Let us begin by taking one deep breath,
Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth,
And then settling in to the natural rhythm of the breath,
Allowing ourselves to take as much depth in our breathing as we need at this moment.
With each breath,
Loosening any tension that we feel in our bodies,
Giving ourselves permission to shift our bodies and move as necessary to be in a comfortable position that allows us the ability to breathe freely with dignity and yet be relaxed at the same time.
Today we will begin with a Samatha breath practice and then transition to a light meditation.
With Samatha,
We choose an anchor in the bodily sensations of the breath as air enters our nostrils,
Or exits our mouth,
The feel of our chest rising and falling,
Or even noticing the presence of the breath in our bellies.
Choose the place that feels most present to you.
And let's take a few moments to sit with the breath in stillness as thoughts arise,
Make note of it,
And gently return back to the breath,
Back to that area of sensation that you chose as your anchor.
Allow yourself to release any feelings or energies you have with the lingering thoughts in your mind,
Letting go of what came before this practice and anything that you're returning to after it.
To keep yourself present here in the moment,
Feel your body and your mind relax and settle into being here now.
Now let us slowly transition to visualizing a light.
This light is a warm,
Glowing candlelight.
You can either picture it in your mind's eye,
Or if you have a candle lit,
You can softly gaze at the candle.
Notice the colors of the flame in your mind's eye,
Visualize what the warmth of it feels like.
Now picture it external to you,
In front of you,
Maybe a few feet away,
And imagine energy flowing from that candle into you,
Warming your face,
Shedding its warmth on you.
The candle can be a glowing ball or a glowing entity,
Some form of energy,
Whatever you find that you're connecting with in this practice.
The central feeling of it being a warm energy from the source of light.
Now gently close your eyes and imagine the light entering from outside into your eyes.
Relax the muscles of the eyes and breathe in this light and energy.
As the light enters your eyes,
Feel it warm your face and your head,
Your neck,
From the inside,
So that you now are also glowing with that light inside of your body.
This light can wash through your cheeks and your jaw,
Relax the muscles around your neck.
Now allow that light to enter your shoulders and your back,
The positive energy and spirit of what that candle,
What that fire and flame represents,
Coming into your chest and entering your heart.
Breathe in to the feeling of this light embracing you,
Embracing your heart,
Embracing your chest,
Becoming one with you,
Removing any anxiety,
Any fears,
Any worries that you might have had prior to entering this practice.
Notice this light as a healing light,
Being warm and supportive,
Letting you know that it's okay,
That everything is going to be all right,
That this energy is always with you.
Breathe in to that warmth.
And now feel the light move further down into your pelvis,
Down your legs,
Into your calves.
As the light moves further down,
It still retains its hold on the rest of you.
So feel the warmth everywhere it has passed.
And as it comes all the way down to your feet,
Become present to the sensations in your toes.
The light as it extends from your shoulders down to your elbows,
To your fingers,
As either warmth or light itself.
And now all of you is being embraced by this warm light,
Is being held both from within and from outside,
Being wrapped in it in a comforting,
Soothing way that allows you to be here with its presence.
Let's take a few moments to sit in silence while we feel the energy of the light.
If you feel your mind wandering,
You can return to either the breath or the strongest sensation of warmth that holds you.
And now as we close our practice,
Take a moment to offer yourself some gratitude for coming,
For allowing your mind and your body to relax into this meditation,
For giving yourself the space and time to be present with it,
And to notice the energy,
The energy of the light that is always with you.
Take this energy,
This warmth,
This comfort with you throughout your day,
Knowing that you can always tap back into this,
That it resides in you,
And that you only need to look inside to feel this warmth,
To feel this comfort.
