Welcome to this guided meditation to hold space for peace.
The meditation will start with a brief guided section and then a single bell will mark the beginning of a two minute period of silence.
During this time,
Simply breathe and focus on holding the frequency of peace in your heart.
At the end of the silence,
Three bells will signal the conclusion of the meditation,
But you're welcome to remain in this peaceful space for as long as you wish.
Let's take a moment to ground and center in our bodies.
Allowing your eyes to gently close as you find a sense of comfort in your body,
Whether you're sitting or lying down,
Feel where your body is connected to the surface below you.
Allowing what is heavy within you to sink down,
Connecting you to the loving and warm embrace of Mother Earth.
Noticing the sensations in your body as you allow yourself to be held and supported,
Letting go of any tension and tightness to soften and relax.
Take a few moments to scan your body and let go of any remaining tension and tightness.
Continuing to breathe and with every exhale allowing yourself to soften into a deeper and deeper state of relaxation.
Knowing that in this moment you are safe,
You are accepted,
You are loved,
You belong in this moment.
There is only this moment and it's okay if all you can hold right now is this moment and this one.
Breath by breath,
Just be here now knowing that all of you is welcome here.
Prepare to take a few deep breaths in through the nose and exhale out through the mouth and exhaling fully before taking another deep breath in and exhaling out through the mouth.
Do two more like this in your own time.
In the vastness of our breath we are connected to a deep space of inner peace knowing that this quality is available to every person in the world,
That everyone has a potential for this sense of peace within them and that everyone deserves dignity and freedom.
Allowing your awareness to rest on your loved ones and acquaintances that are in turmoil and on those places in our world that are troubled by conflict.
As you think of these people and places,
Allow a seed of compassion to take root in your heart including for those people that feel that violence and aggression is the path to find peace in their lives.
Imagine what a beautiful place our world would be if we could all discover the grace of cultivating and connecting with inner peace and harmony instead of trying to control it in our outer experience.
Tapping into this sense of peace,
Imagine a beautiful white light at the centre of your heart.
Notice it gently pulsing and using your breath to draw the light into the rest of your body,
Down into your toes,
Out to your fingertips and up to the crown of your head,
Flowing into every cell of your body.
Continue using your breath to allow the light to overflow into the space around you and with every exhale flowing and expanding further and further beyond your home,
Your neighbourhood,
City and country,
Flowing further and further until the whole world is surrounded and huddled in this white light.
With your next inhale draw the light into the centre of the earth and simultaneously drawing that white light and your awareness back into your body.
Remembering with a deep sense of peace and acceptance that earth's body is your body.
As you notice the touch of air on your bare skin and become aware of the space around your body once more,
Noticing the sounds both near and far,
The sounds of dogs barking,
Cars driving past,
Birds singing,
People's voices,
The sound of your own breath,
Feeling your body rise and fall with every breath,
Noticing any smells in the air as you feel,
The cool air coming in through your nose as you inhale and the warmth of the air as you exhale.
As we move into two minutes of stillness,
Allow yourself to stay floating in this awareness of the present moment and if you notice any thoughts arising,
Just notice them without judgement or blame,
Just saying the word thinking to yourself before gently returning to your breath as many times as you need to.
