Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone,
Ellen Watts.
Just get comfortable,
Sitting or lying down and allowing your body to be supported by gravity,
Feeling the strength of the earth beneath you,
Solid,
Steady,
Always holding you.
Let your eyes gently close if you can and let your attention come home to the breath.
Just feel it,
The gentle rhythm of life already flowing through you.
With every breath,
Allow the body to soften,
Let the forehead smooth,
Let the jaw loosen and let the shoulders drop.
You don't have to hold yourself together because you're not falling apart,
Instead you're falling into presence.
For a moment,
Imagine yourself sitting beside a slow-moving river.
The sun is rising,
The water glistens.
You hear birds in the distance,
The breeze in the trees,
The gentle hush of the current.
The river is the Tao,
The way,
The flow of nature,
Of life,
Of you.
Notice how the water doesn't struggle,
How it doesn't debate its direction,
It doesn't bite the rocks,
It curves,
Bends,
Adapts and keeps moving.
Now,
See yourself rise and step gently into this river.
It's not cold,
It's not rushing,
It welcomes you.
The water surrounds you.
Feel what it's like to not swim,
To not strive,
To simply float.
The river embraces you,
It holds you,
Let your breath be the current now,
Inhaling you rise,
Exhaling you soften,
Surrendering to the flow in this space.
You don't need answers,
You don't need plans,
You don't need to know what's next.
You are in the Tao,
The way is already unfolding.
Feel the quiet wisdom and then bring your attention to the sensation of being guided by listening,
By responding,
You're not passive,
You're deeply aware,
Just like a leaf that knows exactly how to turn in the wind.
Let that wisdom ripple through you.
The Tao is not out there.
It's not in a book or a mountain or a guru's words.
It's right here,
In your quiet body,
Your soft breath,
Your willingness to let go.
Let's rest here for a few moments in stillness.
As you prepare to return to your day,
Imagine gently stepping out of the river,
Feeling the water still on your skin,
A memory of softness,
Of trust.
Take a deep breath in and exhale slowly.
Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Feel the surface beneath you,
The support that is still there for you.
Let your awareness return to the space around you.
And when ready,
Gently open your eyes.
You haven't stepped away from the Tao.
You've simply remembered that it never left you.
Let the flow carry you into the next moment,
Softly,
Clearly,
Wisely,
Just like the river.
From my heart to yours,
With all my love and gratitude,
Namaste.
