Begin to settle into the body here.
Take a deep breath starting in the big toes,
Letting it travel up the backs of the legs,
Through the spine,
And up and out through crown of head.
Take two more big breaths like that,
Letting the body get longer here,
Allowing breath to travel into the spaces that nothing else can reach.
Expanding the spine from the inside.
Allow yourself to really come into the darkness behind the eyes.
Allow it to surround you.
Beyond you.
Begin to imagine that you are opening your eyes,
Gazing down at the ground,
Covered with autumn leaves,
A patchwork of warm colors,
Layered one over the other.
Feel the spring under your feet,
Layers of leaves upon each other,
Buoyantly holding you up.
Take a step forward here.
Listen as the leaves crackle beneath your step.
Allow yourself to travel forward,
Only paying attention to the sound that you make as you carry onward.
As the gaze drifts up here,
Find that you are in a familiar forest.
Trees nestled in closely together.
The familiar sounds of animals that you can't see scurrying in their woodland home.
Pause here to listen.
To listen.
Listen as a strong wind moves the branches overhead.
Listen as they click together,
Jostling for space in the canopy above.
And then watch as a shower of the few remaining leaves in the trees falls down in front of you,
Finally released by that breeze.
Continue on here,
Down your path.
Watch as the trail narrows ahead.
Walking smaller and smaller until you are simply walking amongst the trees now.
Look down as you carefully choose each step,
Going up and over roots and rocks.
The cushion of the leaves is gone here.
You are part of the maze of the forest.
Reach your hands out.
Feel the rough bark beneath your fingertips.
Use the trees to steady the body as you carry on.
Up ahead,
Spot a tree that is impossibly large.
So expansive that it feels that it must have been here from the beginning.
Walk right up to it.
Place your hands on its ancient bark and gaze upward.
Allow yourself to become almost dizzy with the height,
The breadth of this piece of nature.
And then keeping one hand on the tree,
Begin to walk around it.
And as you get to one side,
Find yourself surprised to see that beyond this tree is a large clearing.
A brilliant green field,
A place where autumn simply has not reached yet.
Allow the eyes to drift forward to the crop of trees across this meadow.
There's an animal there.
She gazes expectantly at you as though she has been waiting.
Begin to cross this field.
And that she does not shy away,
But patiently waits.
When you reach her,
She turns and gazes back at you as though it is an invitation to follow.
Join her here.
Allow her to show you what it is to run or fly free.
Race through the forest here,
Feeling the wind whip around you,
Being a part of it,
A part of that,
A visitor.
Allow the sensations to overwhelm you.
Become breathless with this reintroduction to the primal.
Begin to notice that she is slowing down here.
And that she is returning you to the meadow where you met.
Before you separate here,
Lean in,
Offer your thanks,
Your gratitude,
And in return listen as she whispers to you just one word.
Worry this word with you as you make your way back across the field and through the forest.
Repeat it to yourself until it simply becomes a part of you.
