So imagine you have the opportunity to create a garden of any scope of your imagination.
There are no limitations on your time,
On your resources,
On your knowledge,
On logistics.
You have everything you need to create the garden of your dreams.
Imagine for a moment,
If you will,
That you're standing in front of a blank template.
It might be a back porch or patio.
It might be a big empty area of land in front of you.
It might be many,
Many acres,
Kind of Central Park style.
Imagine for a moment you are standing in front of this blank canvas landscape.
Feel your feet in the ground,
The solidity of both feet.
See what it feels like to be present in this moment on the day that you're standing here.
What's the wind doing?
What is the sunlight like on your skin?
Is the day warm or cool?
What color is the sky and where are the clouds?
See if you can just notice what it's like standing here in this moment.
And then taking another spacious,
Spacious breath,
Begin to allow yourself to populate this landscape in front of you with all the things you love.
So once again,
There are no limitations.
You might pop sequoias and redwood trees into this landscape.
Fully grown trees with beautiful branches if you like climbing.
There might be other trees of different species or appearances that you have found beautiful in your life.
Maybe you want to put in some fruit bearing trees if you really enjoy eating a good peach or an apple.
You can put in any number of fruit trees,
Perhaps blueberry or raspberry or blackberry bushes.
Maybe there are particular vegetables that you're really excited about.
So you want to put in entire beds of cucumbers or peppers,
Maybe a whole bunch of tomatoes of your favorite liking.
Imagine the colors,
The smells,
The shapes,
The textures of things that make your senses happy.
If you love flowers,
You might put in all kinds of colors,
Sizes.
Everything in this garden is in full bloom at the same moment.
So imagine everything at the height of its beauty and productivity and loveliness.
That is what is in front of you here.
So begin,
If you will,
To take some steps around your garden.
Letting your feet move heel toe,
Heel toe,
Heel toe.
Letting yourself know that you're heading around the garden,
Taking in all of the beauty that you have crafted.
As you're walking around,
Paths are magically appearing behind you.
Perhaps they're paths of cobblestone,
Gravel,
Flagstone,
Wooden bridges and walkways.
The paths can be linear and geometrical.
They can flow and be a serpentine pathway around the garden.
Start to notice what is feeling really beautiful to you as you trace your way around this sanctuary.
And then come on back,
If you will,
To the place where you began.
And stand once again in the strength and solidity of your feet.
Stand once again and notice how your body is breathing.
And build yourself,
If you will,
A bench.
So you may or may not be a crafts person,
But imagine the most beautiful bench suited just perfectly to your body.
Made out of concrete,
Or welded out of metal,
Or made out of wood.
Perhaps some sort of cushions on the bench that make it incredibly comfortable to rest upon.
Take a moment and find your place to sit on this bench.
And take in the landscape of what is in front of you.
And take in what you have just crafted.
What does it look like?
What does it feel like to be in this garden?
And I wonder if anything is missing as you take a look at this landscape that is hopefully a place of solace and joy.
What is missing?
Would you like to put a climbing wall?
Or a half pipe?
Or some bike jumps?
A water feature?
A place to hear water or to submerge yourself in water?
Maybe art sculptures?
Installed at places throughout the garden to bring joy to the visual landscape?
From your place on your bench,
Go ahead and place your feet solidly on the floor and begin to stand up again with your garden in front of you.
And I'll invite you to build one more thing.
And that's a garden gate.
So noticing where you might like to enter and exit your garden.
And building a gate there.
A tall majestic gate.
A short simple gate.
Whatever the gate is,
Put a latch on that gate that only you can open.
A latch that allows you to come in and out of this space whenever you like.
And it allows you to have the power to decide if anyone else gets to come into this space with you.
So before you exit this garden that is your own,
Go ahead and give it a name.
Give the garden a name.
And then head through that gate,
Unlatch it,
Latch it behind you.
Take one more glimpse through the shape of that gate at this space you've created that is available to you to visit at any time ever.
And then begin,
If you will,
To walk yourself back out of the garden.
Into the rest of this beautiful morning.
The sun perhaps emerging a little bit.
And before you emerge completely from this mindfulness practice,
Let yourself sink back into your breath.
Feel the spaciousness of your inhale and your exhale.
As you invite yourself to draw the knees into your chest.
And to roll to one side.
And to come up to a seat,
Returning to awareness of yourself in this room.
