When depression takes a hold of you,
Life seems to have no direction.
There seems to be no compass as if you're lost at sea.
And no matter how hard those around you can try to motivate you and get you on track,
It becomes clear that only you can discipline yourself.
In this meditation,
I'm going to guide you through a relaxing process that will help heal depression by freeing your mind and body of stagnancy that are keeping you stuck so that you can be at peace and see things with the eyes of the lion.
The discipline of the lion allows grace to arise,
Which brings energy and pleasure to life.
Find a quiet place to sit and do what you can to prevent distractions.
Allow yourself to be comfortable in any meditative posture.
You can be cross-legged in a chair,
On your knees,
Or simply lying down.
If you prefer,
Now is the time to gently close your eyes and mouth.
Let's start by taking a deep breath in through the nose,
And then out through the nose.
Rest your attention now on your breath as it will be your anchor throughout this meditation.
If thoughts arise,
Acknowledge them and let them go.
Simply return to the breath.
Allow each inhalation and exhalation to bring you clear presence and awareness of the basic goodness of life.
Give yourself permission to relax now,
Unwind now,
And allow the natural state of being to fill the space.
Breathe in relaxation.
Breathe out tension.
Breathe in love.
Breathe out courage.
You are here listening to this guided meditation because you've used some degree of discernment to know you wanted to do something positive for your circumstance,
And then you acted upon it.
This is something you can already feel good about.
You've shown understanding and courage.
This is admirable and a sign of inner strength.
Not only that,
But it feels good to have a plan for your life.
The lion's stance represents discipline,
Nobility,
And grace.
The lion isn't fooled by the other animals in the kingdom.
It doesn't chase after everything thrown its way,
Not like a dog.
Rather,
The lion surveys the vast,
Open plains and discerns before its reaction whether or not it's worth going after.
Only by creating an atmosphere of discipline can we experience the outer reaches of our possibilities.
Let's take in some nice,
Relaxed breaths of air.
Breathe in 2,
3,
4.
Breathe out 2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Breathe in 2,
3,
4.
Breathe out 2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Breathe in 2,
3,
4.
Breathe out 2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
You are not your thoughts.
Right now,
Try being the observer and connect to the presence that dwells within you.
Now imagine a majestic lion sitting on top of a rocky hill overlooking the grasslands.
Its distinctive mane of hair and golden color blends in with the grass.
Its hair is moved gracefully by the wind.
Its body is in a resting stance and its eyes are softly gazing across the vast landscape below.
The lion is content because it has direction in its life.
It shows no signs of anxiety,
Depression,
Or disturbance.
It doesn't have the habit of just thinking about itself.
It functions within a pride where there is order and consideration for all.
The lion mind does not drift off or become sloppy.
Its mental alertness is sharp and expressive.
Thinking when to pounce and when to rest is part of the lion's everyday activities.
As you breathe naturally and fully,
You see the lion's breathing cycle is mimicking yours.
Notice how the lion's rib cage expands and contracts as does yours,
Perfectly in sync with yours.
Now begin to put your eyes into the eyes of the lion and look out onto the expansive grasslands below.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
You are now in the lion's body.
What do you see?
How does it feel to be in the body of such a powerful and majestic creature?
Continue following your breathing cycle from start to finish and feel this new body move for the next few moments.
Thank you and Scar Imperial Heritage Hotel awarded.
Let each inhalation and exhalation to bring you more presence into this very moment.
To the lion's body as it rests upon the rock in the lion's stance.
As you continue soaking up this presence,
This awareness with the lion.
As you breathe,
You can sense the atmosphere of confidence and discipline surrounding this majestic animal.
Breathe in and breathe out.
If your mind gets distracted,
This is okay.
Acknowledge that it's there and simply rest within your breath once more.
What does your body feel like?
Go deeper into this feeling,
Paying special attention to the energy that animates this beautiful creature.
Can you feel the power of this wild social predator?
Can you sense the atmosphere of confidence and discernment surrounding you and your pride?
Notice the various animals that are running along the grasslands below you.
In your lion's stance,
You can see the zebra,
Buffalo,
Wild beast,
Warthog,
Gazelle,
Giraffe,
Elephant,
And rhinoceros.
You and your pride have eaten and your needs have been met.
You are relaxing in this stance.
You are engaging in virtue from being a disciplined being,
Creature that doesn't go after every little thing that comes its way.
The mind of the lion is stable and knows what it truly needs to be content and satisfied.
You are enjoying simply being alive as a lion at ease.
In this graceful state,
You don't get distracted or react automatically.
You are aware of your energy field and it exudes an air of confidence and discernment.
You are not the slovenly dog chasing its tail.
You are the majestic lion surveying the landscape of your mind.
The animals traveling through the grasslands below are like your thoughts.
They are not beckoning your attention.
They are simply there passing through and you are fully present to acknowledge them.
You are not your thoughts and emotions just as the lion is not the desire to hunt after every creature it can see.
It knows when to rest and when to pounce.
Just let it all go and connect to the presence within you now.
Breathe in and out.
As the lion,
You are comfortable,
You are at ease and you can feel your pride near you.
They are content and relaxing right now with you.
You can feel the warmth of the sun on the rock you were laying on.
You can feel the warm breeze passing over your body moving your hair and mane.
You can see all the other animals of the kingdom passing by through the grasslands beneath you,
Below you.
Nothing is bothering you,
You in your lion's stance.
You are not disturbed.
Everything is at a distance in some way or another.
And just in this sense,
Your thoughts and emotions are also at a distance right now.
In this lion's stance,
You have created a gentle,
Strong space between you and your mind,
In between you and your body.
Go deeper into the presence and energy of the lion now.
And just sense what it is like to be here and now.
Go deeper into the presence and energy of the lion now.
It's okay if you've been distracted.
It's understandable if you find there is a constant stream of thoughts or emotions taking your focus.
It's normal under these circumstances that you're in.
We have been trained to be distracted.
Just simply observe your breath and return to the body and energy field of the noble lion.
You are experiencing an open,
Positive energy.
Notice how you don't have to change anything you are doing.
You don't need to disturb or interfere with your natural breath.
Just let it be as it is naturally and feel the inherent goodness of relating to the lion's nobility,
Discipline,
And restfulness.
Because we are exercising discipline,
We no longer enter the lower realms of negativity.
We are graceful and majestically accomplished.
The lion does not move unless it needs to,
Unless it wants to.
And it does so with mindfulness,
Alertness,
And discernment.
Much of what the lion does is not just for itself.
It is acting for the pride.
Many animals do this,
In fact,
And this shows that they are compassionate as well.
Breathe in compassion.
Breathe out stress.
Breathe in love for others.
Breathe out the me plan.
Breathe out selfishness.
This is our natural state where anxiety has no place.
Breathe in love.
Breathe out love.
Breathe out love.
Breathe out love.
Breathe out love.
Thank you.
