Come,
Please join me by the campfire.
You are welcome to sit anywhere,
A log,
The blanket,
An Adirondack chair.
Anywhere you will feel most comfortable,
Safe,
And relaxed.
Two of your closest friends will be joining us.
They are on their way.
Sit,
Get comfortable,
Close your eyes.
Rest into the earth beneath you.
Feel free to take your shoes off,
To ground your feet into the dirt,
To feel earth's energy rising up through your feet,
Into your legs,
Up through your torso,
Into your arms and hands,
And finally up through your shoulders,
Neck,
And head.
Take in a deep breath,
Slowly releasing it,
Allowing any stress,
Any tension,
Any discomfort to fade down through your body,
Back into the earth.
Take in one more deep breath,
Filling your lungs,
Expanding your chest and diaphragm,
Slowly releasing it,
Once again,
Allowing any discomfort to fade down through your body and back into the earth.
With closed eyes,
You are still able to sense the burning campfire in front of you.
Perhaps you're seeing the yellows,
The oranges,
The reds of flickering flames behind your closed eyelids,
In your mind's eye.
The flames are shifting,
Dancing,
From bright to dull,
And back again.
You hear the popping of the wood,
The sparks.
You feel the heat from the flames on the front of your body.
Your feet are warm.
Your hands are warm.
Your face is warm.
There is a nearby pond where the sound of peepers,
Tree frogs,
Are beginning to awaken,
Just in time for nightfall.
You hear the sound of footsteps in the gravel.
It's your two friends walking up the same gravel path you took to get here.
They join us by the campfire,
One to your left,
Choosing the log to sit on,
And one to your right,
Choosing the soft,
Plaid,
Blue blanket.
Just their presence in joining us,
Brings an inner smile,
A sense of peace and well-being.
I gently place a piece of wood onto the fire,
Causing more light,
More sparks,
But only temporarily.
Soon,
The fresh piece of wood catches fire,
And settles into the pit with the rest of the logs,
Joining the flames of the fire.
Now that your friends are here,
And the peepers have let us know that night is falling quickly,
I invite you to take a moment to reflect on what you have done.
Take another deep breath in,
And slow breath out.
You've been looking forward to this night with your friends all week.
A quiet,
Peaceful,
Relaxing night around a campfire.
It's time for me to be on my way,
Letting you be with your friends,
To laugh,
To catch up,
To connect,
To share quality time together,
Winding down the week.
May you enjoy the night,
Basking in the sensations of Mother Nature,
In the comforts of friendship in a campfire.
Until we meet again,
May you be safe,
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you live with ease.
Namaste.
