In this moment,
You are here.
You are here entirely as you are.
Take your time settling in,
Finding your breath,
Taking a full inhale and exhale,
Releasing it out the mouth.
Allow your shoulders to relax down,
Softening your jaw,
And become aware of your body and how you are feeling in this moment.
My name is Bella and I'll be guiding you through a visualization meditation where we will use the essence of water to help settle and calm the mind.
We each have a special seat as the observer of our body,
Our mind,
And our thoughts.
Although it can be quite natural for us to identify with and attach to what we think about,
It is important to remember and remind ourselves that we are not our thoughts.
But we do have this beautiful capability of listening to them and allowing them to pass us by.
In this meditation,
Let's take a journey to the water.
Before we head there,
I encourage you to take a brief pause.
Perhaps you feel into a place that may be calling to you,
A place you know will bring you feelings of serenity.
Wherever you are headed is going to be the perfect place for you.
Whether it is a flowing river,
A trickling stream,
A vast and calm lake,
Or the edge of an endless ocean shoreline,
Bring your destination into your mind's eye,
And begin your journey towards the water.
With each step you take,
A deep nourishing breath follows,
Long soothing breath in,
And slow satisfying breath out.
In perfect timing,
You arrive at your own special destination of peace.
Take a moment to observe what you feel,
Or what you see around you in your mind's eye.
Maybe you notice the color of the water,
The sound of distant birdsong,
Or a cool breeze brushing against your skin.
In your own time,
You make your way to the water's edge and have a seat.
In this seat,
In this beautiful place in time,
You are the observer of your thoughts.
You breathe in deeply,
Smelling the fresh,
Pure air,
Holding it in your lungs for a moment,
And exhale completely,
Fully present with yourself in this blissful,
Calm moment,
Surrounded by the water.
You let a wave of gratitude wash over you,
For in this second,
You are a beautiful,
Living,
And breathing being.
The intention here is not to clear the mind,
But to acknowledge and lovingly release the mental chatter.
Remembering your special seat as the observer,
As a thought arises,
I encourage you to notice it,
Without judgment,
And offer it to the water.
Maybe you notice the way it's swept up,
Gently drifting along,
Until it's entirely out of sight.
Just like the water of a river flows,
So can our thoughts,
As they are carried and washed away.
Be gentle and easy with yourself,
Repeating this practice and offering,
As many times as you may need.
A quote by Lao Tzu,
A Chinese Taoist philosopher,
Reads,
Water is fluid,
Soft and yielding,
But water will wear away rock,
Which is rigid and cannot yield.
As a rule,
Whatever is fluid,
Soft and yielding,
Will overcome whatever is rigid and hard.
This is another paradox.
What is soft,
Is strong.
In this moment,
You are here.
You are here entirely as you are,
In a place that is endlessly available to you.
Whenever you need to take a moment for yourself,
And to remember the serenity and stillness that lives within you,
Thank you for tuning in to this meditation.
As you move on to the rest of your day,
Be well,
Go easy on yourself,
And whenever you are ready,
You can slowly begin to open your eyes.