Lying down or sitting up with a straight spine,
Gently close your eyes.
Inhaling slowly through your nostrils,
Filling up the belly and slowly exhaling through pursed lips until all the air has been released.
Repeat this two more times.
Feel the place where your body is in contact with the ground beneath you.
Become aware of any tension that you might be holding in the body and with a breath,
Relax that part of the body.
Give yourself permission to be completely present in this mindfulness exercise.
In this state of relaxation,
I'm going to ask you to visualise a beautiful natural setting.
You can see and hear a stream nearby you.
The water looks clear.
It runs gently with grace and ease.
Something about hearing the water running so freely helps you to feel a sense of freedom also.
You feel the edges of your mouth curl up gently.
Below you is some lovely soft grass.
You feel comfortable,
Relaxed.
It's the perfect temperature.
You can feel the sun's gentle kiss on your skin and a loving cool breeze.
Nearby is a magnificent old tree.
You breathe in the beauty of the place.
Immerse yourself in the visual beauty of this place.
Soak up the different colours,
Tones,
Patterns,
Contrasts.
So much beauty in the world.
What can you smell?
The grass perhaps.
The scent of wild flowers in the breeze.
The damp stones that border the stream.
What can you hear beyond the stream?
The rustling of the leaves in the tree near you.
Birds and insects nearby you.
What can you feel?
The ground under you.
The softness of the grass.
The shade of the tree perhaps.
What can you sense inside in this moment?
Peace perhaps.
Reditude.
Really soak up this experience of being.
You see a leaf next to you.
You pick it up.
Such vibrant colours.
Such intricate,
Delicate patterns.
When your mind produces a thought,
Which it is bound to do,
Imagine placing that thought on the leaf and then placing that leaf on the nearby stream.
And watching as the stream gently takes it away.
Then return to this state of being that you've been practicing.
This is classic Japanese sacred pepper.
I can say that I've always tried to practice When your next thought arises,
Do the same thing.
Place that thought gently in the leaf.
Place that leaf on the stream.
Watch as the water gently takes it away.
Sometimes there feels to be so many thoughts it seems impossible to find so many leaves.
If this is your experience,
I'm waiting to gently connect your forefinger and thumb.
Anchor yourself in the place of contact between the forefinger and thumb.
Anchor yourself in the sensation of the energy that resounds in that touch.
Using our senses to ground.
Using our senses to combat the monkey mind that we in this busy world have become accustomed to.
You are so much more than your thoughts.
You are so much more in your physical form.
You are so much more in your physical form.
This stream will continue to run as you return to your daily life.
And this tree will continue to stand.
This place of peace is always available to you.
The more you practice this mindfulness exercise,
The easier it becomes to detach from the excessive inner dialogue that many of us struggle with.
That many of us fuse with and identify with.
This peace and serenity that you feel is your authentic self.
Now with a gentle inhale through the nostrils,
Bring the air deep down into your belly through the first lips.
Gently exhale.
Gently exhale.
