In any given situation there is more than one perspective,
More than one point of view.
We can change our viewing point by turning 360 degrees to complete a whole circle.
We can see from above or below,
From inside or out,
We can face or turn away.
So if you haven't already,
Allow your body to settle.
Feel the weight of it settle into the surface supporting you.
Let those shoulders drop,
That jaw soften and those eyelids close.
Watch your breath as you naturally breathe in and out.
With each breath out,
Feel your tension drain away and begin to relax.
More and more.
Take yourself inwards,
Into that space behind your eyes,
To that soft dark space where it's warm and safe.
Stand there for a moment in that space and feel yourself relax even more.
Now picture yourself standing on a sandy shore,
Beside the sea or a lake,
Somewhere in the middle of the day.
A fine,
Warm,
Sunny day.
Drawn on the sand close to the water is a large circle and you are standing in the centre of it facing the water.
Study the water.
The way the sunlight plays on its surface.
The way it ebbs and flows onto and off the sand.
Look into the sky,
The depths of blue,
Wisps of cloud caught in the light.
Feel the gentle breeze on your face and in your hair.
Listen to the sounds,
The water,
The birds,
The breeze.
Breathe in the smells.
Lift your gaze out to the horizon where the sea meets the sky and back to your feet in the centre of the circle.
Now turn your body to the right to look along the shoreline where the water meets the land.
Lift your gaze and take in this changed perspective,
This new point of view,
This new landscape,
The land,
Its shapes,
Colours and patterns.
The water.
The sky.
See how the water interacts with the sand and the land.
See how the land sits against the sky.
Observe the change in light.
The direction of the breeze.
The nature of the sounds and the smells.
Stretch your gaze out to the horizon where the water meets the land meets the sky and back to your feet in the centre of the circle.
Now turn your body to the right and face the land.
Lift your gaze and take in this changed perspective,
This new point of view,
This new landscape,
The land,
Its shapes,
Colours and patterns,
The terrain,
The vegetation,
The shadows.
Observe the change in the light.
Sunlight through the leaves.
The direction of the breeze.
The nature of the sounds.
The water behind you.
And the perfumes.
Stretch your gaze out to the furthest point.
Take in the whole scene and back to your feet in the centre of the circle.
Now turn your body to the right to look along the shoreline where the land meets the water.
Lift your gaze and take in this changed perspective,
This new point of view,
This new landscape,
The land,
Its shapes,
Colours and patterns,
The water,
The sky.
See how the land connects with the sand and the water.
See how the land sits against the sky.
Observe the change in the light,
The direction of the breeze,
The nature of the sounds and the perfumes and smells.
Stretch your gaze out as far as you can see,
So similar to that behind you but so different.
This new landscape,
Seascape,
Escape,
Drift.
Drift to the gentle sound of the water lapping on the beach.
Totally relaxed,
At ease,
Calm.
Drift in the soft breeze on your face and in your hair.
Breathe in the peace.
Totally relaxed,
At ease,
Calm.
Drift and imagine.
Even within that circle you see a situation with someone that causes you distress.
From a distance,
At the edge of the circle,
Observe yourself,
That someone and any other persons,
Your surroundings,
The emotions,
The sounds,
The interactions.
Now move around the circle and change your point of view.
Be aware of the different perspectives.
In a moment I'd like you to briefly,
Without judgement,
Open to awareness,
Eyes open,
Heart open,
To step into yourself and see it from your perspective.
And then step into that someone else and see it from their perspective.
And then into any others within the situation and see their points of view.
Breathe in and relax now before you step in.
I'll be waiting here to bring you back.
To come back.
Gently now back,
Back.
Let the images fade.
Let the emotions dissolve.
Bring with you only insights as you drift back to your beach,
To your circle,
To the soft sounds of the water on the sand,
The warmth of the sun on your head and shoulders,
The light breeze on your face and in your hair.
Drifting back further,
Back to that safe space behind your eyes,
Back,
Back to this time and this place and remember in any given situation there is more than one perspective,
More than one point of view.
We can change our viewing point by turning 360 degrees to complete a whole circle.
We can view from above or below,
From inside or out.
We can face or turn away.
Namaste.
