Welcome.
So the tradition that I've been so inspired by and involved with for the past 25 years is Tantric Tibetan Buddhism.
This tradition is meditation based,
Working directly with your true nature.
And there are many deities or buddhas that we often work with in meditation.
What a lot of people don't understand is that in essence we're actually working with different archetypal energies within us,
Within our psyche,
Different aspects of our psyche,
Different emotions or strengths that we may want to embody,
Encourage or transform.
The Buddhas are manifestations of the embodiment of those energies.
One Buddha that has been incredibly helpful for me and my journey is called Vajrapani.
He is a wrathful deity,
The Buddha of power.
He is deep blue in color,
Has a strong muscular body,
A wrathful expression on his face,
And is surrounded by a burning wisdom fire.
He is the embodiment of what it may feel like to stand in your own power and strength.
Not standing in your own power in an egotistic way,
But in a way that is meaningful,
Helpful and compassionate.
Wouldn't you like to know what it feels like to embody that strength?
To be able to emanate your own inner power with confidence.
To set healthy boundaries when you need to.
To say no when it's necessary.
To really believe in your own inner strength and have confidence.
These are essential energies and feelings that we need to have a healthy relationship with the world around us.
So that is what we're going to do in this practice.
I will take you through an explorative active imagination meditation where you get to embody this.
I will guide you in a fun,
Creative and secular way.
So not in a Buddhist way particularly,
But in a way that you can just use your active imagination,
Feel it in your body,
And have fun with it.
So as much as you can,
Really let yourself go into it.
Be as wild and creative and as exaggerated as you wish.
And most importantly,
Really enjoy that feeling of embodying your own inner power and strength.
So wherever you are,
Get yourself really comfortable.
It's helpful to be sitting up tall for this meditation.
But you don't need to be tight or rigid.
Allow your body to be relaxed and natural.
Breathe a full breath in.
And let out a satisfying sigh.
Allowing yourself to arrive here.
Now.
Letting go of the outside world for now.
All the things that you need to be doing,
Thinking about or stressing about.
Just allowing your breath to guide you here,
Into the present moment and into your body.
Slowly becoming aware of the sensations and feelings in your belly and ribs as you breathe in and out.
Allowing yourself to be really inquisitive,
Like a small baby feeling their feet for the first time.
Paying particular attention to the out-breath.
Notice how each time you breathe out there's a natural release and relaxation in the body.
See how much you can allow your whole body to follow that natural release.
Each time you breathe out,
Allowing your whole body to soften,
Release and relax down into the surface holding you.
Gradually becoming aware of the sense of ground below you.
The cushion,
The chair,
The bed.
Or the earth beneath your feet.
Opening your awareness to how that ground feels against your body.
How it rises up to meet your body and really supports your whole body with a sense of steadiness and safety.
Noticing how gravity allows your body to rest down into that ground.
And noticing the sensations and feelings.
Of where your body comes into contact with that ground.
And slowly from that ground bringing your awareness up into the body.
Becoming aware of sensations and feelings and energy in your feet.
Letting your awareness spread up through your legs,
Becoming aware of sensations and feelings in your legs as a whole.
And the weight of them resting down on the ground.
Gradually becoming aware of all the sensations,
Feelings,
Energy and maybe even emotions in the trunk of your body.
All the way from the roots of your body to your shoulders.
Allowing your shoulders to relax down as you do that.
Your awareness moving down through your arms.
From the shoulders all the way down to your hands.
Allowing your arms to relax down.
And finally allowing awareness to spread up to the crown of your head.
Noticing sensations and feelings in your neck.
Your head.
The sensations and feelings of all the muscles in your face.
Allowing all those muscles to be soft and relaxed,
Your jaw soft.
And becoming aware of the entire space of your body.
Noticing the space that your body takes up in the environment that you're in.
And letting yourself really fill that space.
Noticing all sensations,
Feelings and energy around the body.
And letting everything just be as it is.
As you rest there,
A small sphere of deep blue light starts to appear in your heart center.
And the small sphere of light is radiant and warm like a soothing fire.
This deep blue light and warmth radiates out through your heart center.
Filling your whole body.
And even out into the space around you.
As this light radiates out your body begins to change.
Your body turns deep blue in colour.
You begin to grow taller and stronger.
Your muscles growing.
Maybe they even pop through your clothes like the Hulk.
Your body stands firm and strong in the ground.
Your legs strong and muscular.
So feel what it feels like to stand in that strong muscular stance.
And you can be as wrathful or playful as you like.
Whatever feels really satisfying for you.
Maybe you'll enjoy having a wrathful expression on your face.
Or maybe not.
This is your own experience.
Surrounding you and the environment around you radiates a burning wisdom fire.
Burning away any doubts,
Any self-judgements,
Any lack of confidence.
Allowing you to really embody your own inner strength and inner power.
Allow the light of your own inner power to shine through and invigorate your strong muscular body.
You're welcome to bring movement to it,
If you like.
If you feel drawn to move your arms and legs,
Beat your chest,
Snarl.
Again,
Whatever feels deeply satisfying.
And allowing yourself to enjoy it,
To be nourished by it.
So really allowing yourself to feel what it feels like to embody that strength and inner power.
Not in an egotistic way,
But in a compassionate way.
Allowing you to stand your ground when you need to.
Set healthy boundaries.
Feel confident in your true self.
Instead of just thinking this in the mind and allowing your imagination to be creative,
Also try to feel this in the body.
You can take a moment to affirm to yourself what you need.
Maybe it's something like,
I can do this.
Or I can say no,
Whatever it may be for you.
You could also take a small moment to thank this inner part of you.
This part of you that is confident,
Strong and believes in your own inner power.
That part of you that's always there,
But maybe sometimes gets overshadowed or dampened down.
And slowly the surrounding wisdom fire,
Your big strong muscular body and the radiating blue light begin to soften,
Dissolve and draw back into your heart center.
Resting there.
Allowing that inner strength to be there in your heart for when you need it.
Feel your body again as it was before.
Notice your breathing coming in and out naturally.
Feeling the sensations of the ground below you.
Resting into the ground.
And slowly begin to move your body and gently open your eyes.
May you carry this inner strength with you for the rest of your day.
Have an awesome and powerful day.
