I want to introduce this new series of vocation meditations.
It's a visualization meditation where we don't have to think of a goal today.
We're just going to sit and allow ourselves to do nothing as if we are on a vacation.
Today we are on a vacation in a beautiful garden and we're going to enjoy every single moment.
During this time,
Please find a nice place to sit and be ready to enjoy the colors,
The sun,
The breeze and take all of this beauty in.
All you need to do is find a nice comfortable seat,
Hopefully away from the loud noises and just be ready to enjoy.
Throughout this meditation,
Please keep your eyes closed,
Breathe normally and allow yourselves to imagine the place and its serenity.
There is no ending bell to this visualization,
So please allow yourselves to enjoy it thoroughly and continue if you wish.
You're sitting in a beautiful oak armchair.
Its cushions are so soft and warm from the streaming sunlight that you feel like you're melting into it,
But it provides you enough support to sit upright.
This armchair is facing the garden.
This is the garden of your dreams.
You have built this garden brick by brick and plant by plant,
Curated everything to your heart's desire.
It's the afternoon and you're sitting perched under the pergola.
The pergola is teeming with jasmine flowers creeping up all the way to the top.
As the wind blows,
You smell the jasmine.
The sweet scent takes your breath away and you close your eyes and let the fragrance sink into your mind.
If you open your eyes,
You see a little hummingbird dancing around by the patch of basil.
They are out and about their daily lives collecting nectar.
They go in and out and around the purple and pink and white flowers.
The flowers are so tiny,
Yet the plant is so bold and big.
And if you were to take a whiff off of it,
You would surely remember your most delicious lunch.
The hummingbird has beautiful hues of brilliant blues and greens throughout its neck.
As it flies around,
You see different profiles and different colours shine through.
It's almost like a ballet dancer.
It seems still,
Yet it's moving all the time.
You are enthralled by the dance of the hummingbird.
And just like that,
You find yourself smiling in awe as the hummingbird vanishes.
To the left of the basil patch,
You see the sun's rays reflecting off of a few orange,
Saffron,
African marigolds.
The way it creates a glow around the flower.
It almost looks like gold,
But even,
Even better because they have the most tantalizing fragrance.
The glow is so captivating that it's hard to peel your eyes away.
This glow is the cause of your care.
The stems are moving left and right with the wind under the heavy weight of the bushy flowers.
Each flower is at least four inches across and it seems like the entire patch is moving in unison.
Some stems are shorter while others are taller,
But the sun shines equally on them all.
You remember when you were planting the marigolds,
You had put small seeds in the ground and with your love and care,
The plants have prospered.
And anyone who looks their way stops for a minute and appreciates their beauty.
The marigolds are oh,
So beautiful,
Truly.
You hear a bird squeak and you direct your attention to her.
The bird's neck is tilted to your side and you can see its beady eyes looking directly at you.
It bobs and moves around,
Curious at its surroundings.
You turn your attention to its surroundings too.
The bird is sitting on top of the grill that has the climbing David Austin roses.
It's a gradient of reds and pinks and every color in between,
Covering the entire side,
Almost a waterfall of flowers.
You see rosebuds that are ready to bloom.
You see butterflies of oranges and blues.
You see flowers that are almost as big as your hands and you think to yourself,
What a wonderful world.
You appreciate the fact that such beauty,
Growth,
Strength and tenacity comes from a tiny seed or a small stem.
Even though these tiny seeds can get blown away by the wind,
Washed away by the water or even lost in the dirt,
They grow stronger by the day,
Ultimately climbing a tall wall.
Our lives are also like these tiny seeds and with the right direction,
We are able to grow into strong,
Moral beings.
You hear the gentle tinkling of a wind chime in the distance and that breaks your reverie.
While looking for the wind chime,
You look up to the sky and you see that the sun has painted a vanilla sky for the sunset.
Time has passed so slowly and yet so quickly.
You bid adieu.
Till next time.
