Welcome to this relaxing autumn meditation.
I'd like to invite you to take a few moments now to make yourself comfortable.
Find a position which feels comfortable to you today.
And settle into that position,
Letting your focus soften until if it feels good to you to do so,
Your eyes gently close.
Now bring your attention to your body.
Notice where your body is in space.
Notice any points of contact.
Notice if you can relax anything just a tiny bit more.
Feel the ease and the relaxation as your body relaxes and lets go.
Notice where your body connects to your seat or to the ground,
Connecting you to the earth.
Now I invite you to take a couple of deep breaths.
A deep inhale through the nose and sighing out through the mouth.
A deep inhale through the nose and sighing out through the mouth.
In your own time take a couple more deep breaths.
And as you exhale,
Notice any tension,
Any worries,
Any thoughts of the future,
Any thoughts of the past,
Drifting out and away on the breath.
Now allow your breath to return to its normal rhythm.
Rest into the moment as you start to count your breath.
One as you inhale.
One as you exhale.
Two as you inhale.
And two as you exhale.
Continue counting in this way towards ten.
And if your attention drifts,
Just notice and gently guide it back to the breath,
Knowing there's nothing you need to do,
Knowing this is part of the practice,
Knowing that each time you guide your attention back,
Strengthening your ability to just be in the moment.
And now I invite you to bring to mind an image of an oak tree,
A tall,
Sturdy,
Majestic oak tree.
Hear the rustle as the wind sways the branches,
The songs of birds perched high in the boughs.
Notice the sun dappling the ground below and the roots rolling away from the tree and burrowing deep into the soil,
Nourishing,
Stabilising.
Notice the gnarled bark of the solid trunk,
The shadows in its crevasses,
The subtle shades of browns and the soft veneer of lichen.
Allow your gaze to drift up and notice the clusters of acorns,
Glossy green domes nestling in perfect textured cups,
Bright,
Ready to drop.
And notice the curves of each leaf's splayed fingers soaking up the autumn sunshine.
And notice the leaves colours,
Tinging yellow,
Orange,
Fiery red.
Notice the leaves starting to crisp and to curl.
Notice as they drift down from the branches to settle gently on the earth below.
Now feel yourself drawing nearer to the tree and staring up through the thinning leaves to the light peeking through.
Feel yourself connect to the tree,
Being absorbed into the tree,
Becoming part of the tree.
And feel yourself settle,
Your roots grounding you,
Connecting you to the rich air,
Nourishing you.
Your branches stretching up and out to the sun,
To the sky,
Expansive,
Open,
Full of possibility.
And as the leaves drift down,
Feel yourself lighten,
Feel yourself release,
Feel yourself let go.
Know that it's time to rest.
Know that it's time for dormancy,
For renewal,
For a charging and restoration.
Know that you are nature,
That you move with the seasons.
Know that you move in cycles.
Connect to the wisdom of nature.
Know that to flourish,
To create,
To love,
To care,
To nurture.
You need also to rest,
To pause,
To find quiet,
Stillness,
Peace,
Space.
Know that you can set down your to-dos,
You can set down your tasks.
Know that you can just be.
That in just being you're exactly where you're meant to be.
That your being is enough.
As you rest in this moment,
I invite you to notice if there's anything you want to set down.
If there are any responsibilities,
Any tasks,
Any belongings,
Any thoughts,
Any relationships you want to release,
That you want to with love allow to drift away.
Let those thoughts come without judgment.
Just notice.
I invite you to rest in this moment.
To savour the peace,
The calm,
The quiet.
Place your attention lightly on your breath and just notice.
Following your own breath,
Continue to breathe for a few moments.
Now as we draw to the end of this meditation,
Gently starting to bring your attention back to your body.
Back to any points of contact.
You might like to invite a little movement back into the body.
Maybe into the fingers or into the toes.
Bring your attention to what you can hear.
Just noticing without judgment,
Without engagement.
In your own time,
I invite you to slowly bring your attention back into the space you're in.
Open your eyes.
Let your focus adjust.
When you're ready,
Bring yourself back into the room.
