Welcome to Jar Your Mind.
My name is Joey.
Today we are going to settle into a visualization meditation by engaging with the sheer beauty,
Peace,
And wisdom that emanates from trees.
Close your eyes and begin to imagine you are taking a walk on a soft path and to your right and left are trees and more trees.
Relax your body.
Relax your mind.
Breathing in and breathing out.
You notice as you look at the base of a tree and scan your eyes to the crown.
Your eyes are in sync with your breath.
As you breathe in at the base,
Your head rises and your stomach expands as your gaze works its way up the tree trunk,
Through the branches,
And to the top apex of the tree.
You hold your breath there for a moment,
Head held high,
Stomach expanded,
Appreciating the regalness of this tree.
And then as you begin to exhale,
Your eyes move with your breath back down the tree,
Noting new things on the way down.
Until your lungs are empty and you have reached again the base of the tree.
And you continue this process with each tree on your path.
Breathing in the life and oxygen that this tree provides as you give the tree your appreciation just by noticing it.
Noticing the trunk,
The branches,
The leaves,
And the crown of the tree that is shimmering in the sun.
You pause at the top before again you work your way back down.
Do this again and again,
Breathing and gazing at your own pace with each tree.
You are relaxing more and more into this meditation and you are feeling better and better as you are getting more and more aligned with nature and with the harmony that comes from connecting with it.
You continue to walk along your path in a dream-like state.
Almost as if you are floating and clouds are beneath the trees instead of above them.
As you glide along,
You admire the dozens of trees to your left and to your right that are guiding you forward.
And the hundreds of tree branches that hang like welcoming arms held open over and over again above and around your head.
They are providing shelter.
They are providing rich energy for you to breathe in deeply.
They are providing a secure base to your light-hearted state of mind with their roots that are grounded firmly in the earth.
But you also feel the appreciation from the trees that are more than happy to provide such energy and stability for you,
Because you also provide for them.
You breathe in the oxygen they emit and you give back to them carbon dioxide for them to absorb,
Create,
And give you back your breath again and again.
A true symbiotic relationship with each and every inhale and exhale.
You feel the wisdom of knowing that you are working together to provide life force energy to each other.
You are not separate from nature.
But are,
In fact,
Part of nature itself.
You continue to walk with the trees in perfect harmony.
You feel strong like the trunk of the tree holding the weight of all its branches.
But the wisdom of the tree assures you that it is an honor,
Not a burden,
To carry this weight.
Just as your life carries the weight of responsibility and service,
It is not burdensome.
It is an honor to give.
And you have the strength to weather any storm.
You continue to survey the trees and notice as strong as they are,
They also seem to dance with the wind.
The lighter branches swaying and the leaves flowing with them.
You watch as one leaf gently releases its hold and floats down toward you.
You open your hand and welcome the leaf,
Grasping it gently to catch it from falling to the ground.
You open your hand back up and look closely at the chosen leaf.
Or did it choose you?
You feel the wetness from its waterlogged body that is already beginning to dry quickly away from its lifeline.
But it will now be of use in a new way,
Perhaps to the tree cutter ants at your feet.
You release the leaf to its next phase,
Thanking it for its existence and continued vitality to the vast world below.
You are strong and rooted,
But also flow with ease and acceptance and peace with the happenings of your life.
You know there will be delicate moments and as the leaf falls with a heavy wind,
You too will sometimes lose your grip.
But you are not just the leaf,
You are the tree.
And you will continue to dance with the wind as well as stand firm in the ground.
There is no struggle at your core,
Because you know you are vital to every aspect of nature,
Of life itself.
You are bold,
Not rigid.
You are peaceful,
Not forceful.
You are vital,
Not wasteful.
Every part of you is important,
Just like the tree is to itself and to you.
If you fall,
You will use it as a new beginning.
If you rise above the clouds,
You will continue to see from new perspectives.
You are right where you are supposed to be.
The trees are rooted and haven't moved for perhaps decades.
Whenever you doubt not having done enough today,
Remember the life of trees.
They do not run around and yet they are life force energy itself.
You are the same and you are vital to every part of you and to everything around you.
You are life.
You are nature.
And all is well.
Continue to walk among the trees in peace and harmony and immense gratitude as you breathe in and breathe out.
