Welcome to this meditation,
A tuning to nature's peace and beauty.
Attunement means to bring into harmony.
In this meditation,
We will harmonize our minds to that which makes us feel at peace,
Using nature's beauty to do so.
Whether we are conscious of it or not,
Our mind is constantly attuning to our external surroundings.
For example,
Televisions are often referred to as black mirrors,
As our minds and bodies often mirror what is happening on the screen.
Intense or violent movies can create cortisol,
The stress hormone in the body,
And put us into fight or flight mode.
Our bodies experience what the characters are experiencing to some degree.
This isn't healthy for the body over time,
Particularly just before sleep.
Constant consumption of this sort of content can keep the body in this high mode of stress,
Which eventually takes its toll.
This can be emotional,
Mental,
And physical.
There are many other examples of this,
But this is one I've been particularly conscious of in recent months,
And noticing how it's affecting my sleep,
Dreams,
And the mood I'm in the following morning.
It could be how tidy our room is,
A manifestation of how tidy the mind is and vice versa.
It could be making sure we get regular fresh air.
A hugely important one is who we spend time with.
There is a saying that the five people we spend the most time with,
We become.
The point is,
It's vitally imperative to be mindful of what we consume and our daily environment.
This meditation is designed to create a healthy and peaceful environment for our mind.
In this meditation,
We will visualize certain parts of nature which make us feel at peace.
By imagining them in our minds,
We will attune to the tranquility that they bring us.
We will focus on seven parts of nature that help us attune to a peaceful way of being.
To start with,
Let's do a little breathing exercise just to bring us into the present and help us switch off from the outside world.
Breathe in through your nose for four seconds.
Two,
Three,
Four.
And hold for four seconds.
Two,
Three,
Four.
And out for four seconds.
And repeat in for four seconds.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold two,
Three,
Four.
And out two,
Three,
Four.
Repeat this process now until I instruct you to stop breathing in for four seconds,
Holding for four seconds,
And exhaling for four seconds.
It's important to breathe into the belly through the nose during this practice.
Relax your breathing now and allow it to flow naturally.
Let's begin.
When you are sat looking out at a still lake,
Perhaps you're sat on a bench.
Notice if there are any slight movements on the lake or perhaps none at all.
What shade is the lake?
Keep your awareness on the still and peaceful lake.
Notice how you feel whilst you look at it and notice all the other tiny details.
I'll give you a minute here just to observe the still lake.
Good.
For the next attunement we will observe a flower.
Don't overthink it,
Just be with the first flower that comes to mind.
What type of flower is it?
What colour is it?
Keep visualising the flower in your mind's eye and harmonise your being with its beauty.
If the mind wonders,
Just bringing our awareness back to the flower and observing it.
Wonderful.
Next I'd like you to imagine you're at the beach in broad daylight,
The most beautiful beach you can imagine.
Is it completely empty or are there a few others enjoying the beach?
Is the sun white or more yellow in shade?
Stare at the beach.
Nowhere to go,
Nowhere to be,
But here looking out at the beach.
How does it make you feel?
Focusing the awareness on the beach and the tiny details we find.
I would now like to change the scene.
I would now like you to look out at a mountain.
This could be icy,
Could be green or there could be rocks completely covering the mountain,
Wherever your mind first takes you.
Are there birds flying to and from the mountain?
Is there a path towards the top?
Imagine the details of the mountain and then sit back and enjoy its splendor.
Attune your mind with this beautiful creation.
If your awareness wonders,
Not judging anything,
Just bringing it back to the mountain and observing.
I hope you're feeling more at peace following this attunement.
We have three more to do.
This time we will imagine a tree in our mind's eye.
Is it a big tree or a small tree?
Is it bare,
Bushy or in full bloom?
If in bloom what colour are its flowers like?
Does it look old and wise or new and fresh?
Stand back and appreciate the tree,
Then be at one with its essence as you focus on it.
This second half I'd like you to reach out and just place one hand on the tree as you observe it.
For the next attunement we will imagine a glorious waterfall.
Is it a big waterfall or a smaller one?
What colour is the water that falls down?
What's the scene surrounding it?
Bask in the serenity of this scene.
Allow your being to be as fluid as the water pouring down.
Nowhere to go,
Nowhere to be,
Just observing the waterfall.
Bask in the serenity of this scene.
Bask in the serenity of this scene.
Wonderful.
For the final practice of this meditation,
Imagine a beautiful sunset over the ocean.
Notice the details.
What shade is the sky?
What shade is the sun?
How does the sunlight reflect off the water?
Notice how peaceful you feel right now.
Know that this piece is available at any time you need it.
Take in this final scene.
Notice if there is a slight breeze as you watch this marvelous sunset unfold.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
I hope you loved this meditation and I hope it gave you an indication just how powerful the mind can be.
And you can do this meditation anywhere,
And attune with nature's beauty,
Even if you're miles away from any lovely nature spots.
I recommend trying this practice out in nature.
Mindfully observe a tree,
A flower,
Whatever it is that makes you feel peaceful.
Then close your eyes and meditate with its image in your mind.
Big love until next time.
