I'm going to lead you through a guided meditation called the bus ride.
And the purpose is to help you get in touch with your inner committee or team and the parts that make up that team inside of you.
So as we begin,
Get comfortable,
Take some deep breaths,
Notice your body and how it's feeling right now.
Breathe slowly in and out.
Acknowledge yourself for taking the time to do this meditation.
And again,
Breathe in and out.
And as you breathe,
Listen to the sound of your breath.
Imagine yourself connected to all the other kindred spirits who have listened to this meditation are listening to it or may listen to it in the future along with you.
And again,
Breathing in and breathing out.
There's nothing to do.
There's nowhere to go.
Notice if there's any part of your body that is tied or uncomfortable.
And breathe for a moment into that part of your body.
Or adjust your position until that part is able to relax more and more.
And again,
Breathing in and out.
You are becoming more and more relaxed as you breathe in and out.
Now imagine yourself walking in a place that you love.
Maybe it's a city or near the ocean or in the woods.
Maybe it's your backyard.
You're walking and taking in all the sounds and sights around you.
You're not in a hurry.
Just walking,
Just curious about what you'll discover on this walk.
And pretty soon you come to a bus.
This is the bus that is holding all of your team or committee members.
All of the different voices that live inside of you.
They are all on the bus.
It is parked and not moving.
And you stop walking as you walk toward the bus when you're about 10 to 20 feet away from it.
And just look at it for a bit.
Notice what color it is.
School buses are yellow and transit buses are blue and silver.
But what color is your bus?
Buses often have riding on them.
Either on the sides indicating where they're from or on the front above the windshield describing where they're going.
Does your bus have any riding on it?
Feel free to walk all the way around your bus now.
Looking at it from each angle,
From all sides.
And remember inside this bus are all of your inner team members,
Your committee.
Notice how you're feeling about the bus.
Are you curious?
Are you a little afraid?
Remember that this is a perfectly safe place and that you are the one in charge of this inner journey.
It's your journey and yours alone.
Now when you're ready,
Approach the bus.
Slowly or quickly it's up to you.
You pause when you reach the door.
Knock two or three times on the door.
Watch as it opens to you from the inside.
Climb the steps into the bus.
First look at the driver's seat.
Is there a part or a team member,
A committee member sitting there already?
It's really your seat.
You know the driver's seat.
But a part of you might have taken over that driver's seat with or without your permission.
If someone is sitting there,
Politely ask them if it feels right to get out of the driver's seat and to go back to their own seat in the bus.
And then if they do move to their own seat,
I want you to sit down in the driver's seat.
Adjust the rear view mirror.
Who do you see there?
On your bus.
Just notice who is there,
What they're wearing.
What do they look like?
Some parts are probably smiling and waving at you.
Some parts might just be sitting there quietly.
Some might be yelling and arguing to get your attention.
Some parts might be wearing masks or be completely covered up because they don't want you to know them yet.
Maybe you're even noticing some resistance to the part that may have been in the driver's seat.
Notice how you're feeling about being in the driver's seat of your inner team or committee's bus.
Are you nervous,
Glad,
Curious,
Interested,
Scared?
Just notice how you feel.
Remember that you are in charge.
Whatever you're feeling is okay.
Each of these passengers represents a part of yourself.
And each one carries a special gift for you.
They're each there to teach you something about yourself and your world.
It's only your job to watch and listen and to be curious if you can.
Now you're going to turn the key in the ignition,
Put the bus in gear,
And drive.
Simply drive.
Maybe your bus has special powers and it flies.
Steer your bus forward.
When you're comfortable with the controls of your bus and you're still driving,
Notice that there's a microphone attached to the dashboard.
Pick up the microphone and make this announcement.
Who would like to come up here and sit next to me in the passenger seat for a while?
Does anyone have anything to say to me right now about what's going on in my life?
Then sit back,
Keep driving,
And watch what happens.
Allow one of your committee members to come forward.
Or if they'd rather just sit and ride,
That's okay too.
And it might take a while or someone might leap right in that seat next to you.
Whatever happens,
It's okay.
As you drive,
Spend a few minutes talking with this part of you who so graciously volunteered to step forward.
Ask it what it wants to say to you.
Ask it if it brings you a gift.
Ask it if it needs anything from you right now.
And then just listen.
Just be with the part.
You don't have to do anything except drive the bus.
Now it's time to come back from this inner journey to drive back to the spot where you first found your bus.
Park the bus carefully.
Stand and thank the committee members,
Particularly the one that was in the passenger seat with you.
Thank them for sitting and talking with you today.
And acknowledge and thank all the other parts.
Then open the door,
Climb down the steps of the bus.
Begin your walk back to this time,
This place,
This space that you're in now.
Begin to feel your body resting on the chair or the floor.
Take a few deep breaths in and out.
Wiggle your toes,
Shake out your legs.
Still breathing.
Come back to the awareness of your body.
And if it feels right,
You can spend a few moments writing notes or drawing what this experience was like for you.
But thanks for taking the time to join me today.
