Hello my friend.
This meditation is all about choosing to see our own progress as the most important thing.
I'm respecting others on theirs so that we can slow down the comparison train and begin to focus on what makes us feel empowered.
So begin by finding a comfortable spot to sit.
One that feels relaxing,
It keeps you a little alert.
Take three full breaths,
Breathing nice and deeply into your lungs,
Gently passing your lips to breathe out.
Trying to feel your belly and let all the air out on the out-breath.
Begin to soften through your feet,
Your legs and your sitting bones.
Feel your belly relax,
Your arms soften as your shoulders drop.
Feel your jaw relax on your face and allow your eyes to feel soft.
We're going to visualise a garden during this meditation.
So begin to get comfortable looking at a garden space in your mind.
At the moment the garden is bare with just a little grass and soil.
Begin to sit and watch this garden for a little,
Imagining we are the sun or the moon,
Simply observing this space.
Imagine you're watching a time lapse of this garden,
A sped up process of its growth.
Begin to notice some green seedlings and shoots growing out all over the garden.
Some are growing really fast,
Others are growing a little slower.
You can begin to notice some are growing leaves,
Some with huge leaves and some with dainty leaves.
Some have smooth leaves and some have fuzzy leaves.
Some of these plants begin to flower with all sorts of colours.
You notice a few plants growing taller and taller and some spreading into the size and shape of a bush.
You can also see some new little seedlings coming through,
Beginning their growth into this beautiful garden.
Take a moment to notice the different colours and shades,
All the different textures and shapes,
The different sizes and complexities of each flower and plant.
Notice that they all look totally different.
And now you see one beautiful flower right in the middle,
Sitting with all its lovely neighbours,
Sharing the garden space.
This is you.
And these other plants and flowers in this garden signify other people in your world that you may have compared yourself to in the past or you find yourself doing now.
You see that some plants were leafy,
Others were full of flowers.
Some spread a little wider when others grew upwards.
Each and every one of these plants and flowers were different in some way or another.
And they grew differently to each other,
Different rates and in different ways.
Most importantly,
Notice how they all grow together at their own pace,
Happily sharing the space.
Each and every one of these plants was born with their own way of growing.
Some had more sunlight than others.
Some had deeper roots.
Some had bigger leaves and were able to soak up more moisture.
Some were destined to be tall and green.
Others were always going to be small and colourful.
Neither one is more beautiful than the other.
Nor are they stronger or weaker.
Neither one is less attractive than the other.
They just are.
And this is simply the way we can look at ourselves and our journeys.
We are all growing at our own pace and on completely different paths,
Completely different goals,
Completely different circumstances.
And we are all beautiful because we are unique.
Bring a little smile onto your face.
And as you blink your eyes open and enjoy the space around you,
Remember that you can bring yourself back to this garden whenever you feel comparison coming up.
Remind yourself we're all different and on different paths.
And yet we're all still beautiful.
