Welcome.
My name is Pam Ressler.
Thank you for joining me today.
I'm a holistic nurse and the founder of Stress Resources.
Today I'm going to guide you through a mindfulness meditation that may be a little different from ones that you've experienced before.
It's called Leaves on a Stream and it's a wonderful meditation for when your mind is going very rapidly.
You want to slow down a bit,
But you want a deep observation meditation.
It's also a great way to let go of some of those thoughts or feelings that you've been holding very close.
So I'll begin by ringing a singing bowl chime and we'll also end the meditation in the same way.
So find a comfortable posture for this meditation.
It could be seated in a chair or on a cushion,
Or you may prefer to lay down for it or even stand in a relaxed posture.
So let's begin.
Allowing yourself to gently focus on your breath.
Let's try to bring the breath into the belly more.
So on the in-breath,
We're expanding the belly and the out-breath,
Simply deflating it.
Allowing the breath to travel as it will,
Some breaths being a little deeper than the next.
Try to notice how that breath enters the body and exits.
Now bringing into your mind a gentle stream or brook,
Maybe even a slow moving river.
Just notice perhaps autumn leaves or maybe the leaves of spring or summer,
Simply floating on the surface of this slowly moving body of water,
Floating along on the surface.
Beginning to notice the shapes and the size,
Perhaps the colors of these leaves floating by.
And imagining we could label each leaf with a thought or a feeling or a sensation.
Just one word.
For the next few moments,
Take each thought that enters your mind,
Place it on one of the leaves and let it float by.
Simply watching the stream and the leaves float by.
Perhaps a similar thought or the same thought comes up.
Again,
Label a leaf,
Let it go,
Let it float by.
Do this with each thought,
Whether it's pleasurable or difficult,
Painful or perhaps a neutral thought,
Either good or bad,
Simply a thought.
Even if it's a joyous thought,
Don't hang on to it.
Also let it go.
If the thoughts momentarily stop where you lose your focus,
You can come back to the breath.
Simply notice it entering and exiting the body.
And simply watching that stream or body of water move past.
The leaves will start up again,
But simply observing.
Allowing the stream to flow at its own pace.
Don't try to speed it up or slow it down.
You're not trying to rush the leaves along or get rid of them or get rid of the thoughts.
You're simply observing and letting them float by at their own pace.
If a difficult or painful feeling or thought arises,
Simply acknowledge it.
Perhaps say to yourself,
I notice myself having a feeling of boredom or impatience,
Maybe frustration,
Perhaps anger.
And simply putting those thoughts on the leaf and letting go.
They may arise again and we repeat the same process.
Label with one word and allow it to flow.
If the leaf gets stuck and perhaps bottled up with other leaves,
Simply watch that happening.
Don't try to fix it or get them unstuck.
Simply notice.
Perhaps they're getting hung up on a log or a branch from an overhanging tree.
At some point,
They'll let go and simply watch that happening at its own pace.
You may hang out for a while and then when it's ready,
It too will float on by.
From time to time,
Perhaps your thoughts will hook you,
Will take you away from the present moment and distract you.
This is normal.
Simply notice it,
Come back to your breath for a moment or two.
Then bringing your attention The mind will go off,
Will pay attention to other things and our job is to notice that and bring it back.
Bring it back to the breath,
Bring it back to the leaves,
Bring it back to that visual of the stream slowly floating by the current moving the leaves along.
As we come to the end of our meditation,
Take a moment or two,
Simply notice from perhaps a distance the stream as it flows,
The leaves moving gently with the flow of the water,
Allowing yourself to step back and observe a bigger picture.
Perhaps noticing what else is along the stream.
It could be trees or perhaps animals,
Different colors,
Different things.
Gently beginning to move the body.
Notice the breath again.
Remembering that you can bring yourself into this place of deep observation,
Of letting go,
Leaves on a stream meditation at any point during your day.
Thank you for joining me today.
