Relax into your posture.
Straight back.
Eyes lowered.
Take some lovely deep breaths.
Long and luxurious.
Settling into your meditation space.
On the out breaths let the tension dissolve,
Leaving your body feeling alert and open.
We are all refugees looking for a home,
Shelter somewhere safe.
Safe refuge is our absolutely basic human need.
If you are fortunate enough to live somewhere that feels peaceful and stable,
You will still know that you are a refugee.
Because our minds have the ability to be places of exile,
Prisons,
War zones or sanctuaries.
We are all trying to escape suffering and perceive it to be where we are and safety somewhere out there.
The place I'm running away from is my own anxiety and fear.
And the place I'm looking for,
My refuge,
Is my own spacious mindful mind.
The only true refuge that we can rely upon is within.
And that is home.
Deep within us is a place that is spacious,
Clean and devoid of grasping and desire.
Where there is no anxiety or worry.
A place where we can go to for rest,
Recuperation and inner strength.
Nothing externally provides that reliably.
This meditation strengthens our sense of having within us a place of refuge.
And enables us to release all wanting something external to support us.
With this we can face anything.
Call it what you like.
Our Buddha nature,
God within.
A higher consciousness,
Intuition.
They're just labels for a place that we all have and we can all access.
To stabilise your mind we're going to follow the breath.
Feeling it within our bodies,
The rise and the formal.
And as thoughts come to lure us away to travel into some fantasy or some imagined problem.
Just notice it and come back to the anchor of your breath in your body.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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And as the brain chatter starts to calm,
You will get glimpses of that spaciousness between thoughts.
We are not used to it.
The quiet.
So just like any habit,
We encourage it.
We are replacing the junk food of chatter and discursive thought for incredibly nutritional nourishing food of meditation.
It does feed us.
Feel that.
Really get a sense of actually when we let go of grasping and chasing thoughts and ideas even incredibly exciting fantasies that the stillness is sublime,
So peaceful.
So encourage that feeling for the peace,
For the space,
And continue following the breaths.
We are not used to it.
We are used to it.
We are used to it.
We take refuge in so many external things that just bring us temporary relief.
Whether it be alcohol or drugs,
Sex,
Relationships,
Money,
You name it,
You'll know what you take refuge in.
And they can be fine for a while,
But you just need more.
How wonderful to be able to find your inner refuge,
Make contact with your higher consciousness.
That truly soothes you and puts you in touch with your inner wisdom,
That truly advises you.
Knowing that there is a community that supports this ancient wisdom,
Teachers and students around the world tuning in to their inner refuge,
A great similarity to yours.
And whatever life throws at us,
We can go within and rest and feel safe,
Because no one,
Nothing,
Can take away this home.
So visualize at your heart center,
Level with your actual heart and in the center of your body,
The most beautiful source of light,
Warming,
Glowing,
Always accessible,
Where you can rest.
A source of guidance,
Reassurance,
Support.
But whatever you face,
You can go into this meditation and arise from it with confidence.
And power.
Let that light radiate throughout your body,
Down to the tips of your toes,
Into your fingertips,
To the top of your head,
Fill yourself with this healing,
Nourishing light.
Gradually withdraw it back to its intensity at your heart,
And melt it,
Knowing you can return to it and it is present within you all the time.
Gently bring your attention to your external space.
Open your eyes and end your meditation.
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