So for this meditation,
I recommend that you are in a sitting position with your feet flat on the floor or the ground.
Or if you're seated or lying down outside,
I do recommend this meditation is done outside if you can.
With the sound of the bell,
Simply begin by closing your eyes.
And begin by taking three slow,
Long,
Deep breaths.
Regulating the breath just slightly so that you breathe long and deep.
And feel the breath going all the way down into the abdomen,
Filling the abdomen completely.
And then just letting the breath go.
Allow the breath just to be released with ease.
So three long,
Slow,
Deep breaths.
And as you breathe,
Feel the body slowing down naturally.
And after that third breath,
Just allow the body to breathe.
Allow the body to find its own rhythm of breathing.
So don't try to control the breath in any way.
Just let it be.
Let the breath go and use the power of your mind to follow this process of breathing.
And relax into this process,
Remembering that if the mind wanders,
That's okay.
This is the way the mind works.
It habitually wanders off.
So when you become aware that it's wandered away,
Acknowledge whatever distracted you,
Whether that's a noise,
A thought,
An itch,
A pain.
And then gently bring the mind back to where you're supposed to focus.
In this case,
The breath right now focused on every breath that you take.
Breathing into the breath,
Slowing down with your breath,
Noticing these natural movements and sensations that are created in the body as you breathe.
And just standing back,
Observing every breath as it flows in and then out of your body.
Now,
Begin to imagine yourself as a very large tree and bring to mind the qualities of a tree,
A big,
Strong,
Tall tree.
Qualities like strength and endurance and stability and deep rootedness.
As you visualize this tree,
See yourself with these same qualities.
See yourself absorbing these qualities from the image of the tree in your mind.
So see yourself with this strength,
With this combination of strength held with flexibility.
See the tree is strong and stable,
But also with this ability to flow easily.
If the wind comes along,
It flows easily.
So it is strong,
Stable,
But flexible.
And so are you.
See the tree is strong and flowing,
Supple,
Bendy,
Flexible with all that is around it.
And see those qualities in yourself.
So as you vividly visualize this tree,
Again visualize it as clear as you can.
Bring it to mind,
This strong tree.
And visualize the roots of this tree coming out from the bottom of your feet.
Feel those roots sprouting out down through the bottom of your feet.
As you visualize this,
What do you sense?
What sensations arise as you feel these roots sprouting out the bottom of your feet?
Just allow yourself to experience them and see yourself with the qualities of this tree and send those roots down through your feet,
Deep,
Deep into the center of the earth.
See those roots going down very deep into the earth.
And imagine them anchoring you firmly to the ground,
Making you feel very secure and balanced,
Safe,
Stable.
So sit with this image in mind,
With this feeling for a few moments.
And then the next time you inhale,
Imagine you are drawing up nourishment and pure energy from the center of the earth through these roots.
Feel this energy entering you from the roots of your tree.
You're drawing up nourishment and pure energy from the center of the earth.
And feel that energy as warm,
Nourishing,
Healing,
Loving.
So visualize that energy entering you as warm light.
Feel it moving in through the roots into your feet.
See it slowly moving up into your feet.
Go see it as vividly as you can and feel it.
Feel the tingling and the warmth in your feet as this energy comes into you.
And begin to feel this energy rising up into your legs.
And just be with that energy as it flows into you through those roots,
Into your legs,
Rising,
Rising into your torso bit by bit,
Moving up your body.
Feel that warmth,
That tingling,
That nourishment,
That healing simply moving up you bit by bit,
Now rising into your chest,
Moving down into your arms and reaching all the way to your fingertips.
And imagine this light,
This nourishment filling your shoulders,
Moving up,
Moving through you to your neck and your face.
And all the way to the top of your head.
And just feel this energy naturally flowing through your whole body now,
Entering your feet and simply moving up and flowing and filling your entire body.
Filling your entire body with this warmth,
This lightness that's simply created and flowing and moving.
And just sit for a few moments on your own experiencing that feeling when you see that this energy,
This nourishment is rising through you.
Feel the flow of lovingness and energy that's making you feel balanced and secure and safe at peace,
Really grounding you.
That feeling of being centered and grounded just like a tree.
That sense of nourishment flowing through you.
And now as you sit feeling these qualities of the tree within you,
Those qualities again of being grounded,
Balanced,
Stable but also flexible and flowing with life.
At the same time allow yourself to release,
Release any old self images that don't align with these qualities.
And do this through the out breath,
Feel those other qualities just leaving with the out breath.
And allow new ways of being to emerge in this picture of you,
Feel these qualities of stability and grounded and balanced within you in your body.
And I'm going to repeat some statements.
After I say the words,
Repeat them to yourself and accept these words as the qualities of the tree and of yourself.
Feel those qualities within yourself.
I have the strength to endure the ups and downs of life.
I am grounded,
Stable and secure.
I draw sustenance from the world around me.
I move easily with life.
I am connected to nature and share in the nourishment of life.
I am balanced and secure.
I am safe and I am loved.
Now take just a moment to experience your connection with nature,
To feel supported by the earth.
Feel you're being nurtured and secured by nature.
Know that you too are providing nature with the energy source it needs.
So sit for a few moments on your own,
Just allowing yourself to feel this exchange of energy and nourishment with the earth.
So sit for a few minutes at the center.
And in a few moments,
You will hear the sound of the bell three times.
And then you can rise from the meditation in your own time.
