
Cradling with openness and exceptions all that we feel,
Remaining open to our experiences through our bodies and our minds?
Just as the lake sits held,
Cradled,
Contained by the earth,
Reflecting sun,
Moon,
Stars,
Rocks,
Trees,
Clouds,
Sky,
Birds,
Light,
Carried by the air and the wind which bring out and highlight its sparkle,
Its vitality,
Its potential,
Moment by moment.
In the same way,
In your meditation practice and in your daily life,
Perhaps you can be in contact with your thoughts and feelings but also with the vast reservoir of awareness itself residing below the surface of your mind.
If this image is a helpful one to you,
You might like to use it from time to time to deepen and enrich your meditation practice.
You might also invite this late image to guide you and empower your actions in the world as you move through the unfolding of each day to remind you of what it feels like to be open to your experiences,
Whatever they are,
With a sense of receptivity and flow,
Carrying a vast reservoir of mindfulness within your heart.
So let's dwell here in the stillness of this moment,
Embodying the lake in silence now for the remaining time of this meditation that will be signaled by the sound of three bells.
You you you you
