Take a moment to come into the space.
Your eyes can be open or closed,
Your posture relaxed yet alert,
And find your breath.
Become aware of its natural rhythm as you imagine yourself here in the Mojave National Preserve in this valley below the mesa,
The Barber Peak,
Its rocky greys and browns,
Some of the rock volcanic,
Some conglomerate.
And as you move down that peak you can see the valley,
All the different kinds of greens,
Agave plants,
Chollas,
Light green dry grasses,
The sweet smell of sage,
And the red spiked barrel cactus glowing in the morning sun.
The air is cool but the sun is warm against your cheeks.
Around you the sparrows are playing.
You're still and so they're coming closer,
Curious.
And in this relaxed state,
In this ancient valley,
Listen to what is arising inside of you.
Just notice.
Is it worry?
Just say to yourself,
Huh,
Worry.
And notice,
Or fear.
Is it peace or joy?
Are they thoughts of the past or the future?
Whatever arises,
Notice from that place of space that only the desert provides.
There's space for all of that and tranquility too.
In front of you is a wash or arroyo,
Rocks tumbled,
Sage,
Where the monsoon waters rush through.
Imagine those waters flowing now,
Just moving gently past.
And into that wash,
Whatever burden you are carrying,
Whatever heavy thoughts,
Worries,
Or fears,
Allow them to just float down into the desert.
That space that can hold all of it.
You can imagine yourself tossing them in one by one.
When your mind wanders,
That's normal,
It's natural.
It's like wandering the desert.
Just kindly bring it back.
As emotions rise,
You can say to yourself,
Yes,
Allowing them to come up.
Because here,
This arroyo,
This wash,
Can carry it all away.
When you're ready,
Turn your attention to the red-tipped barrel cactus glowing in the sunlight.
Put your concentration on that beautiful red glow.
Maybe near it there's the golden cholla,
Also just shimmering.
Allow that light into the heart space.
You can even put your hand on your heart and feel that warmth enter you and fill you with that enduring,
Timeless energy of this valley.
There's no right here,
There's no wrong,
There's no good,
No bad.
It's just what it is here.
Relax into that kind,
Compassionate space.
You can say to yourself,
May I meet this moment as exactly as it is.
May I meet this moment as a friend.
And from here,
Listening to the deepest,
Wisest part of you,
What does it want to say to you right now?
To remember about the Mojave Desert.
To stay within you throughout your day.
When you're ready,
You can take a few deep breaths.
Stay here for as long as you need.
May you meet each moment exactly as it is.
May you meet it as a friend.
