Peace is something that all of us need,
Something that we seek in order to calm and settle our minds and our hearts.
And in this meditation I'm going to guide you into a visualization where you're going to encounter peace,
The presence of peace.
So find a comfortable sitting position and then close your eyes or lower your gaze if you prefer.
And we'll start by just bringing our attention to our breath.
Just observe your breath as it is,
The end of one breath and the beginning of the next.
Notice if your breath is shallow or deep or the same or has an irregular rhythm.
And don't change anything.
Just observe it,
Allowing your senses to draw inwards.
And even this awareness of breath will bring you into a place of relaxation.
And as we move into our guided meditation,
If you find yourself wandering off mentally,
Don't fight that,
Just bring your attention back to my voice and where it's leading you.
I want to ask you to imagine that you are outside in the countryside on a summer's day and you're on your own and you're safe.
And it's a beautiful day.
You're out in nature and this place can be real or imagined or a combination of both.
And as you look around,
You see grass and fields and trees.
And you can feel the warmth of the sun on your skin and everything is calm.
As you walk through the countryside,
Maybe with your shoes off,
Maybe feeling the grass brushing against your legs,
You hear the sound of water,
Flowing water,
And you're drawn to it.
And you find yourself by a river,
A beautiful,
Peaceful,
Flowing river,
And you walk alongside this river.
Everything about this river is peaceful.
It's as though it sums up this beautiful,
Peaceful day.
It seems to be the source of the peace in this landscape.
It carves out a generous scope in the land around and its flow is smooth and steady.
And you look at the water,
Taking a moment to observe it.
What colours do you see?
Is the water clear?
Does it have varying depths?
And are the pebbles or rocks or sand on the banks?
And you can hear the soothing sound of this water as it flows,
Flows maybe over pebbles,
Flows against the riverbanks.
The sound of water that soothes and brings peace to your soul.
There's a freshness as well to this water,
And maybe you can smell this water in the air,
Maybe even taste it.
And something in you is drawn to touch the water.
And so you venture forwards and put a hand or a foot into the river and feel the flow of water over your skin.
Something in you longs to connect more with this flow of peace,
To know this peace in greater depth.
And you decide to go into the water.
It's safe.
But if you want,
You can have some kind of inflatable with you.
You can choose if you go in fully clothed or not.
You're on your own.
You're safe.
And you venture into the water,
Stepping out to where it's a little deeper.
And then you lie back in this body of water floating on the top.
And as it holds you,
You find you're able to relax.
Maybe you let go of your breath.
Gently exhale and lie back in the water that holds you and carries you along.
You relax into its support.
And you find yourself not only relaxing in your body,
But just letting go a little more of any cares and concerns that you might have as you spend this moment held in this river of peace.
And you feel the water flowing around your skin.
The temperature is perfect.
But this flow of water does more than just flow around you and hold you.
It's able to gently flow in and through you.
And you open up to this flow of peace that holds you and flows in you and through you.
This river has a piece of its own that it imparts to you and you allow it to flow around in and through your being as you're carried along.
Use your breath to settle into this experience of being held and carried along by this flow of peace.
With your exhalation,
Just let go of whatever gets in the way of being peaceful.
And allow this presence of peace to gently flow in and through your mind.
Peace to flow in and through your heart.
This peace has a presence,
A gentle power.
Maybe you've known peace in this way in the past,
Or maybe it's a new sense,
Or maybe it's something that you long for more of.
If you aren't feeling anything,
That's okay.
But maybe something you're longing for.
So be open to this presence of peace,
Inviting peace to be in your mind,
To be in your heart,
To flow through your whole being.
Invite peace to carry you through those more challenging times in your life.
Peace,
This kind of ultimate peace or source of peace is a presence that is always available.
Take three more breaths.
And hold on to anything that has helped you,
Any new intention and desire as well as experience of peace and take that with you,
Knowing that this peace is available for you.
