Are you ready to release all of your anxieties and worries,
And in their place,
Discover a sanctuary of serenity within you?
My name is Jason Stevenson,
And tonight,
In a mystic meadow of floating petals and warm gold sunlight,
You'll find the chance to release what does not serve you,
And to bathe instead in inner freedom.
If you've never meditated with me before,
A warm,
Warm welcome to you.
It's a gift to have you here.
If you're a returning meditator,
Welcome back,
And thank you for your practice.
May tonight's meditation offer you peace and well-being.
Before we practice,
Take a moment to find a comfortable resting position.
You can drift off to sleep at any point along the way,
So make sure your alarm is set if it's needed,
And that you're in a safe and comfortable space for sleep.
And as you settle in,
Take a long,
Slow inhale,
And releasing a sigh of surrender as you exhale.
We'll soon begin our journey to a magical inner meadow,
But first,
Let's tend with care to the physical body,
Which supports us through every moment of our waking and sleeping life.
So,
Begin by feeling your body where it rests on the bed beneath you,
Imagining that you could melt a little bit deeper into that surface.
Surrender to the subtle but constant presence of gravity,
And then draw your attention to the soles of your feet.
As you sense into your soles,
Imagine that you could send a slow,
Loving breath all the way down to them,
And as you exhale,
Invite your feet to surrender.
There is nowhere they need to carry you tonight.
Invite both of your feet to relax completely,
The toes and arches,
The tops and sides of your feet,
And your ankles as well.
Give your feet full permission to release the day now behind you,
And from your feet,
Let your attention travel to your lower legs.
Sense into your calves and your shins,
And into both sides of your lower legs.
As you hold your lower legs in loving awareness,
Send them a slow breath of warmth and kindness,
Inviting them to soften as you exhale,
Releasing any tension into the bed below.
As your lower legs relax,
Send the same energy of care and kindness to your knees,
Recognizing just how much your knees do for you,
And invite them to surrender with an out-breath,
And then gently guide your attention to your thighs,
Into your quadriceps and hamstrings,
And into both sides of each upper leg.
Send your upper legs a warm,
Tender breath,
Releasing with a soft sigh as you exhale.
Now sense into both of your legs in their entirety,
And as you do,
Invite them to become heavier,
There is nothing they need to hold,
And nowhere they need to travel now.
Give them full permission to let go of trying to carry you anywhere,
Invite your awareness to move into the base of your spine,
And from this place,
Slowly let the awareness expand,
Encompassing your entire pelvic bowl,
From hip to hip,
And everything below.
With your next in-breath,
Send this part of your body a slow,
Caring breath,
And then invite these areas to soften with an exhale.
Now let your awareness encompass your entire belly,
And all the cells,
Organs and muscles that fill and surround this area,
Ease,
Surrendering any tension you may have been holding here.
And on your next full breath,
Fill your belly with warm care and tenderness,
And soften even further as you exhale.
As your belly softens,
Slowly scan the length of your spine,
Letting kindness and relaxation radiate outwards from the centre line,
And when you arrive in your heart space,
Let your breath soften even more,
Welcoming ease and tenderness to fill your entire chest.
As your heart and chest relax,
So do your back and shoulders,
As any weight they've been holding melts into the surface beneath you.
Now,
Allow your awareness to travel along your collarbones,
Creating a subtle sense of energetic expansion throughout your chest,
And then travel into your upper arms,
Into the fronts,
The sides,
And the backs of your arms.
Fill your upper arms with loving awareness on your next in-breath,
Inviting them to relax deeper on the out-breath.
Send the same degree of care and kindness to your elbows,
And then to your lower arms,
Filling the fronts,
Sides,
And backs of your arms with love and relaxation.
Continue travelling down into your hands,
Sensing into all parts of your hands,
Including your wrists,
With care,
Curiosity,
And gentleness.
Send a loving breath into the tops of your hands,
Your palms,
And your fingers,
Inviting both hands to release any striving or grasping as you exhale.
Hold both of your arms from shoulders to fingertips in your awareness completely,
Inviting even deeper surrender with your next out-breath.
Now,
Allow your awareness to complete this gentle journey through the body,
Bringing peace and love to your neck as it passes through,
Offering ease and release to your jaw and your mouth,
Smoothing out all the muscles in your cheeks and around your eyes,
Before softening and soothing your forehead,
The sides of your head,
The back of your head,
Relaxing your entire head up to your crown.
Take a slow,
Loving breath into your entire headspace,
Bottom through top,
Front through back,
Side to side,
Inviting all tension,
Both physical and mental,
To melt away with a sigh of relief.
Now become aware of your whole body,
Noticing how unconditionally it is held and supported.
Take three slow,
Intentional breaths into your whole body,
And with each exhale,
Silently repeat,
I am ready and willing to surrender,
And willing to surrender,
Then let the words dissolve as you rest in an ever-expanding sense of spaciousness within you.
You can nurture your physical body with loving,
Releasing breaths at any time that you need to,
But for now,
Let your attention turn to your mind's eye,
And in this place,
Imagine that a rising staircase or ascending pathway appears before you,
It is crafted of weathered limestone,
With soft moss clinging to its edges,
And vibrant wildflowers sprouting tiny cracks in the stone,
The top of it is shrouded in mist,
But you know that it leads to a sanctuary or solace,
A place where you can release what does not serve you,
Awakening inner peace and well-being.
So,
As I count from one to ten,
Allow my voice to guide you up those stairs or along that pathway.
One,
Take your first step onto the limestone,
Feeling it stabilise your mind and your body.
Two,
Reaching your crown towards the mist above your head,
Three,
Heart and chest gently expanding as your shoulders melt down to the earth,
Becoming aware of a rich aroma in the air each earth and floral spring blossoms,
You are in full control of this journey,
But you can modify my guidance at any time if you need to,
Six,
Taking a slow,
Spacious breath in,
And seven,
Releasing that breath with a quiet sigh,
Eight,
You notice now that the mist is beginning to part,
As nine,
An expansive glass globe with a sprawling vibrant meadow inside,
Appears at the very top,
Ten,
You finally arrive at the entrance of this enchanted sanctuary,
An arched gateway at the edge of the dome,
Wrapped in shimmering ivy and radiant wild roses,
Take a long,
Steady inhale,
And as you exhale,
Step through that archway into the heart of this magical meadow oasis,
Here in this enchanted realm,
Soft emerald grass sways gently in the fragrant breeze,
Early spring blossoms adorn the green earth,
Each imbued with the energy of new life,
Delicate trees are scattered throughout the meadow,
With shimmering silver leaves that sway serenely,
The sun is close to the horizon,
Casting warm golden light in dappled leafy patterns across the earth,
And perhaps the most enchanted element of this realm,
Glistening flower petals float lazily through the atmosphere,
Catching golden sunlight,
Sparkling like cosmic crystals,
Let your inner eye dance amongst their shimmering hues,
Beaming in rose gold,
Sweet lilac and ethereal blue,
And as your mind expands with wonder to meet this enchanted space,
Let your feet anchor to the earth,
Feel the steady,
Grounding force of the foundation beneath your soles,
As you ground yourself in this enchanted meadow,
Snuck within the globe's protective orb,
You attune without effort to the quietude of this miraculous place,
Time feels suspended,
Weightless,
As if the fabric of the universe were taking time to pause,
To wrap you in stillness,
Take a few breaths to welcome this quietude,
This stillness into the depths of your lungs,
Imagine that as you breathe it in,
It permeates your whole body,
Calming and restoring you,
Now your awareness broadens back out to bathe in the visuals of the magical realm,
Now your heart opens with awe and wonder,
As your gaze dances amongst all those floating petals,
They drift like stardust,
Refracting the sun's ethereal light as they swirl through the air,
Each petal seems to defy gravity,
Rising and falling in graceful arcs,
Weightless and free,
Your crown stretches towards the vast sky,
Inside the dome as your shoulders surrender to the rich earth beneath you,
And as you gaze across at the sun-kissed meadow,
You receive a silent invitation to walk,
To move gently,
Slowly and freely across the earth in the globe,
Now,
Take a slow,
Steady breath in,
And as you exhale,
Begin that walk,
You move,
Each step soft against the emerald earth,
You feel the floating petals cascading gently around you,
Something like a celestial rainfall,
And just like rainfall,
They hold the power to cleanse you,
To free your mind of any worries or thoughts that do not serve your well-being,
And as they brush against your body,
Your crown,
Your forehead,
Your heart,
The petals absorb any worries or anxiety stored within you,
And as they finally dance their way to the earth,
They vanish upon contact,
Like sparkling magic dust,
Creating more peace and ease within you,
Now,
Take some time to witness yourself moving across the meadow as this process takes place,
Surrender each and every worry,
Stressor or limiting thought that does not serve you,
And trust that the floating petals can take and transform each one,
With every step,
More petals swirl around you,
Cascading to the earth with grace,
And each one lifts away a little tension,
A little doubt,
A little fear,
Giving you more space to breathe with ease,
The meadow receives all of it without hesitation,
It is not burdened,
Instead,
It welcomes each petal with quiet,
Unwavering strength,
None of the anxious or uncertain energy is held,
Only transformed,
Recycled into pure energy,
Returned to the universal flow of things,
The further you travel across the meadow,
Unconditionally held by the sun's warm golden light,
The lighter you feel,
Your breath deepens,
Your chest opens,
And your body moves with growing ease,
Completely unburdened,
Eventually all worried thoughts are carried away,
And once that happens,
Once you feel like the process of release is complete,
You simply bathe in the beauty of the floating florals,
When you are free of all mental worries,
You open your mind even wider to the wonder and enchantment all around you,
Use your breath to deepen this growing embodiment of peace and freedom,
Letting each exhale be a reminder that it is safe to let go,
The sun is beginning to set,
And the golden light is slowly turning to burnt amber,
And you are growing increasingly tired as your sense of inner peace expands,
And as if the meadow were responding to this shift in energy,
A large plush blanket appears on the grass before you,
It's woven of the same calming hues as the floating petals,
Rose gold,
Soft lilac,
And ethereal blue,
With silver threadwork shimmering like the light of the moon,
And atop the blanket is a second one,
Exactly the same,
Ready to cloak your body as you rest in the centre of the meadow,
And so envision yourself coming to lie down,
Head surrendering to a pale blue cloud-like pillow beneath it,
Embroidered with tiny constellations in silver thread,
And pull the second blanket over your body,
And then take a long slow breath in,
Releasing that breath with a soft slow sigh,
Feel the warm terracotta sun on your skin,
Reminding your body to relax,
All tension melting into the earth,
And at the same time,
Feel the gentle breeze as it brushes against your cheeks and fills your lungs,
Blessing your body with restorative life force upon each cycle,
You continue to be mesmerized by the magic of the floating petals that continually drift through the clear fresh air,
They sway back and forth,
Rising up and down in tandem with your slow and steady breath,
And take a few moments to breathe in tandem with these petals,
Feeling the peaceful rhythm of this enchanted globe flowing effortlessly through you,
And this is your sanctuary,
A safe inner haven where you can rest completely,
Exactly as you are,
The outside world is very distant now,
And the only moment that matters is this one,
Because here,
Right where you are,
There is nothing you need to do,
And no one you need to be,
You are cocooned by this enchanted suspended moment in the warmth and protection of the globe,
Soothed by the vitality and peace of the meadow beneath you,
Take a few quiet breaths to intentionally absorb the subtle pulse of the earth beneath you,
And to breathe in harmony with the floating petals,
With each inhale,
Absorb a growing sense of peace and stability,
And with each exhale,
Release any last traces of tension or unease,
Your body sinks deeper into the blanket and cushions beneath you,
And the sky continues to grow darker,
It smoothly transitions from burnt orange to deep indigo,
And as the night deepens,
The first stars begin to appear,
Tiny diamonds twinkling against the vast expanse of the dome,
As you rest,
The stars multiply,
Stretching outwards and into constellations,
And a full moon rises too,
Softly illuminating the meadow,
And you can no longer make out the colors of the floating petals,
Now that night has fallen,
They look more like silver feathers,
Light and untethered,
Take a few quiet moments to watch them all settle,
One by one,
They too need time to rest,
So let them come down to the earth now,
And as they do,
If there's any residual worry or tension within you,
Invite those last petals to carry it all away from you,
And take a few more moments now to savor the visual wonder of this magical globe,
Notice the way the trees,
The wildflowers,
And the emerald grass shimmer beneath the light of the moon,
And when you're ready,
Envision your eyes coming to a close,
Sensing nothing by the light of the moon penetrating your eyelids,
And allow the full moon to bless the crown of your head and your forehead,
Filling your mind's eye with soothing silver light,
And as your mind is filled with moonlight,
All remaining thoughts are dissolved,
And any tension in your forehead is relaxed as you melt deeper into this present moment,
Drifting closer and closer to slumber,
And then slowly,
Feel the presence of the full moon permeating the rest of your body,
All the way down to your toes,
Guiding you to sink deeper and deeper,
And into the serenity of this enchanted moment,
Your jaw relaxes,
Your shoulders relax,
And all tension dissipates from your arms,
All the way down through your fingertips,
Your heart softens,
Your back and belly find complete ease,
And any residual tension in your legs through to your toes dissolves into the surface beneath you,
Your entire body is bathed by the light of the moon,
And by the sparkling light of thousands upon thousands of stars,
You are blanketed by the cosmos,
Loved and nurtured exactly as you are,
Now your consciousness begins to drift through the celestial silver light stretched throughout your mind's eye,
And it floats through an infinite expanse of tranquility,
Just like those flower petals once did,
Your mind is completely free,
Completely at peace,
Cradled by the boundless calm of this magical realm,
For just a few more breaths,
Allow your consciousness to float,
Filled with nothing but silver sparkling light,
And as it does,
Silently repeat,
I am boundless,
Free,
At peace,
Now allow the words to dissipate,
As your consciousness drifts back down the moss covered staircase or pathway that brought you here,
Slowly back down to your body,
And in your own time,
Anchor yourself,
Sensing your head on your pillow,
And your whole body on the mattress that holds you,
Take a slow intentional breath as you complete this journey back to your physical reality,
And savour the feeling of whatever is cloaking your body,
Perhaps sheets or blankets or pyjamas,
Recognise how unconditionally you are held by both the earth below and the cosmos above,
And the magical globe continues to live within you,
And even when its imagery is not alive in your mind's eye,
It still cradles you,
Infinite calm is always just a breath away,
You can come home to it at any time,
But it's now time to make that final transition for the day,
The transition into a deep and restorative night's sleep,
Allow your breath to carry you there,
To rock you gently back and forth,
And if your mind wanders while you inch closer to sleep,
Remember that each out breath is a chance to let go,
You can release your thoughts again and again as often as you need,
And you can always come back home to inner calm,
Goodnight my friend,
Goodnight.
