Just as the slow,
Fuzzy,
Ground-confined caterpillar conceals the free,
Colorful,
Darting,
Airborne butterfly,
Our human body conceals our own butterfly,
Our inner consciousness,
Our true self.
A self that is free,
All-knowing,
And the light of the entire universe.
Just as the caterpillar must go within its cocoon to reveal the butterfly,
We as human beings must go within ourselves,
Through meditation,
Quiet reflection,
To reveal our true self and to release and experience our full potential.
Through years of meditation and God's amazing grace,
I now experience life as a constant stream of unfolding miracles.
My mind has become focused,
Patient,
And serene.
My body strong and flexible and my heart grateful and compassionate.
I feel the energy of life pulsating in my body.
I experience laughter and bliss spark spontaneously within myself.
No outer fuel is required.
I hear the soothing sound of waves crashing on the inner shores of my body.
Beautiful blue pearls constantly dance before my amazed eyes amidst flashing bolts of lightning.
I see beautiful crystal white light sustaining everyone and everything.
Life has become a rainbow of miracles.
Fear,
Pain,
Anger,
Addictions,
Depression,
And greed have left my mind and body.
These experiences are your birthright.
Every moment of your life reclaim your power,
Reunite with your essence.
You are love,
Beautiful,
Abundant,
Limitless love.
One of the world's greatest meditation masters,
Baba Muktananda,
Once said,
Everything we do in life,
We do in the hope of experiencing love.
Love is essential for all of us.
There is a sublime place inside where love dwells.
That is why we meditate.
Through meditation,
The inner love is unfolded.
As we constantly meditate,
We get drunk on this inner love,
And that is when we begin to realize what love really is.
Zen master Dogen once said,
There have been thousands upon thousands of people who have practiced meditation and obtained its fruits.
Don't doubt its possibilities because of the simplicity of the method.
If you can't find the truth right where you are,
Where else do you think you will find it?
Close your eyes and sit in a comfortable posture.
If you're in a chair,
Place your feet flat on the floor.
If you're on the floor,
Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position.
Take several long deep inhales and long slow exhales.
As you inhale,
Imagine your head extending upwards towards the sky.
And as you exhale,
Imagine your tailbone extending downward into the earth.
Inhaling and exhaling,
Lengthening the entire length of your spine.
Now take a deep inhale,
Hold your breath,
And tighten the toes on your left foot.
And release.
Take a deep inhale and tighten the toes on your right foot.
And release.
Take a deep inhale and squeeze the toes on both feet.
And release.
Take a deep inhale and tighten your leg muscles.
And release.
Take a deep inhale and if you're seated in a chair,
Press your legs together.
If you're seated on the floor,
Press down on your legs with your hands.
And release.
Totally releasing.
Totally relaxing.
Take a deep inhale and squeeze the muscles in your buttocks together.
And release.
Take a deep inhale and suck your stomach in as tight as you can towards your tailbone.
And release.
Take a deep inhale and push your stomach out.
And release.
Totally relaxing.
Letting go of all tension everywhere.
Take a deep inhale and make a tight fist with your left hand.
And release.
Take a deep inhale and make a tight fist with your right hand.
And release.
Take a deep inhale and make tight fists with both hands.
And release.
Take a deep inhale and tighten the muscles in your left arm.
And release.
Totally relaxing everywhere.
Take a deep inhale and tighten the muscles in your right arm.
And release.
Take a deep inhale and tighten the muscles in both arms.
And release.
Take a deep inhale and lift your shoulders up to your ears.
And release.
Take a deep inhale and clench your teeth together.
And release.
Take a deep inhale and close your eyes as tight as you can.
And release.
Take a deep inhale and tighten your entire body.
Squeeze your toes.
Squeeze your legs.
Make fists.
Tighten your stomach.
Press your arms into your body.
Clench your teeth.
Close your eyes real tight.
Total tension throughout your entire body.
And relax.
Letting go completely.
Now focus your awareness on your breath.
Watching it as it flows in and out through your nostrils.
Don't control the rhythm.
Simply be the observer of your breath.
Watch your breath as it flows all the way in to that space where it hangs for a moment before it starts back out.
Follow your breath all the way out to that space where it hangs for a moment before it starts back in.
Focus your entire awareness on your breath.
Even though your eyes are closed,
You can direct your inner gaze down towards your nostrils.
You can feel your breath as it flows in and out through your nostrils.
Listen to the sound of your breath as it flows in and out.
Totally focus your awareness on the flow of your breath.
Watching it as it flows all the way in.
Watching it as it flows all the way out.
Become very aware of the spaces between the breaths.
If your mind starts to wander,
Gently return it to your breath.
Watching it as it flows in.
Watching that space where it hangs for a moment before it starts out.
Watching your breath as it flows all the way out.
Merging into that space where the breath hangs before it starts back in.
Completely merge your awareness with your breath.
Gently returning your mind to your breath each time it wanders away.
Constantly returning your attention to your breath each time your mind wanders off.
Watching as it flows all the way in.
Watching as it flows all the way out.
Merge with the entire flow of your breath.
Relaxing deeper and deeper with each inhale and each exhale.
Watching your breath as it flows in.
Watching your breath as it flows out.
Merging into the spaces between the breaths.
Take several long,
Deep inhales and long,
Slow exhales.
If you're sitting in a chair,
Focus your awareness at the soles of your feet.
And if you're sitting cross-legged on the floor,
Focus your awareness below your navel.
Take several long,
Deep inhales and long,
Slow exhales.
Slowly easing yourself out of meditation.
Becoming very aware of your body.
Aware of your surroundings.
You might want to squeeze your fists together real lightly.
Squeeze your toes.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
Maintaining this peace and this centeredness as you go about your activities.
Albert Einstein said,
The ancients knew something which we seem to have forgotten.
The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.
It is the source of all art and science.
I cordially invite you to constantly remember and experience the extraordinary ecstasy of your own mysterious self through meditation,
Through quiet reflection.
