Thank you for joining me today for this brief meditation.
This is inspired by a teaching that I received from a wonderful yoga and meditation teacher named Rod Stryker.
I was in a workshop with him several years ago and he was speaking about the gift of meditation and what it can do for the mind and that when we have turbulent times in our minds it's not unlike the surface of a lake or a pond when it's windy and rough and wavy and when we have those times we can't see below the surface.
We can only really focus on that turbulence,
That choppiness right at the top,
Right on the surface layer that we see and feel.
And when we dig down into our meditation practice that waviness,
That turbulence has a chance to smooth out and that we can see below the surface down beyond into the clear water maybe down to the surface.
So we're going to use that as the image and inspiration for our meditation.
So sitting tall or if you need to lie down,
Lie down.
Allow your attention to start to move into your breath,
Closing your eyes or taking your gaze softly downward and just begin to feel the breath moving into and out of the body.
And as you connect with your breath,
Noticing how you feel today,
What's right on the surface of the water for you?
What's happening?
How are you feeling?
And now begin to picture yourself sitting at the edge of a lake or a pond and it's a windy day.
You can see white caps across the surface of the water.
There is a turbulent nature to the air and to the energy around you.
Begin to drop your breath deeper down into your belly.
And as you breathe,
Can you imagine that the wind starts to die down and you slowly see the surface of the water become a little less choppy?
There's still some ripples,
Some small waves,
But maybe the white caps are gone.
Keep opening the belly as you breathe in and letting your chest soften and drop as you breathe out.
And your mind's eye still imagining the surface of the lake or the pond.
And now maybe the sun begins to come out and the trees surrounding this body of water become still as the wind dies down.
The surface of the water becomes calm now and still.
Maybe the sun reflects off the surface.
Perhaps you can even see down into the water now,
Maybe seeing the sand or the rocks at the bottom.
A few little fish swim by.
Continuing to take some belly breaths as you enjoy that smooth surface of the water,
The sunlight,
The stillness of the trees.
And remembering in your heart of hearts that this too is how you move through life.
The winds will kick up,
The waves will come in,
The waters will get choppy,
And we're still here.
And then the sun comes out,
The wind dies down.
We feel a calm and a clear energy come through,
Maybe just for a moment.
And we try to hold that in our hearts when the turbulent times come.
Take a couple more big breaths into your belly,
Nourish yourself through the flow of your breath.
Maybe take a moment and bring your hands together and bow into your heart of hearts.
And thank you for choosing to sit with me today.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Namaste.
