How we feel about ourselves changes day to day.
Sometimes we feel weak,
Unnecessary and invisible.
At other times,
We feel calm,
Powerful and in control.
In this meditation,
You will come to better understand the truest nature of who you are,
Your connection.
You have come to this moment to further your understanding of who you truly are.
The love you receive.
The love you give.
The kindness that you demonstrate.
The peaceful essence of your heart.
Let's begin by taking some time now,
Getting comfortable in your chair or on your cushion.
Find a posture that's going to allow you to be relaxed,
Get attentive.
And once you found that,
Gently close your eyes.
And now bring your attention to your breath.
Simply feel the rhythm,
The tempo of your inhale,
The brief pause up at the top and your exhale.
With that awareness of your breath,
Let's begin by taking a few deep breaths in through your nose,
Holding for a brief moment and then slowly letting them out through your mouth.
Let's take three nice,
Full,
Deep breaths.
And once you're done,
Simply return your breathing back to its normal pace.
Let's take a few deep breaths in through your nose.
The process of breathing is cleansing,
Taking in the new,
The revitalizing oxygen and exhaling any stress,
Any worry,
Any stale energy.
As you breathe,
You're sinking deeper and deeper into your chair or your cushion,
Your body becoming more relaxed,
Your brow becoming unfurled.
Feel the area around your eyes starting to soften.
Let your tongue rest on the bottom of your mouth,
Your jaws becoming looser.
All the while,
Simply continuing to breathe normally.
Now bring your awareness to your entire body,
Feel your chest and your belly gently rising and falling,
All your muscles continuing to soften and relax.
As you scan your body,
Notice any areas that seem tense or uncomfortable.
Simply become aware of those areas without judgment or emotion.
Imagine the clean,
Fresh oxygen entering your body,
Gently swirling around every muscle,
Every organ bringing its healing and warmth into every cell,
Every part of you.
Imagine those areas that are tight or sore becoming surrounded by this gentle healing mist.
For just a few moments,
Become aware of all the sensations in your body,
Aware of the breaths entering and leaving,
Letting go of any limiting thoughts,
Any unnecessary worry.
And if thoughts should come,
As they most definitely will,
There's nothing to be concerned about.
Simply acknowledge them and bring your focus back to your breath.
Now in your mind's eye,
I want you to imagine yourself high atop a mountain,
The highest mountain,
Looking out upon the forests and smaller mountains below.
They extend as far as you can see.
The sky is expansive,
Full of clouds,
And yet these clouds are just a little gray,
A little ominous,
But nothing too concerning.
Even though the sun goes in and out of the heavy clouds,
You can still make out the deepest blue behind them.
And high atop this mountain,
It's brisk enough that you feel the cool breeze on your face and body.
Not too cold,
Just enough to be refreshing,
Just enough to have you feeling alert and aware.
As you marvel at the beauty of nature beneath you,
I want you to imagine raising your hands from your sides so that you can see them in front of you.
Take a moment to truly look at them.
Look at both of them together,
Seeing your palms and your fingers,
And then focus on just your left hand,
Seeing yourself gently moving your fingers.
And then do the same with your right hand.
As you focus your hands,
You can still see the mountains and the sky in the background,
The clouds slowly moving across the sky.
And as you see that,
More and more blue sky is opening up.
As you look at your hands,
Think about some of the ways they've helped you connect with the world around you.
Imagine the last time that you held someone close.
Maybe it was a big hug for someone in your family.
Maybe it was a friend.
Think back to all the things you have written,
Either on a computer or with a pen and paper.
Your thoughts,
Your ideas,
Making their way out into the world.
Perhaps a poem in high school,
A report at work,
Maybe a love letter sharing your heart.
Remember the times when you have created something,
Maybe planted a garden,
Cooked a delicious meal.
Now take a moment to think of some of the people who have smiled at you.
Maybe recently,
Maybe in your past.
People on the street,
In stores,
The smiles of family,
Friends,
People who have sensed your light and responded with a warm smile.
Now bring your attention back to standing on the mountaintop.
You look out and the clouds have almost all disappeared.
And the sky is the deepest,
Deepest blue.
The sun is so warm that you feel it on your face,
Even through the slightest breeze.
As you're looking out upon the sky,
You see a lone hawk flying,
So graceful,
So majestic.
It seems so natural to be part of this entire panorama.
And it is.
The hawk,
Even on its own,
Is a necessary part of the landscape that you see.
That hawk doesn't doubt its existence,
Its importance.
It simply is.
The same is true for you.
Atop this mountain,
You aren't doing anything.
You're simply taking in the beauty around you.
But you aren't an outsider looking in.
You're part of all that you see.
For the next few moments,
Fully immerse yourself in what you're seeing,
What you're feeling,
What you're seeing.
Use all your senses to connect you even further to this place.
The next time you hear my voice,
It won't startle or alarm you.
It'll simply be a reminder that it's time to bring our attention back to the space that we're in.
It's time to slowly bring your attention back to the space that you're in.
Begin to feel the seat or cushion beneath you.
Bring your awareness to some of the sounds in your environment.
As you reacquaint yourself with your surroundings,
As this meditation draws to a close,
Know that the peace and connection that you experienced earlier are still part of you.
They always are.
That level of peace and unity exist because you exist.
You don't need to be doing anything,
Being anything.
You are light and you are love and you are part of everything.
When you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
Take a brief moment wiggling your toes just a bit,
Your hands.
Take the briefest moment to say thank you to yourself for making this time available.
And when you're ready,
Continue your day.
Namaste.
