Hello friend.
Thank you for being here.
Go ahead and settle into a seated or lying down position that allows you to relax through the body.
Don't worry about what you think a meditation pose looks like.
Just get comfy.
And right away invite your breath to deepen.
And maybe you close your eyes here,
Drawing the awareness inward.
Softly arriving into presence.
Just noticing what is true in this moment.
Observing any sensations,
Any sounds,
Any thought.
Allowing whatever is there to be there as you cozy up to your breath.
Rising.
Falling.
Feeling your body growing heavy and relaxed.
Softening the muscles of your face,
Your jaw.
Letting go through the shoulders,
The hands,
The feet.
Grounding through the hips,
The thighs.
Your belly is soft and receptive.
Surrendering the weight of your body to the earth beneath you.
As you feel your breath moving through you with ease.
Softening the edges.
Settling into stillness.
You have nothing to do but breathe and rest.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
In your mind's eye,
Begin to imagine yourself standing now in the soft green grass.
The earth beneath your feet.
The sky above.
You feel the sun on your skin.
The fresh air in your nostrils.
The soft whisper of the wind.
Ahead of you there lies a forest.
A deep green oasis inviting you inside.
You walk into this canopy of trees.
The air immediately feels cooler on your skin.
The sound of birdsong grows a little louder.
The grass beneath your feet turns into a silky moss as the smell of fresh earth and pine fills your nostrils.
The forest wraps her arms around you,
Taking you in.
Guiding you deeper into her sanctuary.
Dark and safe.
Mysterious.
Peaceful.
And maybe even a little magical.
You come across an old tree stump with a nook that is perfectly sized and shaped for you.
So you take a seat.
And you allow the forest to hold you in stillness.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Letting go of all expectation.
You just listen.
What does the forest have to offer you?
Maybe you are visited by a woodland friend with a message for you.
Maybe you are an animal,
A wise elder,
A magical creature.
Maybe you simply share space with the trees,
The fungi,
The soil.
Feeling their energy and learning from them.
Maybe it's just you and your breath.
No matter what surrounds you,
No matter the company you keep,
Listen.
Surrender into the embrace of the forest.
Let her hold you.
Let her guide you.
There is no substitute for feeling what calls to be felt.
No shortcut through the forest.
Each tree an experience.
Each interaction its own fall of light.
The ground itself littered with things that ask to be known by name.
It's not just loss that hides in the undergrowth,
But joy and suppressed and dampened hopes.
The forest is alive with all that you are.
Hush now,
Listen.
The Forest by Mary Walker Whenever you're ready,
Slowly make your way back out of the forest.
Thanking her for her wisdom,
Her guidance,
Her safety.
Thanking the trees,
The plants,
The fungi,
The soil,
The birds,
The animals.
Making your way back under the big open sky.
Feeling the sun on your skin once more.
Coming back into your body.
Back into the space around you.
Holding on to any messages you may have received.
Any guidance,
Any feeling of peace or goodness.
Bring your hands together at your heart,
Palm to palm or palms to chest.
Notice how you feel.
Let's take one final deep breath in together.
And exhale,
Let it go.
Send yourself a little thank you for showing up today and for creating this time for yourself.
It is my greatest honor to guide you and to be still with you.
Until next time,
Take care.
