Hello,
And welcome to this meditation.
I am Tonya Peele,
And I'll be guiding you through this mindfulness meditation focused on connecting you to nature and deepening your sense of wonder.
This is a moving meditation to help you cultivate a practice of being present wherever you are,
Using your camera as a mindfulness companion.
You will need a flower,
A camera,
And some quiet,
Uninterrupted space to yourself.
We will begin this in photography meditation with a centering practice using the breath,
Followed by a sensing exercise.
And in closing,
You will take your meditation off the app and go create images that evolve from your sense of wonder.
This space,
Along with your camera,
Without the sound of my voice,
Allows you to focus on the moment and be more engaged in the experience.
You will know it's time for you to go solo when I say raise your camera.
Until then,
Just keep your camera close by.
Let's begin.
With a flower in front of you,
Take a couple of slow,
Deep,
Intentional breaths.
Bring your full awareness to the flow of air in and out of your body.
Your breath is your life force.
Oftentimes,
We do not focus on our breath until we feel the fear of losing it.
So be present with it.
When you're feeling centered,
Settle into the natural rhythm of your breath.
Now,
I want you to shift your awareness from your breath to an exploration of your senses.
Notice what you hear around you.
What can you smell in the air around you?
In addition to your flower,
What do you see?
Do you notice anything now that you were not aware of earlier?
If so,
Just sit with it for a few seconds and honor its presence.
Now let's return your awareness to your flower.
Intentionally spend a few moments closely observing it.
Press in on its color,
Texture,
Shape,
And smell.
Notice the light and shadows resting on your flower.
Go deeper into the exploration of your flower by gently touching it.
Allow the sensation to dance within your fingertips.
Go inward and feel the flower in your heart.
What does this feeling reveal about you?
If you gave that feeling a color,
What would that color be and why?
Continue to engage your sense of wonder.
Look at your flower with the beginner's mind.
That means look at it as if you were seeing it for the very first time.
What would you notice and be excited about if you were a two-year-old discovering this flower in an open field?
Spend a few more moments noticing.
Don't rush away.
Observe your thoughts.
If there are any thoughts pulling you away from this feeling of wonder and connection with your flower,
Simply acknowledge the thought and let it pass by like a cloud in the sky.
Return to your flower again and again and again.
As I prepare to leave you,
Take another deep breath and raise your camera.
Namaste.
