Lake Meditation This meditation is usually practice lying,
But if you prefer you could also practice it sitting.
Starting by taking a few deeper breaths.
And at the same time become more aware of your breathing and this present moment.
Breathing in and out.
And then allow your breathing to flow naturally.
And become aware of the surface below you and the contact with the surface below you.
Which parts of your body are in contact with the surface?
Might it be the ground,
Your bed or any other surface?
And then becoming aware of your body.
Noticing your feet and your legs.
Your hips.
And buttocks.
Your lower back.
And upper back.
Your shoulders.
Your neck.
Your head.
Your arms and hands.
And your chest.
And your belly.
And then getting a sense of all of your body lying or sitting here.
And then letting an image form in your mind of a lake.
It might be a lake that you have seen before or it might be a completely new one.
It's a large lake.
There might be mountains in the back or a forest surrounding the lake.
And the color of the lake might be green or blue,
Clear or muddy.
If it's difficult for you to visualize the lake,
Then just getting a sense of a lake.
And feeling its presence.
This lake is a large lake and it's held in a receptive basin by the earth itself.
Just notice that water likes to pool in low places.
It seeks its own level and asks to be held and contained.
Your lake may be deep or shallow.
And its surface changes with the weather.
If there's wind,
There might be waves.
And then when the sun shines,
There might be shimmering reflections coming from the surface which is like a mirror and very still.
There might be reflections of the trees on the side of the lake or the sky and clouds.
Everything reflecting in the lake.
And then in winter the lake might even freeze.
And in autumn beautiful colored leaves will be floating on the lake.
But no matter what happens on the surface of the lake,
The lake is underneath always calm and still.
Now I would like you to imagine that you become the lake.
You and the lake are one.
And just like the surface of the lake is sometimes disturbed and changes,
So does your mind and so does your heart.
Thoughts and feelings come and go.
Everything changes,
Sometimes very fast from moment to moment.
And just like the surface of the lake changes,
So do your thoughts and feelings.
But underneath it all you are always the same.
There is a stillness and peace within you that never changes.
I'd like you to observe the fleeting thoughts and feelings,
Impulses and reactions which come and go just like the ripples and waves of the lake.
And notice their effects on you.
Observe everything that is happening right here,
Right now.
Noticing the effects of your thoughts and feelings.
Do they disturb the surface and clarity of the mind's lake?
Do they muddy the waters?
And how do you feel about this?
Is that okay with you?
Isn't this normal and part of being you?
And then try and identify with the whole lake,
With the entire body of water.
And you can become the stillness below the surface as well.
No matter the weather or if it's day or night,
The sun is shining or the moon,
No matter if there's clouds or not,
Underneath everything the lake stays the same and so do you.
You are always the same.
And maybe you can be with this for a moment,
Lying or sitting here.
And notice what happens.
Being at peace with what is.
If there's thoughts,
That's okay.
And accepting how you feel.
Just observing what is and being with what is,
Just like the lake does.
And then try to identify with the whole lake.
And in the same way,
In your daily mindfulness or meditation practice and also in your daily life,
Could you be in touch with the changing thoughts,
Feelings,
Any changing content and intensity of your thoughts and feelings and of your life?
Always changing.
Your awareness is like the vast reservoir of awareness from the lake.
Your awareness is always there.
If you find the image of the lake of value and if you like this,
You might like to bring this back to mind at times.
Especially if thoughts or feelings are strong.
And if you feel stressed.
You might find it helpful to remind yourself that underneath it all,
There's peace,
There's vast awareness and love and acceptance.
And reminding yourself that this big reservoir of mindfulness is deep within you and always there for you.
Sometimes the lake is still and other times there's lots of wind and big waves.
Sometimes the sun shines bright and it is nice and warm and at other times it's not,
There's lots of clouds,
It's a little bit cooler.
Then at night the moon comes out and the moon reflects on the lake.
Some nights there's stars and other nights they are covered by the clouds.
But through it all,
The lake is always there.
And underneath the surface the lake always stays the same.
Just like you.
Now dwelling here in the stillness of this moment.
Until the end of this meditation,
When you hear a bell,
Try and reflect on this and sit alive with this.
What is it like when your thoughts and feelings change?
What is it like to be aware of the vast stillness inside yourself,
Underneath it all?
What is it like to be aware of the vast stillness underneath yourself,
Underneath it all?
What is it like to be aware of the vast stillness underneath yourself,
Underneath it all?
What is it like to be aware of the vast stillness underneath yourself,
Underneath it all?
What is it like to be aware of the vast stillness underneath yourself,
Underneath it all?
What is it like to be aware of the vast stillness underneath yourself,
Underneath it all?
You can be the lake with its own storms and moments of peace.
What is it like to be aware of the vast stillness underneath yourself,
Underneath it all?
What is it like to be aware of the vast stillness underneath yourself,
Underneath it all?
And whenever you're ready,
Bringing your awareness and your attention back into the room where you are,
Into your surroundings,
Then transitioning,
Slowly opening your eyes if they were closed,
Slowly coming back whenever you are ready.
