Hello and welcome.
This is a meditation about our relationship with water,
Its role not only as an essential caregiver for all of life,
From our bodies to the planet and beyond,
But the ways in which we care for it in return.
When you're ready,
I invite you to find a comfortable position for your body.
Let it be supportive and grounding,
But know that you are welcome to move at any time,
Perhaps welcoming supple movements for your body that feel good,
Just like water needs movement to remain healthy rather than stagnant.
You are safe to soften here and find what feels best for you.
I welcome you to close your eyes or soften your gaze.
You're also welcome to find water to watch as you meditate,
Perhaps in a glass,
A pond,
Lake or river,
Or maybe you're sitting by the ocean.
Wherever you are and whatever you choose is perfect.
Begin with a gentle inhale and a longer,
Slower exhale.
Repeat this a few times,
Settling into your breath like a tide pulling in and out.
Feel the earth beneath you,
Your cushion,
Floor or the ground.
Sense the earth's quiet strength.
You are here and you are held.
Begin to notice your breath as a current.
Each inhale,
A wave arriving.
Each exhale,
A wave retreating.
Breath like water,
Cleansing,
Soothing,
Ever moving.
Let this rhythm wash through you,
Softening the edges of any tension in your body.
Taking a deep breath in,
Place your attention on the rise of your chest.
Letting that breath move out,
Feeling it fall.
One more deep breath here,
Simply paying attention to the air flowing in and out.
I want to invite a new way of seeing your interconnection with water.
No matter where you are on the planet,
Every second breath you take comes from the oceans.
Water is not only around you,
But also flowing in and out of you,
Making your life possible,
Caring for you.
You can show care for water in return by simply witnessing its role in your breath.
As you let this new awareness sink in,
Let's consider the water within.
I invite you to begin sensing the water within your body.
In your blood,
Your cells,
Muscles,
And organs.
In your tears,
Your saliva,
And your breath.
In some places flowing like a river,
In others resting like a lake.
The water you drink and breathe become part of you,
Moving through you,
Nourishing your body,
Helping it to thrive.
Making up over half of your physical being.
Can you take a moment to sit with this quiet knowing?
Pausing and sensing this internal landscape.
There's nothing you need to do here,
Only witness.
Perhaps you can care for water in return by gifting it your awareness.
Giving it some gentle gratitude when you drink it,
Bathe in it,
Cook with it,
Or in any other way you interact with it throughout your daily life.
I now welcome you to widen your awareness beyond skin and self.
Imagining the rivers flowing across the earth,
The lakes,
The oceans,
And the rain.
Letting your mind drift gently across the globe to melting glaciers,
Rainforest mists,
And desert springs.
Water in all of its forms,
Just like you.
Let's breathe in this awareness.
How water holds you,
Heals you,
Nourishes you,
And does the same for all of life.
Perhaps letting yourself feel a part of your wider world,
And the water you share it with.
I welcome you to pause and allow yourself to sense this connection.
There's nothing specific you need to do,
Just witness.
Perhaps you can care for water in return by gifting it your awareness today.
Giving it some gentle gratitude when you walk alongside it,
Maybe swim in it or paddle on it,
Or just watch it,
And any other way you interact with it throughout your daily life.
Now I invite you to let your awareness stretch even further.
To the stars,
To the moon,
To the cosmos.
Water molecules found in comets.
Frozen oceans on distant moons.
The same hydrogen in your body once existing in ancient stardust.
I welcome you to breathe in this new awareness.
Letting yourself feel a part of the vastness.
Water connects everything and everyone.
From inside our bodies to the outer reaches of our expanding universe.
I welcome you to pause and allow yourself to sense this interconnection.
There's nothing special you need to do,
Simply witness.
Perhaps you can care for water in return by gifting it your awareness.
Giving it some gentle gratitude when you look up at the moon tonight,
And consider its relationship with our ocean tides,
Or in any other way you interact with water throughout your daily life.
We are now going to begin gently returning to the body.
I invite you to feel your breath moving in and out.
Feel your fingers and your toes and your weight on the ground.
Noticing any shifts,
Whether subtle or strong.
You might place your hands on your body,
Sensing the water within you.
Still flowing.
Always flowing.
I welcome you to silently say to yourself,
I am connected to the water within and around me,
No matter the distance.
It cares for me,
And I care for it in return.
Take a few deep and grounding breaths here.
Acknowledging how water holds you,
Heals you,
And helps connect you to all of existence.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
Water is close to my heart,
And my intention is to help bring it closer to yours.
I welcome you to take some time after this meditation to reflect on your relationship with water.
Its role in your memories,
Your family and your wisdom,
Your work and your play,
Your daily life and the ways it cares for you,
And how you might care for it in return.
When you're ready,
Slowly return to the room.
Take good care,
And bye for now.
