Hello and welcome to this meditation on friendship.
This is part of the Meditations from the Hammock series.
Perhaps you are in a hammock or maybe you prefer to be seated in a comfortable chair on a meditation cushion or some other way.
Or perhaps you prefer to be reclined on a mat in bed or another comfortable way.
Today's topic is friendship.
You are invited to soften into your space,
Closing the eyes or having a soft gaze and take a few breaths allowing time to bring your whole self into this space.
Inhaling and exhaling.
Continuing a few more rounds of breath,
Perhaps breathing all the way down into the belly,
Feeling the belly expand on the inhale and notice the belly contract on the exhale.
Finding a natural flow with the breath.
Inhaling and exhaling.
Take a few more rounds of breath following your own pace.
And then when you're ready,
After an exhale,
Allow your natural breath to take over.
And if you prefer to experience this meditation mostly in stillness,
Make yourself a little bit more comfortable.
You might choose to add in some props or a blanket,
Pillows.
If you prefer a bit more creative movement during this meditation,
You might choose to sketch,
Draw or journal during this meditation as the prompts are shared.
Whatever you choose,
Let your imagination have full rein here.
Take creative license and let your heart,
Body,
Mind,
Soul and spirit experience true friendship.
I'll share some quotes and scriptures about friendship and then I'll pause to allow for silence and reflection.
A friend is one that knows you as you are,
Understands where you have been,
Accepts what you have become and still gently allows you to grow.
Shakespeare A friend loves at all times.
Proverbs 17 17 15 Greater love has no one than this,
To lay down one's life for one's friends.
John 15 13 Dear friends,
Let us love one another,
For love comes from God.
1 John 4 7 A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.
Albert Hubbard There is nothing better than a friend,
Unless it is a friend with chocolate.
Linda Grayson I would rather walk with a friend in the dark than alone in the light.
Helen Keller Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.
Martin Luther King Jr.
True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable.
David Tyson Gentry We will now have a time of personal prayer and reflection.
I will now offer a friendship blessing.
May you be blessed with good friends.
May you learn to be a good friend to yourself.
May you be able to journey to that place in your soul where there is great love,
Warmth,
Feeling and forgiveness.
May this change you.
May it transfigure that which is negative,
Persistent or cold in you.
May you be brought into the real passion,
Kinship and affinity of belonging.
May you treasure your friends.
May you be good to them and may you be there for them.
May they bring you all the blessing,
Challenges,
Truth and light that you need for your journey.
May you never be isolated.
May you always be in the gentleness of belonging.
Thank you for being here for this meditation on friendship.
My prayer is that you will be a better friend to yourself.
A better friend to yourself today than you were yesterday.
And that you also might think of dear friends,
Draw them to your heart and say a prayer,
Offer them a friendship blessing or send them warm wishes.
All the best to you my friend.
Blessings,
Blessings,
Blessings.
