This is Paula Jenkins and welcome to Insight Timer.
I invite you to find a comfortable spot to sit,
Someplace that is quiet and calm and where you will be uninterrupted for the next 10 minutes.
As you take your seat,
I invite you to close your eyes if that feels comfortable to you and then breathe in and breathe out.
As you sink into this seat,
As you sit in this space,
Notice the connection that you have to the ground,
Whether that be in the cushion that is supporting you or the ground itself.
In your mind's eye,
Visualize that there are many roots that go down from your seat,
Through your chair,
Through the floor.
These roots go down,
Down,
Down.
These roots dig deep into the earth and hold you safe,
Connecting you here to the ground,
Your head to sky,
Giving you a deep sense of connectedness with nature,
With the world and with other people.
Sit for just a moment in that space of groundedness,
Of presence,
Of being,
Of connectedness.
With your eyes still closed,
You envision a tree out along the banks of a clear,
Glassy lake.
This tree has roots like the roots that you have.
It is connected into the earth.
It is supported by the lake.
It receives everything that it needs,
From the sky,
From the lake,
From just where it is.
It is an old tree with a strong trunk.
It has many branches and it is full of beautiful,
Bright green leaves that reach up so high to the sky.
In this moment,
It is still.
It is welcoming.
There's a small family of ducks that walk below the tree,
Little ducklings,
Fluffy and yellow,
Following the lead of their mama duck.
As the ducks leave this scene,
A slight wind picks up.
The leaves dance in the wind,
Bringing a certain joy to the tree as it moves.
It is a dance that it has done every day,
A dance it knows so well.
The wind blows a little harder and the branches feel chaotic,
Moving with the gusts.
Birds sitting in the branches fly away as their perch has become unstable.
And as the wind gusts hit the leaves and the branches of the tree,
It continues to dance and wave and sway,
And the trunk remains strong.
The tree can continue this dance all day.
It is safe in these breezes.
It is safe with the gusts.
It has deep roots that will hold it strong.
The tree has no worry for this.
The tree has no concern.
The tree stands tall as the wind gusts and blows,
And its branches dance around its head.
The wind slows down and the branches calm.
The sun is bright.
The birds return and all is still and well with the tree.
You realize sitting here that you are connected through these roots that you imagine going down into the earth.
You're connected to this tree.
You are similar to this tree.
You have a strong foundation.
The winds may come and blow.
They may blow your hair and it may dance in the wind.
You may feel the difference in the weather,
And yet you are strong.
You are centered.
You are capable.
And in this,
You have a deep sense of peace.
You welcome the sun.
You welcome the wind.
You welcome the rain.
You know that all will be well in your life.
Just as the tree is strong and stable,
You too are strong and stable.
You thank the tree.
You notice the sun is setting around this beautiful tree and the night is starting and the world is making night noises of birds in flight,
Crickets singing,
Temperature cooling.
And you are grateful for this tree and grateful for its presence and its flexibility and for what it has taught you today.
You nod your head in peace to this tree and you return to your own center,
Noticing those roots that you have imagined into the ground coming back up,
Returning to center,
Filling you with a sense of peace,
Reminding you of your connectedness,
And allowing you to know that you are strong and stable in wind,
In rain,
In sun,
In light.
You can keep this peace and your own resilience with you as you return to the rest of your day.
You flutter your eyes open to return to the room and allow yourself to sit here as long as you need to before returning to your day.
Thank you.
