Heart Garden Meditation

This meditation takes you into the garden of your heart center. Which part do you need to adjust, who do you invite inside? Which parts of the garden are abundant and which parts need fixing. Visit your heart garden every day.

Transcript

And so as you're bringing more and more awareness of how you have been taking care of yourself,

Just as if you're imagining that somewhere on your left 45 degrees onto the side,

Maybe a meter or so away there is a screen where you see your past self who has been doing all of these things.

And if you can extend your gratitude to your past self and gently,

Kindly,

Lovingly express,

Hey,

Thanks for doing that.

That was really amazing.

I truly know you love me with these acts of kindness.

I know I'm never alone.

Notice that your past self perhaps also needs some acknowledgement that at times this was not easy.

So if you can also extend your gratitude and sharing,

Hey,

That was hard.

And maybe the degree of difficulty varies from one thing to the other.

And then kindly,

Gently,

Lovingly extending your appreciation and sharing,

Hey,

Even though it was hard,

You still did it.

Thank you.

So when we talk really about self-compassion,

It's finding the way of opening our hearts so that they are touched with tenderness,

With warmth.

And they're also vibrant and strong,

Our hearts,

When they do that.

Because if they have not been visited for a long,

Long time,

Then it may be quite difficult for our hearts to endure this sense of appreciation,

Even if it's going towards ourselves.

So then our hearts will close and the criticism and self-blame may come in instead.

So let's try and explore and go for an adventure of visiting our heart center.

And I know some of you think that or see or feel heart center where the physical heart is,

But just for this time,

I invite you to actually look at the heart center literally as the middle of your chest,

Above your diaphragm.

And if you imagine that there is a heart center,

And if you imagine that there is a circle that is covering the whole area of the chest,

And in the middle of that circle,

There is a cross so that the circle is split into four areas.

And in a moment,

I'm going to invite you to go for a journey into your heart.

And we will visit each part of the circle,

Beginning first with the upper left part.

And as we go into the upper left part,

I first invite you to imagine that each part is actually at the rim of the circle,

Is some form of a boundary.

It could be a gate,

It could be a wall,

And in this part of this heart center,

Inside there is a tree.

So,

I invite you first to go and look,

Is this tree fully exposed?

Is there a boundary that is announcing,

Do not enter unless invited?

Do not enter unless invited.

And notice what is your boundary created,

What kind of material,

It could be wood,

It could be brick,

It could be glass,

Anything works as long as it feels right for you.

So,

Go and visit the boundary and see if it is crumbled,

If it's ruined,

Damaged,

Demolished in any way,

And as you visit it,

Just go and fix it,

Making sure that it's as high as needed.

So,

When you step inside of the circle and begin to walk towards the tree,

You feel that this is truly your space.

No one gets invited unless personally delivered the invitation from you.

So,

As you now feel that your fence is fixed,

Go and approach the tree.

And notice what kind of tree it is.

Is it tall,

Is it small?

And notice how you feel just by being in the center of the tree.

Are you feeling nourished,

Are you feeling that something is not quite right?

So,

Go ahead and fix the tree.

This tree represents your body.

And notice how you feel just by being inside the tree.

And right here,

Right now,

You can trim all the branches that are broken.

You can remove all the leaves that are fallen.

Notice what kind of bark is on the tree.

Is there anything that bark needs to have?

So that it's healed a little bit more.

Right here,

Right now,

You can also go into the roots and check what is the state of the roots.

Are they deep enough?

Are they long enough?

Go ahead and fix all the parts of the tree that need fixing and healing.

And you can fix it in such a way so that you know,

Yes,

This is my tree,

This is my body.

And deeply from the heart center,

You can tend to your tree garden,

Remembering that that needs to be visited every day.

Even now,

While you were looking at the tree,

Check again,

The fence,

The boundary,

Perhaps it crumbled again.

Notice how is the grass around the tree.

And when you feel that everything is just right,

You can move to the next part,

The bottom left part.

It's a different part of the garden.

In this garden,

It's a flower garden.

It can be any garden you want with any kind of flowers,

Whatever feels right for you.

But before you go and take a look at your garden,

Check first what is the fence like.

This part of the garden represents your emotions.

And notice if the fence is damaged,

If it is there,

If it is crumbled,

What kind of material is it made it from?

And go ahead and fix it so that it feels just right.

And then you can fix it in such a way that you can move to the next part of the garden.

And go ahead and fix it so that it feels just right.

Nobody can step into your garden,

Unless you invite them.

And check the state of the garden inside.

Has it been stepped on?

Are there enough bees and butterflies?

Or is it a Zen garden?

It can be any kind of garden you feel right.

And go ahead and fix anything that needs fixing so that you feel just right.

And go ahead and fix anything that needs fixing so that you feel fully nourished when you are in that part of the garden.

All your emotions come to the balance.

Notice what kind of weather feels right there.

Sunny,

Is there a breeze?

Make it just right so that you feel nourished.

Notice what kind of soil is there.

So if there are any tree flowers or if there is any grass,

Are there any bugs eating it?

Go and clear all of that.

And just before you leave,

Take a look at your fence,

At the boundary.

Is it still intact?

Did it crumble yet?

And if it did,

Go ahead and fix it.

As you move to the next part of the garden,

That is bottom right part.

In the bottom right part,

There is a forest.

This part of the garden represents your mind.

Notice what kind of forest is your forest like and what kind of boundary makes it just your forest.

Is it only made by trees or is there any other way where you can let others know not to step inside?

Permission only.

And notice what kind of forest is it.

Is it thick and dark?

Bright and sunny?

Are there branches that are a little bit overgrown?

Are trees too close to each other,

Preventing them to grow?

So go ahead and clear anything that needs clearing.

Are trees healthy?

Kindly,

Gently,

Lovingly,

Enabling this forest to feel really right for you.

Inviting any animals you feel you would want to have there.

Sound of the birds.

And it feels just right for you in this part of the garden.

You go to the last part of the four,

The upper right.

And this garden is the wildflower garden.

This is the garden representing your spirit.

So go ahead and check the fence.

Making sure that you have the way of protecting your spirit.

And bringing as many colors as you wish into your wildflower garden.

Letting this part be full expression of joy and freedom.

Where your spirit can be healed.

Each and every time you visit this part.

And now as you have all four parts protected so that you can feel safe inside.

Knowing you can visit any part whenever you want.

You go now to the very center.

At the very center of the circle there is a fountain.

And from this fountain there are four ways that take the water into all four parts of the garden.

Now go ahead and check how is your fountain.

Is there water?

Is there enough water?

Is the water flowing?

Are there any blockages?

Preventing water to go to all the other parts.

Nourishing them.

What kind of fountain is your fountain?

Notice if you would like to have any benches there.

It's really just by sitting there by the fountain and making sure that everything is functioning there.

You're also helping all other parts be filled with life.

Now remembering that this is your garden.

It's a place where you feel nourished.

Filled with joy.

And you get to invite anyone you want.

So who would you like to have with you in your garden?

It could be an imaginary friend.

Someone you already know.

Someone who would know even without explaining anything.

They would know exactly how to take care of all parts of the garden.

And also remembering that it's okay if there is no such person or being at the moment.

This place is yours truly.

Now go ahead and stay there as long as you wish.

And if you would like you could also make a few notes or just stay as you are.

Letting go of the practice and.

.

.

Just gently focusing on your breath and savouring the moment.