Welcome,
Friend.
Let's begin by finding a comfortable seat.
Sit nice and tall,
But relaxed.
Bring your shoulders up,
Back and down,
And release them.
Now take a big breath in,
Filling up your belly.
And release it.
Do a few more like that,
Filling up as much as you can.
And then let that breath go.
Notice where you connect to the earth.
Imagine that you are a tree.
If a picture of a tree you know comes into your mind,
Just use that.
Imagine that you are tall and strong.
Imagine that you are sending roots down into the rich,
Dark soil.
Send the crown of your head up into the bright sky.
Let all that is between your roots and your crown settle into a nice,
Relaxed and solid posture.
Continue to breathe at a nice,
Comfortable pace.
Imagine that your body is like a trunk of a tree.
Breathe into the trunk with deep,
Full breaths.
The following statements are a loving-kindness meditation that was inspired by trees.
First we wish these things for ourselves.
Then we wish these things for someone else.
Then we wish them for all beings.
After I say them,
You can repeat them out loud or in your head,
Or just let them wash over you.
May I stand tall and proud.
May I extend deep roots into my community.
May I protect the people around me.
May I be content with my natural beauty.
May joy surround me.
May you stand tall and proud.
May you extend deep roots into your community.
May you protect the people around you.
May you be content with your natural beauty.
May joy surround you.
May we stand tall and proud.
May we extend deep roots into our communities.
May we protect the people around us.
May we be content with our natural beauty.
May joy surround us.
Take another full breath in and imagine that you can feel joy all around you.
Let it surround you and breathe it in.
Thank you for joining me today,
My friend.
May you have peace and joy throughout your day.
Namaste.
