Hey,
Welcome.
It's Doug.
I've got a great meditation for you today.
One that's going to show you how the universe has a lot to teach you about yourself.
Now we have a long journey ahead of us,
So I need you to get into a comfortable seat.
Upright but relaxed.
Upright to be alert,
Making sure that we're ready for all the lessons we are about to encounter and relaxed so that we can absorb all of these lessons.
Begin by breathing in and out through the nostrils,
Deep breaths,
Calm breaths,
Starting from this calm space before we go into deep space,
And then let's get ready to take off in T minus five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Blast off.
Imagine you are now levitating out of your seat and hurtling towards the sky,
Moving through clouds,
Then the atmosphere,
The ionosphere,
Breaking out of the confines of earth and leaving it all behind you,
Entering space and continuing to travel until earth is nothing but a pale blue dot.
As Carl Sagan would say,
You're deep in space now.
As you stop,
You begin to float without any effort whatsoever,
Feeling completely weightless,
Weightless arms,
Weightless legs,
Weightless torso,
Floating in space.
Notice how free this makes you feel,
This floating,
And from this free space,
Begin to observe the universe from a new vantage point.
As you do so,
Realize that the universe is both expansive and expanding.
It's big and getting bigger every moment.
See if you can apply this to your breath now.
Each breath getting bigger than the last,
Lasting longer than the one before.
Enjoy an expansion on the inhale and relaxation on the exhale,
Getting bigger and bigger and slower and slower.
Look towards the stars now.
See how they surround you,
Shimmering,
Shining,
Lighting the dark void around you.
As you marvel at these symbols of hope,
Fulfilling their purpose of brightening up even the darkest of places,
I want you to recognize that the same atoms that exist in you exist in these stars.
In fact,
The same compounds that cause these very stars to emanate so gloriously also course through your veins.
You see as stars collide or implode,
Their constitute parts form a dust,
And this dust settled on earth billions of years ago.
It's this dust that gave rise to life,
And still does,
In a very real way you are made up of stardust,
And this teaches us a few things.
Even out of destruction something good and beautiful can emerge.
Even tragedy can create opportunity.
So think back to your life,
Think of the hardships you faced,
The collisions or the implosions,
Try see what opportunities they have created.
Think of how these hardships have transformed you into something even more beautiful.
Now think back to how the stars pierce the darkness,
Making the universe less cold,
Less empty,
Less scary.
What has happened to that quality in you?
Are you still shining bright,
Banishing darkness wherever you come in contact with it?
Or have you dimmed?
Has self-doubt or selfishness or grief got the better of you?
Can you take a moment to realize how important you are to the universe,
To those around you?
Can you reclaim the glory that is your light?
Can you reignite that love that shines forth?
Can you disregard the vices that eclipse your virtue,
Like pulling back a curtain that covers your soul,
Letting your light shine forth?
Now reflect on those around you,
Recognizing that the same stardust that you are made up of also resides in them.
As you reflect on this,
Can you make a commitment to help others shine,
By helping them derope their doubt,
Or break free from the gravity of guilt or grief?
Can you help appreciate their astral ability and ascend to become part of the celestial community?
As you recognize a single star in the sky being a lonely thing,
Whereas a sky full of stars is a work of art.
So as we reflect on the meaning of namaste,
That the light in me sees and respects the light in you,
Can you not just say these words but embody them?
Embody them by letting your light shine forward and encouraging others to do the same,
Lighting the darkness in the world.
Slowly begin your journey back home now,
Arriving back in your seat,
Recognizing that you are both part of the cosmos,
And that the cosmos is part of you,
And this does not make you very small,
But instead,
Very,
Very big.
So go be big,
And go be bright.
Namaste.
