Sit Around The Fire

In this guided visualisation you are invited to sit around a fire, with a group of elders, in a sharing circle. On your turn you're invited to go inwards, connect to your innermost truth, and speak your voice. Stock Media provided by LightningTraveler / Pond5

Transcript

My name is Stefan Winkel and I will be guiding you through this visualization.

Now for this journey,

You can sit or lie down in any way that feels comfortable to you,

As long as you're able to stay aware in this moment and be present with yourself.

So as you settle into that position and check if there are any parts of your body that you want to adjust,

I'd like to invite you to close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.

On each in-breath,

We invite new oxygen,

New energy into our system,

Which refreshes us,

Nurtures us,

And with each out-breath,

We let go of the waste products of the body and also the energies that no longer have to be part of us.

Take another deep breath in and sigh out.

Now as you have your eyes closed,

Maybe you notice that it's getting a bit darker in your view,

Your mind's eye.

Let's focus on that a bit.

Let go of any thoughts,

Any visuals on that movie screen and invite a deep black in your view.

And this is a neutral black.

There's no association with the night or with the cold.

It's just an empty canvas for something new to appear on.

Because after some time,

You can see some warmth,

Some light appearing in the center faintly,

And as you focus on that center,

That warmth,

You can feel how it expands.

You can see that it's a fire and it's burning brighter and brighter.

It's getting warmer,

Not uncomfortable.

Just warmer.

And you notice that it's a campfire.

And as this fire shines its light on its surroundings,

You can see that around the fire is a group of elders.

You can see them sitting at peace and only one of them is speaking.

And as you observe them for some time,

At one point they notice you as well.

You can see them looking at you.

And one of them,

The leader,

She or he stands up and invites you,

Opens her hand in a welcoming gesture,

And you decide to approach the group.

You see that there's still a spot available.

And as you sit down,

You get some friendly nods,

Some loving looks.

And you see that the main elder who invited you to join the circle is also holding a feather.

And it's a beautiful feather,

A few different colors,

Decorations.

And she or he explains to you that this feather has the same purpose and properties as a talking stick.

So this feather has been going around the group,

Allowing everyone,

Each and every one,

To speak their truth.

And the feather is a reminder to speak your truth authentically,

Because everyone is listening with attention and with respect.

And the elder shares that some of these people have already spoken their truth,

And many are yet to use their voice.

And as you nod in understanding,

The elder passes the feather to the person who's about to speak.

When you look around,

You may notice that some people look familiar,

That there are maybe friends or family members or other relatives.

You may be happy to see them or it might be difficult.

But in this situation,

This setting,

There's this peace,

This neutrality,

This acceptance that every truth is allowed and is welcomed as a part of the global consciousness.

Just one facet of a brightly shining diamond.

And the person holding the feather starts to speak and you listen.

And maybe this already is a person that you recognize and you hear their truth.

Maybe it's a truth that you've already known.

Maybe this gives you an insight or a deeper understanding into some of the actions of this person.

Because all our inner landscapes can be so different.

And yet often our motivations,

Our deepest longings and concerns are often the same.

And when this person ends her or his turn,

A few other people speak and you listen with the same awareness,

The same attention.

And then it's almost your turn to speak,

To share your truth.

You start to feel a little bit more inward,

Connect with your breath,

Feel what's really present in this moment.

And as the person next to you ends their turn and hands you the feather,

Take another breath and you start sharing.

From your core,

Without compromise,

You speak the things that need to be said.

And in this group there is no judgment,

No need to hold back,

No need to make yourself smaller or to keep up appearances.

You can speak you.

And those sitting around fire with you,

They have time,

There's no need to rush.

So you can take another breath and feel if there's anything else that needs to be said.

And as you finish your sharing,

You may want to thank the others for their time,

For their attention and you pass the feather to the person sitting next to you.

And again with the same awareness,

Attention,

You receive the rest of the sharings.

There's no need to reply or to go into discussion.

Just recognize that we all have our own individual truths which are in their turn part of a multifaceted global truth.

While the last person is speaking,

You notice that the fire is starting to lose its force.

There are a few flames still flickering but it's about to go out.

Perfectly timed with the ending of the last person sharing.

And then the main elder invites you all to sit a little bit closer to the fire and as you move a bit to the front,

You might touch the knee or the shoulder of the person sitting next to you.

The fire is now completely out.

Just some remaining bricks of wood and lots of ashes.

And then at the same time,

Everybody in the circle closes their eyes,

Bends forward and sharply breathes into the pile of ash which will then spread in a cloud of grey in front of your mind's eye.

And just as we've started this journey with a canvas,

We're also leaving it with a canvas.

And we can see this grey becoming lighter and lighter.

You might notice some daylight finding its way through your eyelids.

And in this moment,

You decide to reconfirm the truth that you've just spoken.

To feel your connection to it once more and to plant it into your heart,

Your being,

Your soul.

And to make it a part of the fundament with which you go on with your day.

So once more we take a deep breath in,

Inviting this truth into our entire being.

And we breathe out,

Sharing this truth with all our surroundings.

And we feel how it is received and how it is received well.

And while it can be beneficial to choose your words carefully in some situations,

It is so,

So important to not compromise on the whispers of our heart.

With these final words,

I'd like to invite you to open your eyes again,

To connect with your surroundings.

Feel into your body,

Maybe wiggle your toes,

Your fingers a bit.

Gently rotate your neck,

Your head.

And roll your shoulders.

Thank you for spending this time together.

And I wish you a beautiful day.