So I invite you to find a comfortable but attentive posture,
Either sitting or lying down.
Settling into the posture.
And remembering that if you become uncomfortable in the course of this meditation,
To give yourself permission to adjust your posture as necessary.
And when you're ready.
.
.
We come again.
So to start,
I invite you to gently close your eyes,
Either fully or partially,
Whichever works best for you.
In a moment,
You will hear the sound of the bell.
My invitation to you is to use it as a bridge from the outer world of doing across into your inner world of simply being.
Listening to its sound as it fades away.
Letting it guide your awareness.
You you And now,
Taking a deep breath in through the nose and releasing any tension on the out-breath through the mouth.
And then repeating this two more times without any need to rush.
And when you're ready,
Gently letting your breathing return to normal.
Allowing your breath to breathe the way it wants to breathe.
Not forcing it in any way.
And now,
Simply observing your breath with curiosity.
Is it fast or slow?
Shallow or deep.
Mainly from the chest.
Or more in the belly.
And as you breathe,
Seeing if you can relax.
Simply allowing yourself to feel as safe as you actually are right now.
Releasing any worries or unease.
Bracing or guarding.
Resting right here in this moment-to-moment experience.
Allowing the eyes to be still.
The forehead to be smooth.
The cheeks to soften.
And any tension in the jaw to dissolve.
Allowing yourself to breathe naturally.
Letting go of any tension.
Letting go of any sense of holding on,
Especially on each out-breath.
And just sinking in to a sense of safety.
Dropping the shoulders.
Inviting a sense of ease in the chest and softening any tightness you may find in the stomach.
Now gently expanding your awareness to the body as a whole.
From the head all the way down to the toes.
Still breathing naturally,
Just as you are.
Noticing that in this very moment you have everything you need.
And letting yourself rest in a sense of contentment.
Know if it feels right for you and not forcing it in any way.
Bringing to mind something you might be trying to let go of.
Maybe it's attachment to people or things.
Perhaps it's the busyness in your life.
Opinions and beliefs which limit you.
Resentments or grudges.
Anger or fears.
Or even expectations about the future.
Just bringing to mind a mental image of this thing.
And if strong emotions arise,
Acknowledging them.
And experiencing any physical sensations just as they are.
Without analysis or judgement.
And allowing yourself to breathe with and into these feelings.
And as you breathe,
Acknowledging any feelings.
And giving yourself permission to soften your grasp.
To release the tension.
Using the out-breath in particular as an opportunity to let go.
Welcoming the freedom which comes from letting go.
I invite you now to bring to mind the image of a river.
Observing how the water travels through an ever-changing landscape.
Starting in the high mountains,
Springs feeding into rivulets and streams tumbling down wooded hillsides.
The water sometimes gathering in rock pools and it is momentarily reversing the flow.
Before it continues on its way.
Navigating obstacles,
Picking up speed and thundering on down as it forges its relentless path.
The water,
So soft and adaptable,
Yet at the same time able to carve through rock,
Or simply cast boulders and tree trunks aside.
And finally,
The river reaches the plains.
Leaving the mountains and forests behind.
Much broader now,
Quieter but more powerful still.
Flowing past each place on the river bank,
Never to return.
Just as we are releasing our disappointments or frustrations.
Letting go of any feelings of hurt or inadequacy.
The river continuing its unstoppable flow.
Just as we are releasing what has gone before.
What is now in the past.
And finally,
Only after a long journey,
Does the river widen still more.
Opening out now to a vast ocean.
Just as we are opening up to a sense of contentment.
Freedom and the opportunity for growth.
Now,
As we near the end of this practice,
Observing the quality of your mind right now.
Acknowledging any thoughts or feelings.
And noticing too if there has been a shift over the course of this meditation.
Just staying with and acknowledging whatever you find.
Without self-judgement or analysis.
And now simply resting in a sense of gratitude for this practice and the time that you have just given yourself.
Now taking a deep breath in and allowing the breath out to be long and smooth and soft.
And very gently starting to bring this meditation to an end.
And when you're ready.
.
.
Opening the eyes if they're still closed.
And starting to bring some movement back into the body.
Thank you for coming with me on this journey.
I hope to see you here again tomorrow.
