And now,
Let nature nurture you.
Allow your body to relax.
Whether you have chosen a dignified seat for this meditation,
Or you've chosen to recline and relax,
All of your doing is now done.
This is your time.
You can let go now and just be fully arriving in this moment.
Make any adjustments you need to feel comfortable and allow your body to be fully supported.
Just let it go.
Now gently guide your thoughts towards your breathing.
Just notice it.
You don't need to make any changes.
It doesn't matter if it raises your chest or your abdomen.
Just follow your own natural breathing pattern.
If your mind wanders during the meditation,
Just gently lead it back to your own breath,
In and out in your own natural,
Comfortable pattern.
Paying attention,
Just letting it be.
Now allow an image of a beautiful meadow to blossom in your mind.
A beautiful meadow filled with your favorite flowers on a late afternoon in June.
The weather is warm and bright.
You breathe in a calming scent of rich,
Sweet earth mingled with fragrant flowers as you gaze across the beautiful meadow.
You like it here.
You feel comfortable here.
It feels open,
Expansive,
And safe.
Nothing here can sting or bite you or make you sneeze.
The fresh air feels wonderful against your skin as you stand in the meadow feeling rooted and joyful to be able to be amongst all of this beauty and life.
You gaze up to watch lovely white heaped up cumulus clouds slowly travel across the sky,
Making wonderful,
Joyful,
Funny shapes as they go.
Enjoy the clouds as you breathe in and out in your own natural,
Comfortable pattern.
Bring in your gaze back down from the clouds.
You notice thick woodlands surrounding and protecting the meadow.
The trees are ancient and hold much life.
You can sense their strength and rootedness as you gaze at their beauty.
And as with everything in this meadow,
In this life,
The trees of parents will change with the seasons and the times.
Yet through it all,
The trees will stand tall and rooted just like us when we focus on our breath and remember who we are in our hearts.
Breathing in and out in your own natural,
Relaxed pattern.
You notice a walled garden standing in the south corner of the meadow with a beautifully painted wooden door.
The doors painted a beautiful deep red color and looks freshly done.
You can see lovely large trees rising high above the garden walls.
And you're curious to see what other treasures await inside.
You begin to slowly calmly walk through the beautiful meadow.
Hearing your gentle footfall on a smooth gravel path as the flowers dance in the soft breeze and the bees feast on the flowers.
You hear the zzzzzzz as they connect and the flower bows their heads to share the nectar.
There are birds flying through the air just overhead and you can hear wood pigeons and pheasants in the distance.
As you breathe in and out in your own natural pattern,
You're noting in your heart that this meadow nourishes many.
You continue to walk through the meadow towards the garden.
And as you do,
You feel all your cares and worries come away from your body like cherry blossoms from a tree in a gentle breeze on a fine spring day.
Allow them to fall off and scatter,
Making a beautiful pattern behind you.
Just leave them behind.
Just let them drop.
They can't trouble you here.
Just let them go.
And as you reach the door,
You realize that this is a safe place that you have built for yourself with love that you can come to at any time you need to center yourself and rejuvenate.
When you close the garden door behind you,
Nothing can disturb your peace and joy.
You close the garden door and inhale the fragrant aromas of all your favorite trees,
Flowers,
Fruits and vegetables that have been planted here and are now heavy with flowers and fruit.
Look around and take in all the beauty and life that is here.
You can hear blackbirds singing in the garden.
And you can see a little robin with his proud red vest darting about.
In the middle of the gardens for quadrants stands a natural pond full of life and a gently bubbling fountain.
Just like the four chambers of your softly beating heart,
The garden is pulsing with life and joy.
You spot your favorite tree in a corner with a blanket and large comfortable looking pillows spread all around.
You head towards the blanket and as you lie down,
You allow the earth to support you.
As you breathe in and out in your own natural comfortable pattern,
You feel completely supported by the earth.
Each of your muscles are becoming more loose and relaxed.
No tension or tightness anywhere in your body.
Your scalp,
Your jaw,
Your shoulders,
Your arms,
Your trunk,
Your legs and feet all feel relaxed and heavy,
Completely supported by the earth as you gently breathe in and out in your own natural pattern,
Allowing the earth to completely support you.
As you gently gaze up towards the sky,
You once again see the puffy white clouds changing shapes as they float by.
You feel happy as you realize that all these gorgeous clouds,
The beautiful unseen planets hanging in the sky,
As well as the stars that are just now starting to show,
All of these beauties are always there,
Just like our softly beating hearts.
We only need to pay attention to our breathing to realize how much support we have from the earth and its bounty inside ourselves and indeed the sky above our heads.
Even when we cannot see these beauties or forget about them,
They are always there,
Just like our softly beating hearts.
Outside of this garden,
When we feel ourselves starting to become stressed or anxious,
We can come back to this place,
Come back to this feeling of being supported and safe,
Surrounded by beauty,
By focusing on our breathing and reminding ourselves of who we are deep and our gently beating hearts in this lovely garden on this beautiful June day.
Taking a deep breath in through our nose,
We imagine the fresh air bringing new life force into our lungs and heart.
We stay with the focus on our heart for just a moment as we relax the breath into our own natural pattern.
We imagine our heart starting to glow with all of the joy from this afternoon,
The fresh air,
The beautiful meadow,
The flowers,
The clouds,
The bees,
The birds,
The fruits.
All of these gifts from nature,
Nourishing us,
Making our hearts glow and fill with joy,
Focusing on our breath again,
We feel the joy spreading from our hearts throughout our whole body and limbs.
With each breath in and out,
We feel nourished and full of radiant joy.
We think of loved ones and times that we have laughed out loud with happiness.
Breathing in new life force and feeling it spread throughout our hearts and bodies,
We are nourished.
As the daylight fades and the stars begin to decorate the sky,
Stay here in this moment for just a couple more breaths.
Remembering that you can come back to this garden.
You can come back to this joyful nourished place in your heart whenever you want to.
You can quietly reflect on your experience in the garden today as you begin to gently move your fingers and toes,
Starting to move around a little.
Have a little stretch if you like.
Just remember,
Focus on your breath.
You can always come back to this garden anytime you like.
Remember who you are in your heart,
Strong and rooted,
Supported and protected.
Remember this garden.
See you next time.
