Welcome to this meditation on hope.
I'm calling it flowing in hope and it's going to be a visualization meditation.
But there's really no right or wrong way of doing it.
So I hope that you can find a comfortable seated position.
And close your eyes or lower your gaze if you prefer and start by bringing your attention to your breath.
Just simply notice the length of each breath.
Perhaps you can notice where your body moves as you inhale and exhale.
And as you bring your attention to your breath,
You'll naturally begin to relax a little more and find that your breath becomes a little longer and deeper.
And I want you to imagine as you're sitting there that there is above you a flow of hope.
Now you can choose if this flow above you is a flow of water or maybe a flow of air,
A breeze or even a flow of light.
But this flow that comes to you from beyond yourself offers you hope.
And so having chosen one of those things,
Just feel what that might be like as that flow touches your skin and flows on down the outside of your body.
This flow coming to you from above and beyond is obviously not you,
It's greater than you,
Beyond you and yet it imparts itself to you.
So perhaps this flow of hope could be something transcendent.
You might even be comfortable thinking of this as God,
God's hope.
You can choose though.
And as this flow of hope flows over you and around you,
It's also able to permeate the boundary that is you and so it's able to gently flow in through your skull,
Through your head,
Down through the core of your body.
And down through your legs and out through your feet.
So that not only are you situated within,
Seated within this flow of hope,
But it also flows in and through you.
And this flow of hope never ever runs out.
This flow of hope is self-giving and life-giving.
It offers you hope.
It offers you hope where you might not be feeling hope.
So maybe you want to invite it in deeper into your being,
Using your breath,
Breathing in hope into your whole being.
You don't need to try and understand it with your mind,
But just be open to receiving hope within,
Coming to you from a source beyond you that is greater.
And as this flow of hope flows through your head,
Perhaps you can release to this flow any thoughts that are obstacles to hope.
Maybe you're immediately aware of them or maybe you're not,
That's fine.
But just anything that you want to let go of in your mind that is an obstruction to hope,
The antithesis to hope.
Allow this flow to flow through your mind and lift off and carry those thoughts.
And invite this hope,
This transcendent hope or God's hope to gently fill those places in your mind.
And then let's bring our attention to our core,
To our heart space where we might be able to sense certain emotions within us that again are obstacles to hope.
And as you're aware of any feelings,
You can maybe name them or you don't have to,
You might just even feel them in a more physical way.
Invite this flow of hope to flow in and through your heart space and release those emotions which are not hope filled.
You can use your breath to breathe in and welcome that flow of hope and with your out breath,
It can be a way of letting go of those hopeless feelings.
And again,
Allow this flow of hope,
Ultimate hope,
God's hope to gently fill those empty places in your heart with hope.
A hope that renews that there is more,
There is better,
There is a future,
There are things to hope for,
There is something to hope in.
And right now you can participate in that hope by just allowing this ultimate hope to take up residence within.
And now you can just take a few moments,
Focusing on your breath,
Using the in breath to continue to invite that flow of hope to flow in through your head,
Down through your entire body.
A way of letting go of hopeless thoughts and feelings.
And hope.
This flow of hope doesn't just touch you and offer something to you,
But it flows in and through you and beyond you,
Out beyond you.
So perhaps you want to visualize this flow of light or air or water,
Whatever you've chosen flowing out of your feet,
And maybe you can see it flowing towards people or situations that you also desire,
Hopeful.
And see this flow of hope flowing around,
Flowing in,
Flowing through those situations,
Those relationships that need hope,
Those people who also need hope.
You could say this is a way of praying if you're comfortable with this.
And as we draw this meditation gently to a close,
Perhaps just bring your senses,
Your awareness to the,
The largesse of this hope that comes to you from an infinite source,
An ultimate source.
It's the source of all hope and that it's available for you.
It can surround you.
It can be within you.
And it's offered from you to others and any point in your life,
In your day,
You can choose to step into this flow of hope,
Receiving it and offering it.
So take a couple more breaths,
Inviting and letting go.
And then you can open your eyes and remember that this flow of hope is never ending and is available for you.
Thank you.
