We are going to proceed with mindfulness practice which uses visualization.
We are going to visualize the ocean.
So in case you have a trauma or the ocean evokes uncomfortable feelings to you,
I advise you either proceeding with caution and self-care or letting this practice for another time when you might feel more comfortable with practicing it.
So let's start our practice today by settling in and finding a comfortable lying posture,
Lying on your backs with your arms alongside your body and closing your eyes,
Inviting you to bring your mind inside the ocean.
So,
Let's become aware of the breath,
The physical sensations of the breath at the belly,
The chest,
Noticing perhaps the expansion of the donor wall with each inhale and the deflation with each exhale,
Noticing the breath as it is,
There is no need to breathe in any specific way,
Letting the breath flow naturally.
Becoming aware of the breath one after the other just as the waves are meeting the shore one by one.
Whenever our attention is disrupted by thoughts,
Impulses,
Something very natural,
Just bringing your attention back to the sensations of breathing,
The breath,
The anchor of the present moment that can bring us back,
Back to now,
To the present moment.
You may also try to synchronize your breath with the sounds of the waves.
The sounds can also function as an anchor that can bring us back to the present moment.
Let's bring the ocean now to a greater focus in our awareness,
Exploring and becoming curious of its characteristics,
Its depth,
Its color,
Its state,
Whether the ocean is calm or disturbed,
Perhaps noticing that when the ocean is calm,
Life can be reflected at its waters or when the surface is disturbed,
Deformations are present,
Deformations that when the sunlight shines upon,
They can become shiny diamonds.
Again,
When the mind has wandered,
Gently bringing back the mind to the present moment,
Which right now is the image of the ocean.
Perhaps you can use also the breath and the sound at this moment as anchors to bring you back to the present moment.
Let's bring the ocean closer to us right now and noticing the openness and receptivity of the ocean.
Perhaps noticing how we feel and emerging ourselves a bit.
The openness and receptivity of the ocean to influence also our heart and minds,
Borrowing that attitude of openness and let our mind and heart be open right now to whatever is present.
We can ask ourselves whether we are calm right now or agitated,
Feeling tension or ease.
Seeing that the changing nature of the ocean is similar to the changing nature of the mind.
The mind being disrupted by feelings,
Thoughts,
Emotions,
Urges,
Judgments,
Just like the surface of the ocean is.
Thoughts coming and go.
The flowing nature of the mind.
At this moment,
If you feel comfortable with that,
I invite you to take a dive to the ocean.
Noticing how the ocean is vast and still at its depth.
No matter what is happening on the surface,
No matter how disturbed,
Windy,
Wavy is the surface,
Underneath there is an unshakable reservoir of water.
Underneath there is peace.
The ocean being so similar to us,
To our daily lives.
No matter how disrupted,
Agitated,
Full of thoughts,
Emotions that our mind has and often being caught up on those,
Underneath we all have awareness.
This unshakable awareness that holds everything.
And awareness that we can always come back.
And can always come back using the breath of the sound.
No matter how many times our minds are distracted or have wandered.
The ocean can teach us and remind us the sea within ourselves.
And some peace at its depth.
Closing this practice today with a deep inhale as we are getting out of the ocean.
And exhale.
Thank you for your practice today and I hope to see you all soon.
