Hi,
My name is Ashley,
And welcome to your meditation.
Please take a moment to find a comfortable seat,
To grab an extra blanket or a pillow if you need it,
So that for the next 10 minutes or so,
You can be both comfortable and at ease.
And once you've found your way to that place,
I invite you to close your eyes.
A house without an inhabitant is simply not a home.
In the depths of wintertime,
An empty house grows weary and cold.
The paint begins to crack and peel.
The floorboards begin to ache and creak as they call out for the soft sole of a foot.
Your body is just like this house.
Without your presence of awareness,
The body is not a home.
It too grows cold and detached.
Your heart begins to ache as it calls out for the softness of your sole.
Come home.
The heart gently whispers.
This call from the heart is never more than a subtle whisper.
Therefore,
In order to hear it,
You must first quiet the mind,
Slow down,
And if you haven't already,
Close your eyes.
Can you sense that the doorway to your heart is always on the other side of your closed eyelids?
Place your hand on your heart now and step inside to the very center of you and tell yourself,
I am home.
I am here now.
I am home.
Feel that a warmth begins to fill the walls of your body as the warmth would fill the walls of this house.
Your awareness has sparked a fire.
The cold creak of wood now replaced by the fire of your presence and its crackle.
See that your intention to be here is like pouring water into a kettle to make an herbal tea.
Imagine you place this kettle above the flame.
As water is heated,
Feel the warmth that continues to rise between your hand and your heart space.
This water,
Clear,
Colorless,
Tasteless,
Can be likened to your body,
Lifeless without your presence.
But you scoop an herbal tea into a diffuser and then place it atop a ceramic cup.
The kettle begins to whistle as water and herb mix,
Hues of green and brown begin to bleed.
Sweet earthy scent begins to fill the house in you and once more,
You whisper to yourself,
I am here now.
I am home.
Sip the tea and feel how its warmth spreads through your body in the same way that you feel your presence spread to every corner in every crevice of your being.
Welcome home,
Your heart now sings.
I hope you will stay a while.
Stay here a while.
Rest here.
In the presence of your own being and your very own heart.
Be held and listen to any message it might want to share.
If your mind tries to pull you away from this place,
Simply draw your awareness back to the heart.
Perhaps touch the heart once more or feel for its beat and know that when the time comes to reconnect with the outer world,
I'll be here to bring you back to your heart space.
But this time,
Choose either a classic prayer position or lay one hand on your heart and the other hand on top of the first.
Bow your head down towards the heart as the mind acknowledges the heart's wisdom.
Send gratitude to your heart,
Send gratitude to your very being,
The uniqueness that is you.
A one of one in this world.
And know that I thank you for trusting me to lead you through this meditation.
Thank you.
From my corner of the world,
Always sending peace and love your way.
