Welcome.
Take a moment to get comfortable.
You may be seated cross-legged,
In a chair,
Or even lying down to receive this meditation.
Allow your eyes to lower to the floor,
Or even gently close,
Drawing your attention inward.
Tune your awareness to your feet and toes,
Letting them relax.
As your awareness travels up your legs,
Encourage them to relax too.
Soften your hips and lower belly.
Breathe deeply into the ribcage,
Exhaling with a sigh.
Allow the relaxation to travel up into your chest.
And now your neck and shoulders.
Down the length of your arms into the fingertips.
Next,
Feel the muscles of the face relax.
The jaw,
The forehead,
And behind the eyes.
If there is anything distracting you,
Or creating any tension or constriction,
Invite it to loosen its grip as you melt more into the support of the surface that you are resting on.
Now take a deep long inhale through the nose,
Exhaling through the mouth.
Twice more at your own pace.
Feel the body with the breath on the inhale,
And release deeply with a sigh.
As you are breathing deeply here,
Reflect on one thing you are most grateful for about today.
This could be a material thing,
A situation,
Person,
Or an aspect of yourself.
As you bring this blessing to mind,
Take another breath,
Letting yourself fully receive this gift in your life.
Take a moment to be in touch with how much this means to you,
And continue to relax further.
Imagine that you find yourself in a beautiful natural setting.
This could be a garden,
A vast field,
A forest,
Mountainside,
A lake,
Or perhaps the beach.
Arrive there peacefully.
You are there alone,
But you are not lonely.
There is a feeling of serenity that fills the space.
Notice your surroundings.
What colors stand out to you?
What time of day is it?
What is the temperature in the air?
Are there any sounds from the wind or some animals nearby?
Where are you within this scene?
Are you seated,
Standing,
Or in motion?
Visually take in as many details as you can about this environment.
And how do you feel as you settle in here?
Take your time to observe and settle into this peaceful place.
Now imagine that there is a dwelling that appears before you.
This is a peaceful place meant just for you.
Whatever structure you see,
Feel that it is cozy and inviting,
And that you are standing right outside the entrance to it.
Take a moment to take in the details of this dwelling.
What shapes are present?
What is it made of?
How are you feeling as you encounter it?
As you continue to breathe deeply,
You feel comforted by seeing this dwelling place.
You know that it is empty,
Awaiting you,
The entryway is open.
As you feel ready,
Pass over the threshold between the outside world and this beautiful sanctuary.
As you enter,
You understand that this beautiful place is your special sacred space,
Which you can freely visit whenever you like.
Once inside,
Take note of the space within this sanctuary.
How is it decorated?
Here within,
What colors are most prominent?
Are there any scents in the air?
Is there any furniture or decor that attracts your attention?
What objects do you find here?
What are the textures around you like?
Are there windows,
And if so,
What is the view like?
How much light or shadow is in the space?
Take a few moments now to observe your supportive surroundings and let them help you feel grounded and serene.
Reconnect with your breath,
Lengthening the exhale so that the inhale comes naturally in response.
Now find a seat,
Wherever is most comfortable for you inside this space.
What is the main feeling you get from sitting here within its walls?
You notice that being in the safe and loving environment of this sanctuary allows you to see something that wants your attention.
This can be something that may have been troubling or challenging you lately.
It can be a specific worry or fear,
A judgment you hold of yourself or others,
Or a persistent concern that seems to occupy your attention and beg for your energy.
As you think upon it,
How do you feel about this worry or challenge?
What is your first reaction to its presence?
Notice if there's any resistance,
Discomfort,
Or unpleasant sensation that arises when you call it to mind.
Can you now even bring some softness and kindness to both the source of your agitation and your visceral response to it?
Meet this way that you've been being with spaciousness.
Let it show itself to you.
Let it know it too is welcome in this space,
For everything that emerges in this sanctuary is for your highest good.
What has it been wanting you to know or to see that it deems important?
What has it been trying to bring into your life and call your attention to?
Imagine that this concern has a meaningful message for you.
What would it want you to know?
Notice how you feel now as you connect with what the worry or fear was truly coming to show you.
In this moment,
Can you recognize the value of its message and acknowledge this worry for trying to help you in its own way?
Take a step back,
Reconnecting with the space and relaxing more deeply into the safety and peacefulness of this place.
Tune in again.
What is rising within you?
Create an atmosphere in your own being that welcomes whatever thoughts or feelings are currently arising as you notice them with curiosity.
Here take another three deep breaths in through the nose and out in long exhales or sighs through the mouth.
As you deepen into this moment,
Take stock of the space you have now created both around you and also within you.
There is now room for something new.
In the place where your worries were lodged,
What are you receptive to cultivating instead?
Consider one thing you are longing to feel.
Is it a sense of connection?
A desire to matter?
Consider joy or harmony?
Connect with a deep desire you have to invite in some new way of being or a fresh state of mind.
Think of the word or phrase that would encapsulate this desired feeling,
The one you wish to welcome in now.
Beside you,
On your left,
You see a beautiful pot in the sanctuary with only soil in it as well as a small seed on the ground.
You pick up the seed and observe it,
Feeling its smoothness and noticing its color.
Now relishing your time in this sanctuary,
You close your eyes and cup the seed in your hands as you infuse it with the strength of your intention.
In your mind's eye or aloud if you wish,
Say the intention word or phrase that you chose three times with your fingers closed over the seedling.
Here who would you be if this intention continued to grow inside of you?
Imagine stepping into this state of being that you just invoked and inhabiting it as your new way of being today.
How would you show up for yourself and others if you could embody this feeling more and more?
Start to feel this state of being expanding within you and filling your body.
See how the seeds of your desired intention start to take root in your awareness.
Taking another deep breath,
Now plant the seed that you've been holding into the soil of the beautiful pot.
Cover the seedling with dirt and take another deep breath.
Inhale your desired feeling deeply and on the exhale let it fill every cell of your body and even emanate out to the world around you.
As if seeing yourself from above,
For a moment observe the you that is resonating with this desired feeling.
How is your posture?
What is the expression on your face?
What are you doing to express this feeling?
Imagine the activities and interactions that await you in the rest of your day or week ahead.
See yourself carrying this feeling with you in each activity that you do and in the exchanges you have with each person that you'll encounter.
See the ripple effects of you showing up in the world in this way.
You look over to the pot and see that your intention now begins to appear as a physical sprout emerging from the spot where you planted the seed.
Notice how green this sprout is and how eager it is to grow.
Take another deep breath into this feeling letting it surround you and feel gratitude for this space,
For the sanctuary,
And for the little sprout of the intention of what is becoming.
When you are ready you'll begin to transition and take your leave of this space but you won't leave it behind.
You'll carry it with you.
Make a commitment to nourish the sprout through your thoughts,
Words,
And actions today letting it continue to come to life.
Know that you can come back to this place within whenever you like by recalling your intention or taking a few deep breaths and returning here in your mind's eye when you need a dose of calm.
Now take a couple moments to begin to bring yourself back wiggling the fingers and toes to bring life and movement back to your body.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes and come back to the room.
As you do so,
Take in the light and the shadows,
The colors around you,
The textures of the objects and the space you find yourself in.
Sit quietly for a few moments longer letting the experience resonate in you.
Enjoy the day.
May you experience the peace and beauty within and around you as you move through this world.
