Hello and welcome to this guided meditation,
A relaxing journey to soothe and calm the mind by immersing you in the tranquility of a Zen garden.
Sometimes life can feel so busy with so much to do and think about.
This is a chance to slow down,
Relax and let any worries from the day just melt away.
My name's Richard Willis and my voice will guide you as you explore and nourish your mind with this meditation.
Let's first relax the body and mind for the journey.
Make yourself comfortable.
Take a few deep relaxing breaths and we'll begin in a moment.
Now allow the eyelids to comfortably close and let the breath settle into its own calm natural rhythm.
It's time to relax.
Just take a moment to connect with the body.
Sense it's settling,
Feeling into the surface underneath and let the body soften.
Relax your brow,
Releasing any tension.
Relax your jaw,
Soften your neck,
Relax your shoulders.
Let your arms and hands just relax.
Relax your chest and back.
Soften the stomach muscles and relax your leg muscles.
Relax all the way to your feet,
Leaving your body completely relaxed.
Enjoy the feeling of calm,
Of stillness.
Noticing the gentle,
Subtle motion of the breath remaining.
Sense its flow into the body on the in-breath,
Filling you up.
Then sense it flow out of the body on the out-breath.
Take a few moments to watch the flow of this breath.
On each in-breath,
Imagine breathing in calm.
Now on each out-breath,
Imagine breathing out tension.
Just let it go on each out-breath.
And as the body relaxes,
The mind relaxes.
So,
Travel now with your mind's eye.
Allow a peaceful scene to emerge before you,
Like a mist that is slowly clearing.
You can see green,
Nature,
A garden.
As the scene becomes clear,
You are standing in a beautiful Zen garden,
Ornamental trees,
Towering bamboo,
Greenery all around you,
Mesmerizing pathways,
Orderly yet calm.
There are water features too,
The sound of trickling water and wind chimes,
Soothing the mind,
Encouraging you towards a state of calm.
As you walk around the garden,
You can feel the peace of the place,
A sweet simplicity.
Just taking in this serene garden around you,
You then come across a pond and a bridge arching across part of it.
Walk onto the bridge and just gaze at the water,
Its stillness.
Nearby plants reflected in its mirror-like surface.
You take a small stone nearby and drop it into the water,
Watching the ripples spread out,
Radiating in giant circles as they travel to the edges of the pond,
Reflecting off in different,
Entrancing waves.
Allow your mind to follow these tiny waves.
With curiosity,
There's no judging here,
Just the peace and relaxation of observing the moment,
Life at its simplest.
Nearby,
You can see the source of the sound of the running water,
Intricate water features,
Miniature waterfalls gently falling onto flat overlapping stones,
The water trickling along as the stones guide the water into tiny streams,
Flowing away down meandering pathways through the plants,
Lazily wandering through the garden.
Its crystalline sound tempting the mind into an even deeper state of relaxation.
As you walk over the bridge,
Crossing to the other side,
You see trees trained into amazing shapes,
Their branches twisting and turning,
Admiring the artistic work,
Seemingly guided by nature's desire for curves,
Attuned to it,
The same deep intuition that is within you as you admire the forms of the trees,
The leaves bunched like clouds,
Balanced on the upstretched fingertips of the branches beneath.
You walk just a little further,
Enjoying the warmth of the air on the skin,
And you discover an area of sand,
Bordered with slabs.
There are large smooth stones laid on the sand,
Some carefully balanced on top of each other.
There are grooves of parallel lines of sand,
Tracks weaving around the stones and across the sand in interesting patterns.
As you gaze at the patterns,
Sit down in a comfy spot,
Maybe in a garden chair or on a nearby patch of soft grass,
And let your mind become absorbed in those patterns,
Turning in artistic ways around the canvas of sand,
Around the stones,
Like the flow of water itself.
Enjoy this moment now,
The sights,
The sounds,
The pleasant feelings in the body,
Letting the relaxation permeate every fibre of your being.
Take a few moments now to let go,
Enjoy the moment,
And relax.
Well done.
Travel back now from this place,
Bring your awareness back to the normal feelings of the body,
Fully back to the present moment,
And open your eyes,
Your awareness taking in the space around you,
And bringing with you that sense of calm and relaxation.
