Sometimes,
Our minds can get pretty crowded.
There's a million things we have to do,
A thousand assignments we have to complete,
Four places we have to be at once.
Productivity can take kind of an unproductive turn sometimes,
And make us dread our obligations or responsibilities.
I'm here to say that that doesn't have to be the case.
In this meditation,
We'll use some guided imagery,
Sounds,
Realizations or insights,
And breathing to help us out of the rut of productivity.
I want to start by affirming that there's nothing else you have to do right now,
Nothing pending or urgently vying for your attention.
You're allowed to be here in the moment.
Give yourself permission to relax and take this time to slow down,
Get reacquainted with you and what you need.
It's a hot summer day,
But there's a bench painted with a kind of muted brownish reddish color that offers you some comfort in the shade.
You sit down on this bench and hear distant noises,
Kids playing,
Trees moving in the wind,
The occasional bird and especially welcome breezes that come and go as they please.
The sun's magnificent yellow ochre shine graces your eyes,
As does the vibrant,
Flowing green of the grass that your feet sit on.
You look around and bask in the moment,
Fully here,
Relaxed in the present.
I want to remind you that no matter where you are,
Where you think you are in life,
Or where you want to be,
You are enough in every sense of the word.
You do enough.
You are productive enough.
You are kind enough.
You are lovable enough.
You are spiritual enough.
You are connected enough.
You're fully enough.
As you sit on this bench on this hot summer day,
Right here,
And right now.
Take a deep breath in,
Breathe in that summer air,
And notice a feeling of relief as you breathe out.
A refreshing feeling.
It washes over you.
Maybe it's like a sip of cold water after a day out in the sun.
More accurately,
This time that we spend with ourselves is like water for the soul.
Because as we're constantly striving for productivity,
We become dehydrated and desperately thirsty.
And some try to relieve this thirst through achievement and goals and going out and getting it done.
But as you sit on this bench in the shade,
Your mind clears.
It is a reservoir of peace,
Humility,
Clearness,
And stillness.
A lot of us are refusing to sit down on our own benches.
And so for a moment,
I want you to join me in breathing on this hot summer day.
In and out.
In and out.
And as you breathe,
Notice the quality of the air entering your nostrils,
Leaving through your mouth.
It starts to cool and exits a little warmer.
And by engaging with the cooling property of our breath,
We're able to heal from burnout,
From hyperactivity,
Hyper-focused.
And we're better able to ground ourselves,
Breathe,
And enjoy the present moment.
Summer is usually a time for heat,
A lot of activity,
But the true essence of a vacation is being able to come home to ourselves,
Protect ourselves,
Nurture ourselves,
And enjoy whatever comes our way.
Thank you for taking this journey with me,
And I hope to see you again soon.
