Let's begin by taking a nice deep breath through your abdomen,
Reaching deep and filling up the space with air.
At the top of the breath,
Hold it there for a few seconds and release the air slowly but forcefully through your mouth.
At the bottom of your breath,
Take another deep breath through your sacrum,
Filling your abdomen with air.
Pausing at the top and releasing the air forcefully through your mouth.
And let's take one more deep breath.
Hold it and release.
Now let's return to normal breathing.
I now want you to connect with the Earth's energy by grounding this meditation to the Earth and feeling a sense of oneness with the world around us.
Imagine for a moment coming from your legs,
Through your feet and into the ground,
Big strong roots.
Roots that are as strong as the largest tree in the world.
I want you to think of the roots going deep into the Earth,
Farther and farther down.
So far down that there is nothing that can release its grip.
This form of grounding gives you security,
Fulfills the basic needs of safety.
One of our ten human desires is the desire to be taken seriously.
When we are not taken seriously,
Our reactions have a wide range of effect,
From sadness and resignation or disappointment through the envy of those who receive the recognition we crave to a burning fury of resentment at times.
The desire to be taken seriously is nothing more than the desire for the respect of others to be noticed,
To matter,
To be appreciated,
To be understood,
To be valued as a person,
To be accepted,
To be remembered.
I want you to reflect for a moment on the times in your life when you weren't taken seriously.
Maybe you weren't appreciated for your ideas,
Or you spoke and were misunderstood.
Maybe you were not accepted in school as a child,
Or at work as an adult.
You might even think that when you are gone,
No one will remember you.
Take all of those thoughts and memories and imagine opening a box,
A big box,
And placing all of those moments inside the box and closing the lid.
Don't forget to add the emotions that are attached to them,
The tears that are a result of the feeling of being unappreciated.
Place all of this in a box and close the lid for a moment.
Now imagine yourself taking the box and placing it in the back of your head and leaving it there for now.
They are still your experiences and they are real to you,
But now they do not have an impact on you.
They are sealed for the moment.
As you place the box in the back of your head,
Imagine the top of your head opening,
Wider,
And even wider still,
So that your head is exposed to the world.
Now imagine a white river of light entering into your head and feeling your body with the source energy.
Feel the energy flow through the crown of your head,
The spiritual connection,
Passing through your third eye,
Your intuition,
Filling your throat,
A feeling of openness,
Creativity,
And communication.
Feel the river of light flow through your shoulders,
Down your arms,
To your hands.
Imagine that the light is hugging your heart,
Giving you balance,
Love,
Connection,
Compassion.
Imagine the light entering your solar plexus,
Stomach.
This is where self-control,
Purpose,
Desire,
Willpower,
And instinct is found.
Really feel the light taking over your body as it passes through your sacral,
Where relationships and emotions and intimacy are found.
This is your abdomen,
Your gut.
Now imagine the light flowing through your root,
Where you feel secure and safe.
This is your pelvis,
Your reproductive system,
Your legs,
Your tailbone,
Your feet.
Sit with this for a moment and feel the light throughout your body as it bathes you with compassion,
It hugs you from the inside.
Feel your breath coming in and leaving,
In and leaving.
That's it.
When you listen,
Respect,
And value yourself,
You can in turn listen,
Respect,
And value others.
Listening is the breakthrough strategy.
It opens up the conversation.
Listening says we are going to value each other's contributions,
Trying to understand someone else's point of view,
Whether you agree or not.
If you treat someone with respect,
It might not break the cycle of being protective of yourself,
But it might open up a window of possibility for that person.
Respecting others reciprocates respect for yourself.
When we listen and respect others,
Two things happen.
We respond to others sensibly because we listen to them.
And secondly,
And probably the most important,
By listening and respecting what the other person was contributing,
It shows that we value them as a person.
Following this pattern will not only show others that you are compassionate toward them,
But will also make you feel significant and in turn be taken seriously by others.
This will happen internally and not an external need to be noticed.
It will become a part of you deep within and it will be taken seriously by others.
Sit with these thoughts for a moment.
Respect.
Value.
Now feel the need to be less noticed.
In return,
You will be noticed.
Let's change the focus back to the river of white light and follow it back to your ground,
The top of your head,
Where love and compassion live.
Take a moment to reflect on what compassion means for you.
Compassion is a spiritual connection.
It's peace,
Thoughtful harmony.
When you are ready,
Feel your body reawakening.
Feel the source running through your feet and up your legs.
Fasten your knees and your thighs.
Feel your lower back coming back to life.
Your hips,
Your gut.
Feel the source reawakening your stomach,
Your spine,
Your heart,
Your throat,
Your arms and hands,
Your neck and face,
Your head,
The ground.
Feel your body reawakening.
Listen to the sounds around you through your ears.
Feel the air touching your skin.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes.
Welcome back.
Sit for a moment before you continue your day and just enjoy the moment of quiet before you stand up.
I hope you have a peaceful day living in balance through compassion.
