Welcome to this guided meditation of three visualization exercises to help release control.
My name is Jess and I have struggled with the need for control and found that mindfulness practice is helpful for my journey.
This time we'll do three visualization exercises,
Each followed by about two and a half minutes of silence.
Our time will end when the music fades,
So find a comfortable space,
Chair,
Lying down,
Or even walking.
Take five big breaths and observe your body breathing as we prepare for this exercise.
Imagine you're standing in a quiet sunlit meadow,
The scent of the earth and the flowers surround you,
In your hands you're holding something precious,
It is something you deeply desire to control,
An outcome,
A relationship,
A hope for the future.
It sits in your cupped palms,
Delicate yet restless,
And as you look down you can see that the thing you are holding is a butterfly.
Its wings are closed for now,
At first you hold it carefully,
Afraid it might fly away,
But you begin to notice when you clutch it too tightly it struggles,
The more you try to keep it in place the more restless it becomes.
So you take a breath and slowly open your hands,
That butterfly stays,
Adjusting and feeling the openness of the air around it,
It belongs to the wind,
To the sky,
But as it flies something unexpected happens,
You feel lighter,
You watch as it moves freely,
Knowing that it was never truly lost,
But simply finding its way.
And breathe out,
I trust the unfolding,
And as you sit with this image ask yourself what am I holding too tightly,
The sun warming your skin,
The rhythmic sound of gentle waves lulling you into peace,
In front of you lies a smooth untouched,
With your hands you begin to create a beautiful pattern,
Grained by each stroke is deliberate,
Forming delicate lines and intricate shapes,
This creation represents your intentions,
Dreams,
And the effort you put into shaping your life,
As the design takes form you're happy with it,
And a soft breeze stirs the air around you,
And slowly begins to shift the grains of sand,
Softening the sharp edges,
Gently blurring the details of your work,
You may feel resistance,
Desire to shield your creation,
To preserve every detail exactly as you imagined it,
You realize that beauty exists not just in the finished product,
But in the act of creation itself,
With its gentle hand becomes a part of your masterpiece,
An unwelcome guest that transforms into a collaborator,
You watch as some grains of sand slip away,
Creating new patterns that you didn't expect,
But that's okay,
As you sit with this image reflect on these questions,
What are you trying to control in your life right now,
To reshape your expectations,
The water is calm,
Steady,
This leaf represents something you are holding on to,
Place that leaf on the surface of the river,
Watch as the water gently lifts it,
You trust that the river knows how to carry it,
You decide you don't need to chase it,
Simply watch and let it go,
If your mind reaches for that leaf remind yourself it's being carried,
And the river knows what to do.
