Welcome to this guided meditation.
Find a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down.
Roll your shoulders to release the tension,
And take a deep breath in and out through your mouth.
Allow your body to relax with each breath.
Take a breath in and release.
Now imagine yourself standing in a lush,
Green meadow.
The grass is green,
Soft beneath your feet,
And a gentle warmth from the late afternoon sun caresses your skin.
You find comfort.
In front of you,
You see a colorful hot air balloon.
Its fabric ripples gently in the breeze.
Take a moment as you continue to breathe,
To admire the balloon's vibrant colors.
Deep deep reds and bright yellows,
And the richest blues and purples.
You start to walk toward the balloon,
And as you get closer,
You notice a sturdy wicker basket attached to the balloon,
Waiting to welcome you.
Bring your hand along the basket's edge,
Sensing its texture.
Feel the smoothness of the wicker.
Now you open the door and step into the basket.
Feel its gentle sway as it adjusts to your weight.
The balloon pilot is someone friendly and calm,
And they smile warmly and nod,
Signaling to you that it's time for your journey to begin.
As the burner ignites,
You hear a soft whoosh.
The balloon begins to fill even more with hot air.
The ropes that tether you to the ground are released,
And you slowly lift off the ground.
Feel the gentle sensation of leaving the earth behind as you rise higher and higher and higher.
Take in all that you see around you.
You are safe and calm and peaceful.
As you begin to rise even farther,
The meadow below grows smaller,
Transforming into a patchwork of greens and golds.
Take a deep breath in and out,
Allowing any tension to float away as you ascend.
As you rise,
Notice the sky around you changing.
The blue of day begins to meld with the warm hues of sunset.
Streaks of orange and pink and lavender paint the horizon.
Breathe in the beauty of this moment and acknowledge this moment.
Bring focus to what you see and what you feel and what you smell.
You're now level with large,
Billowy clouds.
They look like mountains of cotton candy or sponge sugar,
Tinged with the golden light of the setting sun.
Imagine reaching out of the basket and feeling their cool moisture on your fingertips as you ascend slowly through them.
A warm summer breeze caresses your face,
Carrying with it the scent of distant flowers.
Breathe in deeply,
Smelling the different aromas that nature has provided.
Savor the pure,
Clean air.
With each breath,
Feel yourself becoming more relaxed and at peace.
As you float higher still,
The world below seems to shrink.
Cities and towns become tiny clusters of twinkling lights as dusk begins to fall.
Rivers and lakes transform into ribbons and pools of liquid gold,
Reflecting the beautiful sunset.
Take a moment to absorb the absolute tranquility at this height.
Up here,
All your worries and concerns seem small and distant,
Just like those cities and villages below.
Breathe in this sense of perspective and release any tension with each exhalation.
The sun continues its descent into the horizon,
And the sky now becomes a breathtaking canvas of deep purples and fiery oranges.
Shadows begin to twinkle in the darkening eastern sky,
Like diamonds scattered on velvet.
As twilight embraces you,
You feel a profound sense of calm and connection with the world around you.
You are part of this beautiful,
Vast universe,
Floating peacefully among the clouds.
Gradually now,
The balloon begins to descend,
Slowly,
Safely and peacefully.
Feel the subtle shift as you sink slowly through the now violet clouds.
The earth below comes back into focus,
But you carry with you the peace and perspective that you experienced on your journey.
As the balloon touches down gently in the meadow where you began,
Take a deep breath in and out,
In and out.
You realize now that you have had a journey through nature,
With nature,
That is yours now forever.
It is yours to keep,
And that balloon basket is a safe space for you and your pilot to return to that journey whenever you feel the need or the desire.
As the tethers once again root you to the earth and the basket stabilizes,
The door opens,
Swings gently in the breeze,
And you take a step out where you once again can feel the soft grass beneath your feet.
As you emerge from the basket,
We give thanks for what nature has provided,
And you start to return to the setting where you began,
Back to the present moment in your chair or your bed or a bench beside a brook.
Feel the weight of your body as you return,
And when you're comfortable,
Take another deep breath,
Slowly open your eyes,
And give thanks,
Carrying with you the serenity and beauty of your hot air balloon journey.
Thank you.
