Hello and thank you for meditating with me today.
We'll find our way into a comfortable position whether you're sitting on a yoga mat or up on a couch like I am.
Get settled.
Pull in any kind of props you feel like you need.
Rest your hands at your lap and close your eyes when you're ready.
In yoga one of the core truths that yogis recognize is that there's an energy from which everything derives and manifests and the belief is that that energy is sacred.
We call that energy shakti meaning energy that is full of love,
Beauty,
Auspiciousness.
Above all it's a dynamic power that can be used to create and to manifest.
In this tradition the understanding is that shakti is both a universal principle but also a very personable form as well residing in the heart of every cell and taking on the form of a goddess.
One of the most empowering goddesses is Lakshmi.
Lakshmi is the goddess of good fortune,
Abundance,
Luck,
Beauty,
Fertility and auspiciousness.
But most of all her gift is giving us this feeling of inner abundance.
So as you sit here your eyes closed I'll start to guide you into a little meditation to connect with the goddess Lakshmi.
Begin to connect to your breath.
Watch your breath rise and subside on its own.
Bring a quality of welcoming to your breath as it flows in and out.
We'll start to invoke Lakshmi with the mantra which is Om Shreem Maha Lakshmi Namaha.
We're going to do this seven times.
Om Shreem Maha Lakshmi Namaha.
Om Shreem Maha Lakshmi Namaha.
Om Shreem Maha Lakshmi Namaha.
Om Shreem Maha Lakshmi Namaha.
Om Shreem Maha Lakshmi Namaha.
Om Shreem Maha Lakshmi Namaha.
Om Shreem Maha Lakshmi Namaha.
With this mantra we invoke Lakshmi to be present in our meditation and our practice.
Now I want you to use your imagination a bit and imagine standing before this big lake with lotus flowers floating on the surface.
The temperature in the space is just right.
There's a light breeze wafting through the air and you can even smell the scent of the flowers blooming.
You notice there is a welcoming cushion near the edge of the lake and you decide to take a seat there.
As you sit here you feel this warm,
Relaxed,
And open feeling.
Before you,
You notice a lotus flower begins to emerge from the surface of the water.
As it reaches for the surface,
It opens and within this lotus sits the goddess Lakshmi.
Her skin a golden almond color,
Her hair lustrous and black,
Her eyes full of love.
She wears soft pink robes and you notice in her hands outstretched towards you a gold light flowing toward you.
And you find this golden light is touching you.
You can feel it on your skin and it's absorbed into you as you take in Lakshmi's love.
Allow this awareness to flow into your heart space,
Breathing it in,
Breathing it out.
You realize that you are infused with Lakshmi's Shakti now.
You can feel her love,
Positivity,
And abundance radiating through your body now and with every breath your heart opens a little bit more like a blooming lotus itself.
Now bring your hands into lotus mudra,
Inky's and thumbs together,
Index,
Middle,
And ring fingers pulling apart.
Holding your hands here in Lakshmi's lotus mudra before your heart,
Symbolizing the opening of your own heart,
The recognition of your own inner abundance.
Lakshmi asks you now to think of all the inner abundance that you already have,
All of the blessings that have come into your life,
People,
Children,
Circumstances,
Maybe your gifts and your talents,
The home you live in,
Or simply fresh water to drink,
Fresh air to breathe,
The fact that you woke up this morning.
And for each of these blessings,
We'll turn them into a golden token and reach out and drop those tokens into Lakshmi's outstretched hands as offerings,
Tokens of gratitude.
I'll give you a moment here to reflect anywhere between five to ten things or more that you're grateful for,
And for each item dropping a token of gratitude as a symbol of that blessing in your life into her palms.
You feel as you bring these things to mind and you drop these tokens into her palms,
A growing sense of gratitude in your heart,
Expanding out into your energy field and beyond.
It might literally feel like your heart is getting bigger and bigger.
And now as you drop that final token or two into her palms,
She asks that you bring your awareness to the lotus flower in front of your heart space.
Drop your awareness to the mudra,
The shape of the hands here in the lotus shape.
She asks that now you begin to fill that lotus mudra with all of the things you would like to attract and manifest,
The things you'd like to see come to fruition into your palms.
So from where you sit here,
Knowing you have the full support and love of Lakshmi,
Begin to place one by one the things you'd like to see manifest in your life,
Perhaps areas of growth,
Healing,
Clarity,
Improvements to be made in relationships.
Maybe there's some growth you'd like to see in your bank account.
Maybe there's a trip that you've been wanting to plan.
I'll give you a few moments to do this.
And now she asks you to reach your arms overhead,
Taking this lotus mudra to the sky,
Symbolizing your detachment from each of these items as you offer them to the universe,
Believing that she will take care.
They're out of your hands now.
And as you hold the lotus mudra overhead,
Let go of attachments to them.
Release the desire to know exactly how and when each of these things will manifest and open to trust and faith.
Bringing the hands to the heart,
The palms folding together,
Take a soft bow,
Honoring the shakti energy within you.
Namaste.
