Hello,
This is Dr.
Shaniqua.
Today I am going to lead us through a guided visualization that helps us cope with adversity by journeying through the essence of nature,
Inviting the strength of the mountain,
The flow of water,
And the rooted wisdom of the tree into our being.
As we begin,
Come into a comfortable sitting posture,
Allowing your body to settle into position,
Taking a few moments here to settle into a position that feels supportive.
A position that allows you to sit with dignity,
But not tense,
Relaxed,
And yet strong.
Checking in with the body and noticing whether you need to make any adjustments to your posture.
And when you are ready,
Gently closing your eyes.
And let's begin with a few cleansing breaths,
Breathing deeply in through the nose and then exhaling through the mouth.
Let's do this together,
Starting with a slow,
Deep inhale and exhaling through the mouth.
Feeling the shoulders,
The neck,
The back release on the exhale.
Doing this one more time,
Breathing in through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
And exhaling through the mouth.
Now letting your breath resume its normal rhythm.
Now as you sit,
Imagine yourself as a great mountain,
Vast and tall.
Feel the weight of your body sinking into the earth,
Not just held by the earth,
But part of it.
Just as a mountain is deeply connected to the land beneath it,
So too are you,
Rooted,
Grounded,
Steady.
Feel the strength and stability of the earth rising through your body along your spine,
From your feet or your seat,
Up through your lower back,
Your middle back,
Long and erect,
Your upper back,
All the way up into the crown of your head,
The mountain's peak.
Breathing in strength,
Breathing out stability.
No matter what comes,
The mountain remains through rain,
Snow,
Fire,
Wind,
Drought,
The mountain stands firm,
Tall,
Steady,
And unwavering.
Pushing up out of the earth and into the sky,
The mountain stands through the passage of time.
Now take a moment to rest in this stillness,
In your stillness,
In your strength,
In your capacity for surviving the storms of time.
Rest in your mountain essence.
Now allow the mountain to fade from your mind and imagine yourself as water,
Maybe a river or an ocean,
A lake,
Any body of water,
That emerges for you,
Smooth,
Adaptable,
And endlessly moving.
Feel into the softness of your body as it ebbs and flows with each breath,
In the same way that water ebbs and flows This is what water does,
It does not resist,
It flows,
Moving around obstacles with ease,
Carving through stone with soft yet persistent force,
Water always finds its way,
It shifts and adapts,
It changes its form,
Contracting,
Expanding,
Transmuting from liquid to solid to gas,
As the need arises,
Water changes and yet its essence is always the same.
We are mostly water,
And like water we can allow ourselves to move with ease,
Floating with the current of life,
Knowing that when obstacles arise we can flow around them,
We can move them,
We can even reshape or destroy them.
So feel yourself flowing like water,
Smooth,
Soft,
Fluid,
Purifying,
Capable of wearing down any obstacle in your path,
Let yourself drift in this feeling of effortless movement,
You are water.
Now allow the water to fade from your mind,
And imagine yourself as a tree,
Your feet like roots extending deep into the earth,
Your arms and spine are the trunk,
Strong,
Resilient,
Nourishing,
Your head and fingertips are the branches reaching toward the sky,
Open to light,
Growth,
And possibility.
With each breath you draw nourishment from the soil and the sun,
Transforming it into food for yourself and for the earth.
You create oxygen out of sunshine and water,
Enabling all of the earth to breathe,
You protect the earth from erosion,
From the sun's rays,
You offer a home to the earth's creatures,
You honor your cycles of growth,
Blooming,
Shedding,
Creating,
Resting,
You allow parts of you to die so that you can birth new life,
You are harmony embodied,
Rooted,
And expansive.
Feel the balance and harmony within your own body,
The ways that you change through the seasons,
Your capacity to protect,
To transform,
To nurture yourself and others,
Feel into your tree nature,
Your rooted wisdom and creativity,
You are the tree.
Now take a deep breath in,
Now take a deep breath out,
Breathing together the strength of the mountain,
The flow of water,
And the rooted wisdom of the tree.
As you inhale and exhale,
Feel these energies within you,
Solid yet adaptable,
Soft and strong,
Grounded and free.
You are strength,
You are stability,
You are ease,
You are transformation,
You are purposeful destruction,
You are rootedness,
You are balance,
You are nurture,
You are nature,
You are whole,
And wholly capable of facing whatever obstacles and adversity stand in your way.
Thank you for meditating with me.
