Settle into a comfortable position with your beautiful eyes gently closed,
Offering this moment to pause,
To let the day so far slip away.
Whatever has been,
Let it be and let it be gone.
Choose to be here and now,
And however your mind is now,
Know that by choosing presence you are already on the way to calmness and peace.
As you settle into a state of serenity,
Begin to imagine yourself sitting on a bank by the edge of a beautiful lake.
Place yourself in this peaceful scene.
See the lushness of the green grass on which you sit.
See the blue shades of the water.
Hear its ripples.
Hear the birdsong above.
Envision the lake's surface as the flawless mirror,
Its waters being crystal clear,
With the stillness reflecting the spaciousness above,
And the water reflecting the serenity of your own mind and the peace deep within you.
Imagine picking up and tenderly holding a few smooth pebbles in the palm of your hand.
Feel their weight,
Their roundedness,
The smoothness and solidity.
Hold them in stillness for a moment.
Each small and smooth pebble in your palm represents a thought or emotion,
Perhaps a belief that is clouding the calmness of your mind.
With the tenderness of awareness and acceptance,
Acknowledge these pebbles and the feelings they may carry.
Now take the first symbolic pebble,
Knowing it as a thought or a feeling you have been holding,
And see yourself gently tossing it into the lake.
Feel yourself letting go of one of the thoughts or feelings,
Even if you don't name it,
Feel into the sensation of consciously letting something go.
See a pebble,
Creating a splash in the water,
Momentarily making movement in the stillness,
Starting a swirl of circling ripples,
Expanding smoothly and evenly outwards,
Ripples one after the other.
These ripples arise and dissolve,
Returning the water to stillness.
Feel how you are freeing yourself from thoughts and feelings that add to heaviness.
And now feel a sense of openness,
Feel how clarity and calmness invite itself within this new,
Open space,
Mirroring the clarity of the lake's surface.
Take the next pebble now,
Another thought or feeling you could free yourself of to feel a calmer mind,
And gently toss that into the lake.
Watch the ripple stir,
Spiral and resettle,
Creating a flat,
Mirror-like surface once more,
And feel into the expanding stillness of your mind.
Keep throwing the pebbles one by one,
Being mindful with this process,
Allowing the act of letting go to synchronize with your intention to clear your mind.
Sense the weight of these thoughts lifting,
Leaving you in a state of clear calmness.
As the last ripple of the last pebble fades away,
Tune into the stillness that reflects the quiet within.
Inhale deeply,
Taking in tranquility,
And exhale,
Letting calmness flow through mind,
Body and spirit.
Inhale sweet stillness,
Exhale to let it settle.
With your mind now completely calm,
Visualize the clarity of the water reflecting the clarity within your mind.
Being fully present in this moment,
Free from any weight of unnecessary thoughts.
Absorbing and enjoying the sweet serenity of this scene as it enhances the stillness both within you and the world around you.
Now softly guide your awareness back to the here and now,
Bring the calmness with you.
Gently open your beautiful eyes,
Knowing you can return to this inner lake of calmness whenever you need to find peace,
Releasing metaphoric pebbles and surrendering to the lightness of letting it go.
Let the inner calmness be your guide.
And as your day unfolds,
Keep asking yourself,
How would a calm me respond?
What pebble can I toss to find more grace and serenity?
Let the lightness of this meditation linger like the gentle echoes of that peaceful lake.
Thank you for joining in this meditation.
From my heart to yours,
With love and gratitude.
May the water of your mind remain still and may all ripples return to calm.
Be well,
Dear friend.
I will meet you in the next one.
