Today,
We will practice a walking and awareness meditation set in the haven.
This is for people who perhaps cannot get out into a peaceful area for any reason.
Although you can always use the gentle tips in this meditation if and when you do go out for a physical walk.
First,
Lay down and make yourself comfortable.
Take a few natural breaths and close your eyes.
Listen as the sound of the gentle breeze begins and takes you to the haven.
You stand outside your cottage in the small lane.
It is a day of sunlight and breezes,
Of clouds drifting lazily across the sky.
The air is warm and gentle.
It is late spring and everywhere is rich with growth,
The trees,
The hedgerows of the lane.
Blossom is pink and cream and the air smells sweet.
Take a moment to simply stand,
Soaking in the wonderful air.
Feel your feet on the ground and just breathe,
Taking in all the goodness and purity of the air.
Feel your chest rise and fall.
There are sounds all around,
Ones you may have become accustomed to here,
But for a moment you disentangle them from their overall backdrop to hear the individual sounds.
The wind in the trees,
The sound of the little stream,
The birds.
Now,
Slowly and without haste,
Just begin to walk.
You enter the little wood opposite your house.
It is bright with bluebells that line the path and roofed in green leaves.
Allow yourself to absorb those wonderful colours.
As you come to the little bridge that crosses the stream,
Just pause for a moment to watch the dance of the water,
To see the ferns that grow there where it is damp.
You continue on at your leisure.
Notice the air and think of how walking among trees is beneficial.
Feel the sense here,
The freshness.
Feel and notice how you move,
The sensations within your muscles,
How you breathe.
Let your focus widen now to the wood around you.
See the different areas of light and shade.
In the small clearings,
The sun falls brightly,
While in the shadows it is a deep green.
As the breeze stirs the leaves,
The light shimmers and moves,
Catching tiny specks of floating seeds that glitter like jewels.
Further along the path,
The woods open to the glade of the great oak.
Just there on the path is a feather,
White as snow.
You pick it up and put it in your pocket.
There are always signs here of protection and safety,
And you know this is one of them.
You see that someone has placed a little bench beside the footpath.
It is so new it smells of fresh timber.
You sit down and look across to the oak.
It is an ancient tree,
But fully alive with spring,
Vigorous and steadfast.
It feels like an old friend to you.
And so you smile and greet it,
And know you will come back to sit at its feet very soon.
But now you continue on.
There is no need to hurry,
You can simply experience the moment.
Think about feeling your breath and movement,
And how it makes you feel.
You come to the edge of the trees and the field of the standing stones.
It is bathed in soft sunlight.
Beyond,
The tall trees of the fairy wood raise their arms to the blue and white sky.
For a moment,
You stand and look at it.
Become aware of the breeze and everything around you,
The layers of the land itself.
From the sounds to the colours,
The movement of the trees and the high passing clouds,
You can feel that you yourself are part of all this,
Connected to the haven.
You go down to the gate beside the standing stones,
Reaching out to brush one of them with your fingers as you pass,
And feeling the tingle of energy.
And they look as if they are drowsing in the benign spring sun.
On the village street,
The houses have their windows open to the bright air.
On a windowsill,
A cat is curled,
And in a garden,
A dog lies under a flowering tree,
Asleep.
Some people are working in their gardens and wave to you as you pass.
The village shop has opened its little tea garden,
And you decide to stop and have something to drink.
It is quiet,
No one else is in the garden yet,
And you find your favourite seat.
All around the small garden are pots of flowers.
Flowers also grow from the old stone walls.
It is a peaceful,
Restful place to pause for a while.
The shopkeeper brings you your drink with a smile.
He has also brought you your favourite cake,
Freshly baked.
You notice the taste,
The texture of the food,
The flavour of the hot drink.
You listen to the soft breeze,
And further away,
Behind the houses and cottages with their gardens,
The soft sighing of the sea.
After finishing your drink and cake,
You continue down the village street,
Toward the old inn and little harbour.
There are some boats out in the bay,
And the door of the inn is open.
As you go past,
Two people come out,
The old lady and the man from the old manor.
Both of them pause and greet you,
The old man smiling kindly.
As you all appear to be going in the same direction,
You walk on together down the lane.
It is quiet between the blossoming hedgerows,
And away from the stronger sea breeze,
It is very calm.
The old man has very gentle manners and a quiet voice.
You speak about the richness of the spring,
And how the weather is perfect,
Neither too hot or too cold.
When you come to the turning down to the railway station and the old manor,
The old man politely asks you if you would like to come to tea tomorrow.
Both of you,
He adds,
And you accept.
He bids you goodbye and walks away down the lane.
You and the old lady continue on.
She says that although you have seen the secret garden of the old manor,
It also has a beautiful rear garden and a walk through the woods to a very special place.
She is sure he will show it to you.
You think of the map of the borderlands and decide to consult it later.
You say that you have been noticing the quiet places within the haven,
And that someone had placed a bench in the little wood.
The old lady nods.
She calls it the quiet within the quiet.
They are places just for you to sit and absorb the serenity.
Pointing,
She indicates another little bench set back from the lane within the arms of the hedgerow.
You both sit down.
The hawthorn blossom drifts like confetti and its scent is sweet.
You remember that the hawthorn is associated in law with fairies and have to smile as it grows everywhere in the haven.
In the autumn,
Its tree berries glow along the lanes.
The old lady says these quiet places do not have to show wonderful views.
They are little nooks and corners of the haven.
Sometimes we can become too accustomed to the same places and forget to really be aware of them.
So these seats are being put there to remind us to really see and feel the peace and the magic that exists everywhere.
You silently agree.
You know that you will use the bench in the wood,
This one and others.
You will sit down and take a moment to be mindful.
There is a gentleness to these small spaces.
You can just be here in the moment in the woods,
Or this quiet lane,
Or anywhere.
As you sit,
You notice the smaller things,
Little enchantments.
The tiny blue blooms of a flower rambling along the bottom of the hedgerow.
The softness of one of the hawthorn petals that have fallen on the bench.
A small bird perches for a moment on a low branch,
Then flicks away.
The grass along the verge trembles gently in the mild breeze.
After a while,
You both begin to walk again.
You absorb all that is around you.
There are horses in the nearby field grazing,
And leggy foals beside them.
The hedge parsley grows thickly,
And its flowers are like delicate snow and stars.
The old lady pauses at her cottage gate and says she will see you tomorrow when you go to afternoon tea at the old manor.
You walk on toward your own home.
The trees of the little wood murmur and sunlight speckles the lane.
When you reach your home,
You pause to look at the garden,
Serene and lovely.
The cut grass smells like a dream of summer,
And the flowers cluster along the borders.
Once inside,
You also notice more about this place that has become your safe and comforting home.
The sunlight touches the windowsills and spills into the rooms,
And everything is warm and quiet.
You make yourself a drink and take it into the lounge where the old clock ticks gently,
And sit down.
As you sip your drink,
You feel the support of the chair and the calm that embraces you completely.
Setting the empty cup aside,
You lean back and let that calm sink into you.
The roses around the window are not open yet,
But the breeze stirs their leaves and makes patterns against the wall.
Closing your eyes,
You look forward to finding other quiet spaces within the haven.
You sink into a wonderful stillness and let your thoughts drift away.
