Welcome to Meditation Rocks!
I'm Lucy.
This week sees our full moon and it's always nice to have a little reflection and meditation around the full moon.
And this month's moon is called the beaver moon,
Would you believe?
So,
Go and get yourself very comfortable and I'll be right back.
No,
I promise I'm not making it up.
If you go and have a little Google search,
You will see that the full moon for November is the beaver moon.
But it's also sometimes known as the frost moon and a few mornings this month have already seen a frosty start to the day.
But it's really about taking time to feel safe,
To seek out sanctuary and protection from the elements and I thought that would be a really nice guided visualisation for today.
All about hibernating,
Getting safe,
Getting cosy and seeking out your own very special sanctuary,
Wherever that might be.
So,
Get yourself very comfortable,
It might be a lying down position or sitting in a chair,
Whatever feels good for you.
Just make sure that you're balanced across your left and right hand sides but also just taking a bit of time to get comfortable.
As always,
If you are lying down,
We are trying to stay awake but do not worry if you fall asleep.
Take some time to bring your hands down to your lap and your knees if you're in a chair.
Any little stretches or fidgets,
Movements you want to take,
Then do that now.
And then eventually you'll choose whether you close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Take some time just to arrive here and be here in this moment for you,
Everything else can wait.
So just breathing nice and deeply in and out.
Just feeling the breath rise and fall within the body,
A little like your own internal tide.
Rise and fall.
And we'll take some deep breaths together.
So breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Let's do two more.
Making your last one the biggest inhale and full exhale if you can.
And then close your mouth and start to breathe in and out through your nose.
Now the full moon symbolises the end of a sequence,
The completion of a cycle.
The end of one chapter before the beginning of a new one.
So let's take some time to practice our circle breathing or cycle of breath.
And this is where we picture a circle or full moon in the head,
In the mind.
Starting at the top of the circle we breathe in tracing the line down one side to the bottom.
Taking a moment of pause here before then we breathe out tracing the line from the bottom all the way to the top and taking another moment of pause before starting the cycle once again.
Picturing it in our head we're even tracing the circle down on our leg or our lap.
And each breath is a reminder of the secular nature of life.
New beginnings,
The end,
New starts,
Finishes.
And start to picture your full moon in your mind's eye.
It's a glowing white bright full moon in a dark night sky.
Shining so bright illuminating everything down below.
And just for a moment imagine that you are standing outside beneath the moonlight.
And as you look up to the sky you see the patterns,
The texture,
The shape,
The glow of the moon.
And you feel that sense of connection and attachment to this illuminated circle in the sky.
And you feel a connection and suddenly you feel quite small.
So you seek out somewhere that is safe and warm and cosy for you to rest.
So just think for a moment where is your sanctuary?
And imagine that you're there now if you are not there at this moment in time.
And what makes it special for you?
Why did you choose this place to be your sanctuary?
Take a moment to notice what you have around you.
Is it somewhere that you've been recently?
Somewhere from your past?
What do you recognise in this room or place?
Why do you feel safe and protected here?
Allow those feelings of safety and protection to soak into your heart and mind.
And know that you are safe.
So looking down at the ground,
Looking at the walls,
All the surroundings,
Looking at the ceiling or the sky,
Notice where you are.
And where are you sitting or lying?
Take time to notice and feel what you have around you.
As you put your hand out,
What can you feel or touch?
What can you hear close and in the distance?
What can you smell or even taste?
And take some time just to be here in this moment.
Safe,
Protected in your sanctuary.
If your mind is beginning to wander,
You can always bring it back to your breath,
That full cycle of breath.
Now wherever you are,
Wherever you've chosen,
I wonder if you can imagine that you can see the moon from this place,
Maybe out of a window or just looking up at the night sky.
And the moon that you see is a full moon,
The frost moon,
Because outside is cold,
But you are warm and cozy and safe.
And I wonder if the full moon is giving you a moment to reflect on the past months,
The past lunar cycle.
And just knowing that in a few days,
The moon will be just a sliver,
A tiny bright new moon.
And the whole cycle begins once again.
A new beginning,
A fresh start.
So take a moment to look back and contemplate looking forward.
And let your practice fully absorb into your body and your mind.
And just begin to lengthen your breath just a touch.
And as you exhale,
Release anything you want to get rid of before you begin the next cycle.
Let's take three deep breaths together,
Breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
And then letting your breath go back to a nice comfortable rhythm and flow and bring your hands up and give them a little rub.
Create some warmth and then hover the hands over your eyes and blink your eyes open inside your hands when you're ready and bring your hands down.
And I'm here and I hope you enjoyed that full moon practice today and our guided visualization.
Have a lovely rest of your day and night and I will see you again very soon.
Bye for now.
