Life is full of the unexpected.
When situations do not turn out the way we want,
Our human nature is to take control.
The more we feel the need to control outcomes,
The further away we are from the present.
Today's practice will allow you to release any need to control so you can invite natural flow back into your life.
Take a comfortable seat now,
Either sitting or lying down,
And close your eyes.
Really settle within yourself by taking a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
With each breath,
Allow yourself to relax more and more.
Take any note of any sensations you are feeling as normal breathing returns.
I now invite you to visualize you are walking on a dirt path.
It is a little dark,
But you feel safe as you walk a little further.
You see a door.
There's no way to get around the door,
So you open it and you go through it.
As you get to the other side,
You look around and you see that you're in a beautiful meadow.
The sun is shining,
You see beautiful wildflowers,
And hear calming melodies as the birds are singing freely.
You start to hear the flow of moving water.
You feel called to find this water source.
You start walking towards the sounds,
And to your surprise,
You see a river.
You feel very drawn to this river.
So you walk closer.
As you get closer,
You start to look around,
And you start to admire its beauty and the calmness it brings.
Still feeling drawn to this river,
You decide to put your feet in.
The water feels refreshing.
So you decide to go deeper into the river.
As you get deeper into this river,
You feel called to lay back so that you can float.
You start floating down the river.
The current makes you feel at ease.
It gives you a sense of calmness.
The longer you float,
You don't become worried of where you're going.
You feel safe with this flow.
And as you continue to float,
You start taking in the beauty of the nature sounds you hear,
As the warmth of the sun glistens on your face,
And how warm the water feels to you at this time.
As you continue to float at this pace with the river,
You start feeling as if you are becoming one with the river.
As you float a little longer,
The current starts to pick up.
The water becomes more of a rapid flow,
While also becoming a little rocky.
This does not alarm you.
You continue to flow,
And you feel at ease with the river.
With the river,
And to become one with the river.
As you continue to float,
You come to a bend.
As you get around the bend,
The water begins to slow down.
You are led to calmer waters,
And now the flow has become stagnant.
You decide it's a good time to sit up now,
But you want to remain submerged in the water.
You start to think how the current of a river is constantly changing.
At times,
It can be rocky and turbulent,
And it also can be calm and peaceful.
And at other times,
It can be stagnant,
Not move at all.
The river never resists,
It just flows.
The river never resists,
It just flows.
You realize you too are like a river.
There are times when the flow is just right,
But there are also times of turbulence,
Or even stagnation.
Now you know the current of your life is constantly flowing like a river.
The more you allow it to flow naturally,
The sooner you will get to calmer waters.
You are the river.
You now feel ready to get out of the river.
You find the path that led you down to this water source,
And you follow it back up.
You find the door,
And you go through it.
And as you walk,
You walk back to your surroundings and into your space now.
You can start to wiggle your toes and your fingers,
And when you're ready,
You can open your eyes,
And you can close your eyes,
And you can open your eyes again.
You can start to wiggle your toes and your fingers,
And when you're ready,
You can open your eyes and get back into your day.
Whenever life feels turbulent,
You can always come back to this practice and be the river.
Thank you for meditating with me today,
Sending love and light to all.
