Hello everybody and welcome to our meditation today.
My name is Heather and I am so excited and grateful that we get to spend this time together.
So before we begin,
I invite you,
As I always do,
To find a comfortable seat.
Before we settle in,
Let's stretch.
Let's get everything out of our bodies.
Reach your hands high above your head.
Clasp your hands and move gently to your left.
Feel the stretch all along your right side.
Come back to center.
And once again,
With your hands up high,
Clasp your other wrist and lean to the right.
And feel the stretch in your left side.
Now relax your hands.
Bring your arms straight out in front of you.
Now flex your hands so your hands are pointing up to the sky.
And now release your fingers so they point down to the ground.
And let them fall naturally by your side.
Maybe they're in your lap,
Wherever they feel the best.
Rock your head from side to side.
Maybe take a few neck circles.
Relax your shoulders.
Now let's settle into this moment.
This moment is for you.
For our session today,
I invite you to set an intention around the words charity and love.
Two words that we all have come in contact with at some point in our lives.
What do they mean to you?
Charity and love are essential characteristics in a meaningful life.
They lead us to act selflessly.
This devotion to others transcends material pursuits.
It helps us to foster connection with others.
And it provides a lasting purpose.
Charity and love are examples of the highest form of virtue.
These actions and behaviors offer comfort,
Help us to help others reduce suffering,
And create strong bonds.
Crucial for personal and spiritual growth,
Charity and love promote unity within society.
There's literally nothing better for the world than charity and love.
Charity is literally love in action.
When we have charity within our hearts,
And we act upon that feeling,
We can help to transform lives.
We can help others to a better way of life.
Charity and love create lasting impressions on others because they are acts of divine love.
Love that strengthens family and community.
Love that provides personal fulfillment and joy.
Love that can heal and support during periods of forgiveness.
Charity is like a bright sunny ray of light when everything around us feels gray and gloomy.
Because we are all the same passengers on this giant globe we call Earth.
We need one another.
We don't need condemnation and judgment.
We need charity.
And we need love.
So now that we're relaxing into this time,
We've found our place.
I invite you to take a few deep breaths.
Breathe deep into your belly as if you're blowing up a balloon.
Exhale long and slow.
Let's breathe in,
And then breathe out.
Repeat this a few times.
And with each exhale,
Let go of anything on your mind.
Let go of things you cannot control.
Let go of heaviness.
Relax.
Relax your shoulders.
Relax your hands.
Your feet.
Relax your face.
Smile a little bit.
So if you haven't already,
I invite you to close your eyes.
Let's go on an adventure.
Imagine being on a walk.
There are trees all around you.
The sun is shining down on your path.
Birds are chirping.
A squirrel runs in front of you.
You begin to hear something.
It doesn't sound far.
It sounds so inviting.
As you keep walking,
You realize that you hear the sound of running water.
The sound is calling to you.
Imagine yourself ready to explore this space.
To find this sound,
You need to go off the path you have been walking on.
So you veer to your right and navigate through a small line of trees.
In just a few steps,
You see water.
It is a wide river lined with trees on either side.
The water moves over rocks and bounces droplets into the air.
It is not rushing,
But it is not moving slowly.
You notice sunlight bouncing off the water movement.
You decide to move toward the river.
You begin to notice how the air feels a little different.
It's a little cooler.
Maybe a little damp.
You notice rocks of all sizes in the river.
Different colors and shapes.
Different textures.
Maybe you see a fish or two.
You see plants growing along the banks of the river.
Some of them reaching into the water.
You pause to look around.
The river seems to go on forever.
There is a small trail moving along the banks.
You decide to walk along with the river slightly below you.
This is your journey.
This is your space.
This time is for you.
Enjoy the sensations that come from this moment.
Imagine the sun on your skin.
The humidity in the air.
The sounds all around you.
The movement of small animals in the trees.
You feel joy in this moment.
Notice how that joy fills within your body.
Notice the sensations that come.
Choose to always remember how this fills.
Choose to fill this love.
As you walk along the river,
You find a giant tree that has fallen across the trail.
It is lodged in such a way that it seems to have a seat for you above the water.
You decide to climb onto this trunk.
You move out to the river.
The water is below you.
You sit down and begin to observe your surroundings.
You feel awe at the power held within the water.
As you look back toward the bank,
You see something stuck in the mud.
Something that looks to have been placed for you to find.
Gracefully,
You move from the giant tree to the banks of the river.
You remove your shoes and climb into the water.
You reach down and pull this box out of the mud.
It's not very big,
But it feels so important.
You find a spot to sit in the grass alongside the tree,
Still near the special river.
You open up the box.
There is nothing inside,
But you notice that you are flooded with a feeling.
This feeling of charity.
This feeling of love.
Intense love you have never felt before.
You aren't sure what it means,
But you know that it feels right.
It feels good.
It feels whole.
This feeling has impacted you.
You notice a change taking place.
You know that everything is different now.
Your actions are different.
Your behaviors are different.
Your words are different.
You feel capable and able.
You feel stronger and more resilient.
You feel there is clear direction and movement.
You decide to relish in this feeling.
You respect this moment.
You climb back onto the tree and move over the water.
You close your eyes.
The sun feels so warm on your skin.
It is dancing off you as you watch it dance off the water.
You feel the gentle mist from the water below you,
From the ripples and the small rapids.
You smile.
You close your eyes.
This feeling is meant to be remembered and treasured.
Life is good.
This moment is good.
As you open your eyes,
A small bird flutters by.
You sit and wonder at its ease and movement.
Everything feels so right in this moment.
As you make your way off the tree,
Onto the small trail,
And back to your starting point,
You know that this journey changed you.
This idea of charity is now a part of you.
What feels different?
What do you feel capable of?
How do you know that it has a place inside you?
How will you let it manifest?
As you end this journey,
You feel happiness swelling deep inside.
So as we prepare to come back into our bodies,
And back into the present,
I invite you to take a few deep belly breaths.
Deep into your belly.
Inhale.
And exhale.
Exhale.
Wiggle your toes.
Wiggle your fingers.
Rock your head from side to side.
Shrug your shoulders up and down.
Slowly and gently,
Open your eyes.
Going forward,
I encourage you to learn about,
Ponder on,
And activate the special attribute in your life.
Invite charity and love to take a hold.
Invite them to be more present as you move forward from this moment.
Thank you.
