This is a L'On Ferency and this meditation is based in the Hebrew Bible story of Jacob grappling with the angel.
To begin,
Sit comfortably with your feet flat on the ground,
Your shoulders loose,
Your hands and arms uncrossed.
Close your eyes when that's something that's safe and comfortable for you.
You may also choose to do this meditation and guided imagery while lying down.
Begin with deep breaths,
Filling up your ribs,
Loosening the muscles that hold your back together,
Warming up or shaking out your shoulders and neck.
Take the breaths deep,
Deep into your diaphragm all the way down to your waist.
Try going a little slower than you might otherwise.
You might even hold the breath after the inhale,
Maybe yawn to stretch the air all the way out to your arms and legs.
Fill up with the safety and the comfort of a good relaxing breath.
Picture yourself at the bank of a small stream.
Could be a creek running through the woods,
A small river in a park,
Or an arroyo in a drier area.
A brook that's not too deep,
Not too wide,
But certainly more than a puddle.
Feel the ground beneath your feet,
The moisture in the air,
The smells of the land around you.
Settle yourself in that spot,
Breathing deeply all the way down your body,
Feeling strong and secure as you contemplate the riverbank on which you stand.
Turn your gaze forward.
Gather yourself.
Picture a figure,
Humanoid,
Female,
Male,
Genderless,
Something or someone looking back at you from the other bank.
It's possible you think it's your own reflection.
When you look at this figure ahead,
Gather up into it something that's been on your mind all week,
Something worrying you,
A deadline,
A fight you had with a loved one,
Personal insecurity.
Understand that figure across the river,
Across that brook,
To be the manifestation of something troubling you,
A distress,
A fear.
But before you go too deep,
Take a deep breath.
Even when we see our anxiety,
We have the chance to be better,
To slow ourselves down.
Breathing deeply,
Gather yourself on the opposite bank,
Across the water from your fear.
Take a deep breath all the way down,
All the way in.
Let it out slowly.
Know that you are strong,
Strong enough to encounter your fear.
Take a step forward.
Gather up your garments and step past the bank to where it gets soft.
Feel your feet in the cool water.
With each breath,
Take a step across the creek,
The river.
With each breath,
Step further towards this figure.
Continue breathing and crossing and crossing and breathing slowly,
Carefully.
With strength and security,
You are safe.
Use a few more breaths to complete the crossing.
When you reach the other side,
Feel the land under your feet,
The ground drier,
More even.
And embrace this mysterious figure.
Wrap your arms around her or him or it,
Just as it or he or she embraces and gathers you in.
Hold each other in a bear hug.
As you breathe,
Notice that this thing you feared so much is warmer.
And gentler.
And more supportive than you would have guessed.
Breathing as it embraces you.
And even as you hold it tight,
It is holding you up.
Why were you so afraid?
Continue breathing.
Continue hugging.
Continue to be held.
And listen.
As it leans in,
This strange,
Mysterious creature that you thought a curse leans in.
As you breathe in,
It whispers to you.
Breathe deeply.
As you breathe in,
You hear the words you needed to hear.
Perhaps that you are loved.
Perhaps you hear that you are stronger than you knew.
Perhaps you hear that you are truly blessed.
As you breathe in,
Maybe the words are just that you can.
You can.
You can.
Keep breathing through the embrace.
And breathe in and out as you let the image fade.
Continue breathing as the image fades.
And when you're ready,
Let your eyes open.
Blessings.
