Today's meditation journey will take us through the sparkling fjords of Norway.
Take your time to make sure you feel comfortable and restful in whatever space you choose.
Be warm and loosen any tight clothing.
As we close our eyes and begin to draw our awareness inwards,
We'll take some nice slow breaths,
Easeful and restful.
Before we travel,
Let us set down any worries,
Any troubles,
Any tensions,
Any busy thoughts from our day.
We wish to travel light upon our journey.
So set aside anything and everything you can let go of,
Just for a moment,
To truly give ourselves a holiday.
As we come to calm and peace in our restful place,
In our mind's eye we find ourselves upon a ship.
Around us we see the beautiful coloured houses of the city of Bergen,
Cobbled streets and tall houses with pitched roofs,
Colours of reds and yellows and blues,
Buildings made of the deep dark wood of old sailing ships,
Small cafes serving coffee and cake to stay warm and cosy within,
Markets selling fresh fish caught from the ocean that morning.
In the distance,
Tall mountains loom over the city kindly,
As if protecting this place.
And cable cars run slowly and steadily up to these peaks from which to see the whole town below.
As we begin our journey,
The boat leaves the safety of Bergen harbour to draw inwards,
To navigate the crystal clear waters of the city.
We pass the houses,
The hills,
Drawing inwards.
Civilisation begins to lessen,
Fewer and fewer houses are dotted upon grassy hilltops,
Cabins become more and more remote,
As great mountains,
Great walls of rock come into view.
Our boat sails amongst great huge cathedrals of rock that loom above us with crystal clear glacial water cascading down into beautiful clear waters beneath.
We sail so smoothly,
So calmly.
Much of the water of the fjords is so clear because it comes directly from glaciers and ice.
And even though it is a beautiful clear blue sky above us,
We can smell the ice in the air,
A piercing clarity of the air around us,
So fresh and clean.
And there's clear air in these clear waters and the clear sky above makes everything feel so sharp and in focus,
As if you can see the world just a little clearer,
Completely unpolluted.
The boat draws closer towards the fjord walls,
You see the rock draw near and a waterfall that cascades over the rock comes close and you feel the spray of the water upon your face.
It is cool and refreshing.
One of the crew holds a shiny silver bucket underneath the water of this waterfall to catch this glacial water.
They bring the bucket towards you and you see the water is as clear and perfect as a crystal.
He offers you to drink some of the water and it tastes so sweet,
So clear.
You've never quite had water like it.
You feel refreshed and nourished by your glacial water as the boat moves on,
Moving through still waters under a bright sun.
The journey is a peaceful one.
Like the fjords themselves,
They are beautiful in their simplicity.
Our journey is one of quiet,
Of clear waters and of calm.
The great rocks and mountains and cliffs of the fjords,
Like the great Norse goddesses and gods,
Rise above you but kindly calm.
It is time for the boat to return to where it started.
As you turn and return along the water,
Once again more houses come into view as there is once more a hint of civilisation and a city to be returned to.
From the clarity of the air and water of the fjords,
Now on the breeze you begin to smell log fires and hints of food,
Meats and fish and comforting vegetables.
The evening is drawing near upon the city of Bergen and lights begin to shine in the distance as the boat returns.
Some light from cafes and bars spills out of buildings onto shiny cobbled streets and splashes onto the water of the harbour as you return to the harbour within the city.
Your head feels clear and calm from your journey into nature but now you seek a little huger which means to find comfort,
Warmth and coziness.
You see the candles burning in a little cafe over cobbled stones you find a warm corner,
A hot drink and coziness and quiet in which to reflect upon your journey.
Simple,
Strong and powerful as the mountains and the gods of the land.
And so,
Dear traveller,
Perhaps the next inhale is a little longer,
A little deeper than the last.
Maybe you wiggle fingers and toes and when you are ready we will return to the room,
The space we are in and leave Norway behind for now.
I hope you have enjoyed travelling with me today.
I hope the rest of your day is clear and calm.
Thank you for joining me.
