Welcome to this visualization exercise.
All I'll be inviting you to do is just to visualize and imagine in your mind's eye the image of a tree.
Don't worry too much about whether the visual image is strong enough or good enough,
Just accepting that whatever image comes up for you is the right thing for this session.
Okay,
Just closing your eyes,
Making sure that you're sat comfortably.
To begin today,
Maybe just checking in with the state of your mind,
Seeing what's happening for you in this moment.
There could be a sense of resistance to practicing,
Busyness,
Distractedness in the mind.
Just seeing if you can approach your mind with a sense of kindness and acceptance.
This is how the mind feels right now and that's completely fine for the purposes of this session.
Okay,
Moving away from the activities of the mind,
Taking a second to feel grounded.
Notice the points of connection between your feet and the floor or your legs and the chair or cushion that you're sitting in.
Getting a sense of being supported by the ground beneath you while also noticing the weight and the heaviness and solidity of your body.
Okay,
And now just moving away from the body and we'll start the visualization exercise.
I'd like you to visualize or imagine in your mind's eye the image of a beautiful tree.
This could be a tree that you've seen in real life.
It can just be an imaginary one,
But just try and visualize and imagine it in as much detail as you possibly can.
Visualizing the tree and surroundings,
Getting a sense of its scale,
Imagining the shape of the canopy,
The branches and the twigs.
You can even imagine whether there are any sounds in this visual scene,
Maybe of the leaves rustling in the wind.
Now I'd invite you to imagine and to place yourself at the center of this visual scene so that your body is located where the tree is.
So you can imagine that your legs are located at the base of the tree,
Firmly rooted to the ground beneath you.
The trunk of your body is where the trunk of the tree lies,
And your head and shoulders are where the branches and the leaves of the tree emanate outwards.
And with this sense of being firmly rooted to the ground beneath you and connected to nature,
Just imagining that it's summertime and what this entails.
The tree is full of leaves,
The sun is shining,
And yet the tree stands still,
Solid,
Grounded,
Unmoved by the changing seasons.
And the summer gradually turns to the autumn,
The tree's leaves go orange and yellow and start to fall off the tree.
The sky is filled with clouds,
It's colder and grayer,
And yet the tree stands proudly,
Solid,
Grounded,
Unmoved by the changing seasons.
Autumn makes way for winter,
All of the leaves have now fallen off the tree,
Perhaps the tree is covered in snow and it's freezing,
And yet the tree stands still,
Solid,
Grounded,
Unmoved by the changing seasons.
But after the winter comes growth and regeneration in spring,
The sky is blue,
Leaves are starting to grow on the tree again,
Flowers surrounding the tree are in bloom,
And still the tree stands solid,
Grounded,
Unmoved by the changing seasons.
The tree can be a useful metaphor for meditation practice and how it can help us navigate the fluctuating seasons of our lives,
There will inevitably be ups and downs,
Periods of joy and sorrow,
But we can maintain a sense of stillness,
Of groundedness amidst the ever-changing seasons of our lives.
And then when you feel ready to just letting this visual image fade into the background,
Connecting with any sounds or smells in the room that surround you,
Checking in with the state of the mind as you did at the start of the session,
And when you feel ready to open your eyes,
Coming back to the room,
Congratulating yourself for practicing,
Well done.
