Lesson 1
Introduction To Writing Meaningful Meditations Course
It is a real gift to write, record and share meaningful meditations with others. To contribute to changing how others feel, to rekindle the light within them, and to make a positive contribution to the energy of the world. And it’s a beautiful side-effect of being in service to others, that the impact on you and your own energy is profound. I speak from experience; you will never feel better!
In this course, Writing Meaningful Meditations, I will teach you how to write meditations using the beautiful teachings of the Tao. (The Tao is spelled TAO but pronounced DOW) You will learn how to write meditations that bring in the natural energies that have been on our planet since the dawn of time, to feel happier and more fulfilled. To synchronize with the pulse of nature and pivot towards flow and acceptance, releasing resistance and struggle.
There are three key understandings of the Tao, and these are
Connection – between us all and also with everything
Balance – when one part of out of balance, all parts are affected
Flow – non-resistance to what is going on around you
Writing meditations, including these three key understandings helps reach for the serenity in life. Helps them keep things simple and straightforward. Helps them feel happier.
Are you ready to get writing meaningful meditations? Day 2 is an introduction to the Tao. Day 3 teaches Tao Meditation Structure. Day 4 is writing meditations incorporating the natural energies of the Tao. Day 5 is the conclusion and includes a personal experience of one of my own Tao meditations. You are going to love the way you feel. I look forward to welcoming you into my classroom.
And you are invited to join my Insight Timer group: it’s called Debra’s Peaceful Space. You will enjoy it if you would like daily guidance from the Tao, guidance for life, meditation recommendations, as well as reminders of the LIVE meditations we do together.
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Lesson 2
Introduction To The Tao
The Tao loosely translated means your path or your life’s journey and is experienced by all of us. The Tao represents the fundamental nature of the universe, the origin, the creator. The Tao is made up of eight trigrams of nature, eight natural energies that combine together to form the yin/yang or Tai Chi.
These natural energies have been present on our planet since the dawn of time; for billions of years, and each of them has special characteristics. It is possible for us to align with these natural energies of the Tao and bring this expansive energy into our lives to support us as we walk our path to purpose and a beautiful life.
The Tao cannot be accurately defined nor expressed in words. In this way, it mirrors quantum mechanics, in that it can be observed, and it can be experienced, but never fully defined, quantified, or understood. In Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism, the object of spiritual practice is to become ‘one with the Tao’. We do this by synchronizing with the pulse of nature, and by pivoting towards these light-expanding natural energies. In this way we allow and experience non-resistance, we release the struggle.
The key understandings of the Tao are
Connection – between us all and also with everything
Balance – when one part of out of balance, all parts are affected
Flow – non-resistance to what is going on around you
The Tao teaches that the fundamental law underlying everything in the universe is utterly plain and simple, no matter how complicated life may appear. From the Tao, we learn to reach for the serenity in each situation, to keep it simple and straightforward.
The Tao is the process by which the universe expresses itself and teaches that the only constant in life is change – change is all about accepting movement in your life, with ease, allowing for transformation, accepting your path, living in the ‘now’ and embracing the moment.
The Tao shows you that there are seasons – spring, summer, autumn, and winter. That there is a constant opening and closing of energy for all of us. Every day has seasons, every situation has seasons, every experience has seasons, every life has seasons. Things start, they develop, and they end. This is a natural unfolding process and something to embrace, not to fear. Endings are beginnings.
The Tao is the natural order of the universe. The Tao keeps the world balanced and flowing. The Tao encompasses chi, the essential energy of ‘all’. The Tao is your being-ness, your deep knowing that you are more than your physical body and that the purpose of your life on earth is to make a difference.
The Tao is accepting that you are here on earth for the evolution of your soul and that this is accomplished through experiencing hardships or negative collapsed energy, and then choosing your light or positive expanding energy. Through experiencing life’s challenges, you find your place of peace and calm within. There is a plan for your life; a perfect life experience that you wanted. All of it – including the lumps and bumps. The great news is that in understanding the Tao, you also know that you wrote happiness, peace, contentment, and joy into your plan. Through the teachings of the Tao, you can learn how to choose that.
The Tao is intrinsically connected to the yin yang or Tai Chi, and to the eight original building blocks of nature which are called trigrams. The eight trigrams of the Tao together form the yin yang, the Tai Chi.
The eight trigrams or natural energies are called thunder and lake, mountain and wind, water and fire, earth, and heaven.
Your life becomes a process of accepting and working within the flow of positive expanding energy and negative collapsed energy; between the Tai Chi and the eight trigrams of nature. As you accept your soul’s plan for this lifetime, your soul’s desire for a life experience, you also understand that this planet that you live on is a creative environment and that with your free will you are creating your life.
Through the teachings of the Tao, you deeply appreciate the energy that is inbuilt on our planet, and that you can access this energy to live a happier life. You appreciate that you are more than your physical body. You understand that we are all energetically connected to each other, to the planet and to ALL. You remember that when one part is out of balance, all parts are affected. You understand that life is all about flow, about non-resistance, about releasing the struggle and accepting.
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Lesson 3
Tao Meditation Structure
It is normal for a meditation to be divided into a beginning, middle and end, but for these meditations, we are going to work with the three key understandings of the Tao. Connect, Balance and Flow.
When composting your meditations, you will start with the first understanding of the Tao: Connect.
In this part of your script, you will do a couple of things
1. Welcome your listeners and introduce yourself – say a little about your intention for the meditation, maybe a little about the genre, about why you love to meditate in this way. It’s lovely for participants to get to know you a little, so don’t shy away from personalizing.
2. Get participants set up to meditate – posture, eyes, breath.
Particularly in my LIVE meditations, I like to remind participants not to cross their arms and legs, but to allow their body to create a flow of energy within. What would you like to suggest for your participants?
I find it best to meditate with my eyes closed to eliminate outside distractions, and I guide my participants to do just this. Gently to close eyes, to make sure eyelids are soft and quietly resting. For your meditation – what would you like participants to do?
How to guide for breath work and breathing in your meditation is a personal choice. Sometimes I just remind participants to breathe normally, sometimes I guide them to take a deeper breath at certain points in the meditation. Sometimes I guide them to breathe in light and to breathe out dark. Once again, what would you like your meditators to do?
For posture, eyes and breath describe what works best for you, and how you would like them to experience your meditation.
Next you will move into Balance – the second understanding of the Tao.
1. This is where you get them engaged with a story or a lesson – during this time all that is required is to stay focused on your voice. This provides the opportunity for going deeper and deeper into contemplation without too much effort. And also creates easy separation into meditation from daily life, which is usually busy and chaotic.
And finally, the third key understanding of the Tao, which is Flow.
There are three parts to creating flow in your meditation script.
1. Participation – this is generally done using gentle repetition. Slow, steady and even hypnotic use of language to get involved fully.
2. Contemplation – by now they will have reached a beautiful contemplative state and are in a position to receive wisdom from their higher self, their guides, God or their angels. Prompt this inspiration with thought-provoking questions, or simply give guidance, space and time for this to happen.
3. Conclusion – find some unique and key ways to conclude your meditation. For example, this is how I’m going to conclude our lesson for today:
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Lesson 4
Meditations Incorporating The Natural Energies Of The Tao
Fire Energy represents growth and charisma and is clear, warm, bright and enlightened.
You are creating a Fire Energy meditation when you are
1. Focusing on bringing in awareness for your meditators
2. Encouraging them to shine their light brightly
3. Supporting personal growth and individual development
The Tao vocabulary for Fire Energy is:
Charismatic, light, shining, remarkable
Bright, true to self, approachable
Aware, sensing, sensitive, clear
Courageous, brave, open-minded, fearless
Independent, growing, enlightened, bold
Dazzling, captivating, likeable, attractive, sparkling
Earth Energy represents self-love and cherishing and is life-giving and nourishing.
You are creating an Earth Energy meditation when you are
1. Focusing on inner certainty and respecting self
2. Encouraging self-love as a priority
3. Supporting inner worth and feeling important, significant and valued
The Tao vocabulary for Earth Energy is:
Loving self, cherishing, feeling nourished
Life-giving, nourishing
Respecting self, making self a priority
Giving and receiving love easily, effortlessly connecting
Yin Energy, Earth Energy, receptive, still, tranquil
Lake Energy represents positivity and communication and is joy, depth without overflowing.
You are creating a Lake Energy meditation when you are
1. Focusing on creativity, expression and ideas
2. Encouraging childlike playfulness and possibility
3. Supporting positivity and optimism
The Tao vocabulary for Lake Energy is:
Intuitive, trusting gut reaction
Ideas, imagination, possibilities
Expressive, creative, positive, optimistic, childlike
Clear honest direct communication,
Light-hearted, good-natured
Playful, mischievous, fun,
Thunder Energy represents power and connection, it denotes release and heralds nourishment.
You are creating a Thunder Energy meditation when you are
1. Focusing on being of service, on being a helpful good person who is making a contribution
2. Encouraging organization and efficiency, effective use of time
3. Supporting meaningful and safe, strong connections within families, workplaces or other teams.
The Tao vocabulary for Thunder Energy is:
Inspirational, in service, a good person, helpful
Strong, powerful, inner strength
Change, get things done
Create order, being organized, efficient
Meaningful connections, safe close friendships
Free, accepting of situations and others
Heaven Energy represents perspective and support and is creation energy.
You are creating a Heaven Energy meditation when you are
1. Focusing on the bigger perspective, and being boundless with no limits
2. Encouraging the giving and receiving of support in life
3. Inspiring the putting on of a ‘superhero cape’, awakening the superhero within
The Tao vocabulary for Heaven Energy is:
Perspective
Giving and receiving support in life
Creation of life
Mighty and unrestricted, boundless
Bringing the energy of Heaven to Earth
Water Energy represents flow and empowerment and has depth, is flowing, fluid, reflective and still.
You are creating a Water Energy meditation when you are
1. Focusing on being compassionate, heart-centred, loving and gentle
2. Encouraging the walking of a confident path to purpose and a beautiful life
3. Supporting a life of flow, a life that is non-judgemental with boundaries
The Tao vocabulary for Water Energy is:
Compassionate, heart-centred, loving, enfolding
Empowered, decisive, confident, accepted
Authentic, having boundaries
Deep, calm, still, gentle
Nourishing others, flowing through life, non-judgmental
Mountain Energy represents trust and wisdom and is constant, everlasting, durable, all seeing, always there.
You are creating a Mountain Energy meditation when you are
1. Focusing on strength, steadiness and wisdom
2. Encouraging trust, faith and hope
3. Supporting lifelong learning
The Tao vocabulary for Mountain Energy is:
Spiritual, connected, observer, mystical explorer
Strong, steady
Evaluator, insightful, perceptive
Wisdom, faith, trust
Verbal and non-verbal interpreter
Relaxed, supportive, serious, constant
Wind Energy represents kindness and generosity and is always moving and gentle.
You are creating a Wind Energy meditation when you are
1. Focusing on intentions and attracting the good things in life
2. Encouraging kindness and generosity
3. Supporting others through significant life changes
The Tao vocabulary for Wind Energy is:
Intellectual, commanding presence
Curious, inquisitive, inner power
Kind, generous, sharing blessings
Supercharged, always moving, very smart
Gentle, deep thinker, unique mind,
Tai Chi Energy is balanced, allowing and non-resistant.
You are creating a Tai Chi Energy meditation when you are
1. Focusing on inner peace, living with balance, being happy and whole
2. Encouraging non-resistance, letting go of struggle
3. Supporting mental steadiness and emotional stability
The Tao vocabulary for Tai Chi Energy is:
Balance, allowing, non-resistant
Mental steadiness
Emotional stability
Calm behaviour and judgement, poise, composure
Harmony, peace, tranquility
Trusted advisor, valuable guidance, great advice
As mentioned earlier, these words for each of the Tao energies is in the lesson description for your easy reference.
This expansion of Tao teachings flows from my own work at the cutting edge of modern metaphysics. This is my unique interpretation of the ancient natural energies of the Tao, and I would be very grateful for credit if you choose to use the Tao vocabulary. Simply state: this meditation is based on the work of Dr. Debra Ford who has many courses based on the Tao on Insight Timer.
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Lesson 5
Conclusion: Writing Meaningful Meditations Course
In this course, “Writing Meaningful Meditations“, you have learned how to write meditations that bring in the natural energies that have been on our planet since the dawn of time, to help feel happier and more fulfilled. To synchronize with the pulse of nature and pivot towards flow and acceptance, releasing resistance and struggle.
You know how to incorporate the three key understandings of the Tao, which are
Connection – between us all and also with everything
Balance – when one part of out of balance, all parts are affected
Flow – non-resistance to what is going on around you
Writing meditations this way helps create a meaningful experience. From the Tao, we learn to reach for the serenity in each situation, to keep it simple and straightforward. To feel happier.
Thank you for spending time with me in this course. My name is Dr. Debra Ford and I appreciate you more than words can say. Connect with me and your fellow students in the Insight Timer classroom. And remember, you are invited to join my Group: Debra’s Peaceful Space for daily Tao divination. We also meditate LIVE together and in Group and we would love to welcome you join our community.
Sending love, from me to you.
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