Welcome.
I hope this recording finds you well today.
My name is Kevin.
I will be your guide through this mindfulness practice.
We will be practicing Goethe's Method.
This is a simple,
Four-step meditative practice designed to connect you with a nature that is both outside and within yourself.
This method was created by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in the 1800s as a way to uncover truths about the natural world that are reflected inside ourselves.
Before we begin,
Get comfortable in a natural setting where you will have little distractions.
This could be a park,
A forest,
A beach,
Or even your backyard.
If you do not have access to nature today,
That's okay.
Go to a place in your mind that is beautiful to you.
Now,
Remember that mindfulness is not about getting it right or even doing it well.
It's about making the choice to show up,
Giving your best,
And being grateful and at peace about wherever you find yourself.
Let's begin by taking some deep breaths together.
Take a breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Again through your nose and out through your mouth.
Take a few more breaths on your own.
Become aware of your body in contact with the surface below you as you continue to breathe.
Relax any tension you may be carrying in your shoulders,
In your neck,
Your face.
Slowly relax into the space that you are in.
Being present to this moment is enough for you.
This is quite possibly the most important thing you could be doing right now.
Now we begin the four steps of this practice.
Step one,
Become aware of your surroundings.
You may choose to focus on an entire scene or landscape,
Or you could draw your attention to one small plant or flower or rock.
What do you notice about what you're observing?
Let's pretend that you're a child looking at this thing for the very first time.
What questions do you have for this thing that you are looking at?
Go ahead and ask in your mind.
Let's explore your senses.
We've begun looking and thinking about what you're seeing.
What do you smell?
Do you smell this smell very often,
Or is this new to you?
Does it remind you of anything?
What do you hear?
Again,
Let's pretend that you're hearing this for the very first time.
Think about what you're hearing.
You may not have considered this yet,
But what colors are you seeing?
How many colors are there in front of you?
Bring your attention again to your sight,
Looking at the thing that you're observing for the very first time.
What textures does it have?
What shapes or form?
How is the light landing on this object or thing?
If you're finding yourself distracted,
That's okay.
Just gently bring your attention back to the practice.
What else do you notice about what you're looking at,
About the space that you're in?
You're doing wonderful.
Let's move on to step two.
We're about to invite your imagination to play with the space or the object that you're observing.
During this step,
I want you to be able to let go and allow your imagination to play.
Now,
This may feel like a stretch,
But go for it.
Let's play with time a little bit.
If you're looking at a plant,
Imagine that it fast forwards through time to growing and growing,
Maybe bearing fruit or flower,
Eventually dying.
Once you've done this,
Reverse it.
Imagine the plant shrinking down into losing its leaves and becoming a seed that fell one day,
Maybe years ago.
Imagine the sun and moon race across the sky as days pass by before your eyes.
Imagine what animals might be here right now if you weren't here,
Walking slowly through,
Looking for food or water.
Imagine them walking through right next to you.
What's the weather like right now?
What other types of weather might exist in this space?
Maybe a fog or a light rain,
A heavy rain,
High winds.
Or maybe it's already cloudy and you can imagine a clear,
Warm day.
How might this space feel at night when the stars are out?
What kinds of sounds might you hear then?
Imagine,
What will this space look like tomorrow or next year or in five years?
What about in 50 years,
What might this space look like?
What will the plants look like?
Will they have been cleared away?
Might they just be growing and thriving?
Imagine 500 years from now,
What might this space or the object that you're looking at,
How might it exist?
Continue to trust the process.
This method builds upon itself and every effort that you put in now will contribute to the ending.
Now let's go back in time.
What did this space look like yesterday?
Just imagine,
Last year,
What would this space have looked like last year?
Five years ago?
50 years ago?
500 years ago?
Okay.
Now that we've gotten to know our space,
Or the thing which we're observing,
A bit better,
Let's go into step three.
I want you to stop becoming observer.
Stop becoming perceiver.
I want you to take on the role of receiver.
Just open,
Ready to hear and listen.
What is the voice of what you have been observing?
Imagine,
What does it sound like?
Or what might what you are observing have to say?
It might be that your environment around you is just speaking to itself.
It may be in words or feelings.
Or maybe what you're perceiving is speaking to you.
Just wait.
If you don't hear anything,
That's okay.
Just continue to listen.
There's no need to fabricate or invent a voice.
Just wait and listen.
What might this place want you to know?
If this tree or rock or scene was holding a secret,
What might its secret be?
If you are connecting with this voice,
Or if you're still struggling to connect,
Both are okay.
Continue to halt any observation or activity other than listening.
What is the voice of what you have been observing?
What are some attributes of the place that you are in?
Does it feel kind or harsh,
Generous,
Beautiful?
How might these attributes affect its voice?
Wonderful.
I hope that you've connected with more of the character of the space around you.
Let's move on to step four.
This step is about finding your place amidst this space and the voice.
What is your place here?
What do you have to do with the voice?
If you did hear something,
Why do you think that this place shared it with you?
Maybe you feel worthy or validated that the land would speak to you in such a way.
That's good.
You are worthy.
What is your place here?
Does it feel heavy or freeing?
What gifts might you have to offer?
Do you feel that the voice needs you in some way?
Or is it just inviting you to a deeper sense of belonging and a deeper sense of existing?
Continue to dialogue with the voice.
Feel free to open your emotions to your surroundings.
If you would like,
Make a promise that feels natural to you.
Very good.
As we reach the end of our practice for today,
Thank yourself for taking the time to be present to your need to connect with nature and with yourself.
I hope that you are coming out of this with something new today.
Take a few deep breaths as we begin to come to a close.
And I hope that you uncovered a bit more that we are not so separate from nature.
You and I are nature.
We are a part of this world.
Being connected to nature,
To ourselves,
And to one another is the essential beginning of any and every good work.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Have a wonderful day.
