Welcome.
I would love to guide you through a 20-minute meditation inspired by the peace and the tranquility of Balinese temples.
So I recently moved to Bali in Indonesia and I have found a very huge sense of ease and tranquility here and I thought that it would be lovely to guide my listeners through a bit of the imagery of what I get to experience in a day-to-day basis.
So I will be guiding you through a calming experience rooted in the serene atmosphere of the temples around Bali and it will be a lovely blend of mindfulness with cultural imagery.
So having said this,
Find a comfortable seated position either on a cushion or on a chair and allow your spine to lengthen and your shoulders to relax.
Gently close your eyes or perhaps soften the gaze and start to focus your attention on your breath.
Inhale deeply through the nose and exhale gently through your mouth.
Let go of any tension and just start to arrive.
With every breath arriving in this very moment with full presence.
Now today we'll journey together into the serene beauty of a Balinese temple.
A place where tranquility,
Serenity,
Devotion and nature blends in harmony.
So let your mind and your heart be open to this peaceful space.
Let this guided meditation,
The next 20 minutes,
Be a refuge for your soul.
Imagine yourself walking barefoot along a stone path surrounded by greenery,
By green leaves,
Lush green leaves.
You can hear the soft rustling of the leaves as the warm breeze touches your skin.
In the distance you hear the faint sound of water trickling from a spring.
Now as you continue along the path you catch glimpses of the temple heads,
Carved stone gates standing tall,
Welcoming you into this sacred space.
The scent of incense drizzling from the temple gates and the scent of incense drifts through the air,
Carrying with it a sense of peace and devotion.
Notice how your body feels as you step closer,
How your breath naturally slows,
Deepening with the energy of this tranquil space,
Really envisioning the scent of the incense and the space around you.
You pass through the stone gate and enter the temple courtyard.
In front of you there's a small peaceful pond filled with lotus flowers and their delicate pink petals floating on the still water.
The temple is quiet but not silent.
The sounds of nature gentle and calming,
The chirping of the birds,
The distant hum of the crickets.
Take a deep breath in and a slow breath out.
With each breath you begin to feel more connected to the serenity of this space and your mind's eye imagine sitting on the temple stone floor in a place of stillness and reverence.
You sit cross-legged feeling the ancient stone cool beneath you.
And all around statues of deities stand guard,
Their expressions peaceful,
Their presence protective.
Feel the presence of the temple guardians,
The stone figures who have watched over this sacred space for centuries.
They radiate wisdom,
Patience and tranquility.
Allow their energy to surround you,
Embracing you in peace.
Now let's turn inward.
Start to focus on your breath once again,
Allowing it to slow and to match the steady rhythm of the temple itself.
With every inhale imagine breathing in the peaceful energy of this sacred place.
With every exhale let go of any thoughts,
Worries or tension.
Feel yourself becoming one with the temple,
Its stillness becoming your stillness,
Its quiet power grounding you.
As you breathe in,
Imagine the gentle flow of water from the sacred spring nearby purifying your mind.
Each breath cleanses and refreshes you.
Feel this water washing away any tension,
Any stress.
As you exhale,
Imagine the soft smoke of incense rising,
Carrying your intentions and thoughts into the universe.
Let each exhale be a release,
Releasing anything that no longer serves you.
Inhaling peace and stillness,
Exhaling tension and worry.
Inhaling peace and stillness,
Exhaling tension and worry.
You are now deeply connected to the spirit of the temple,
The stone,
The water,
The incense are all part of you.
In this moment there is nothing to do,
Nowhere to be,
Just here in this timeless space of tranquility.
If your mind begins to wander,
Gently bring it back to the sensations around you,
The cool stone beneath you,
The scent of the incense,
The sound of the water.
Allow yourself to simply be in this space of calm and reverence.
Slowly begin to bring awareness back to your breath.
Feel the air moving in and out of your lungs.
Feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest.
In your mind's eye,
Rise slowly from your seat in the temple.
You begin to walk back along the stone path,
Feeling gratitude for the peace and stillness you've found here.
Take a moment to acknowledge the temple guardians,
Bowing slightly in appreciation for the calm they've shared with you.
As you leave the temple ground,
Know that you carry this tranquility with you wherever you go.
Begin to bring your awareness back to the room now.
Wiggle your fingers and your toes,
Perhaps adding the wrists,
The ankles,
Gently stretching your body.
And whenever you're ready,
Opening the eyes or increasing the gaze.
Bring in the peaceful energy of the Balinese temple with you into your day.
Take one final deep breath in,
Fill your lungs.
And slowly and gently exhale it all out.
And thank yourself for this time of mindfulness and peace.
I hope that I managed to guide you through a peaceful practice,
That I managed to allow you to really envision the serenity that you can breathe in Balinese temples,
And that you're able to really carry this sense of ease and sense of tranquility with you for the rest of your day or the rest of your evening.
Thank you for practicing with me,
For breathing with me.
Namaste.
