Good morning everyone.
Welcome to this Monday's meditation on a lawn offered by the University of Virginia.
My name is Carrington Crenado-Epperson and I'm the Assistant Director of Contemplative Engagement with the Contemplative Sciences Center.
For this morning's guided meditation,
I will be leading you through a guided visualization to help us transition into the autumn season that is coming up this week.
So,
To get started,
I invite you to sit in a nice comfortable seated position and sitting upright but not too tight with the elbows,
Shoulders nice and relaxed and downward.
And you may place your hands in your lap however feels most comfortable for you.
When you are ready,
When you feel safe and comfortable,
You may close your eyes to settle in.
If that's not okay with you today,
You may keep your eyes open with a slight gaze towards the floor.
Take a deep breath in and slowly let it out.
Again,
Breathing in through the nose and breathing out through the mouth.
Last one,
Breathing in and breathing out.
Now returning to a comfortable,
Steady breath that is effortless.
We will begin our meditation.
I invite you to visualize yourself standing in a forest where you're going to walk together down the trail along the softened path.
So be walking step by step,
Still towing each step for those nowhere else for us to be but right here.
And we're thinking again a scene of all our senses.
First looking around and noticing the lush green of all the trees and the sunshine pouring through the leaves.
And then on the edges of the trail are lined with late summer wildflowers and maybe some mushrooms and we're stepping along the fertile soil and some moss.
Maybe you can hear even the birds chirping or deers vessels in the bushes.
We're simply walking in a forest.
We can feel the warmth on our lungs and the warmth of the air in our lungs.
Spelling the crispness maybe of flowers,
Of mountain moisters.
Maybe even touching some bark.
Maybe even tasting some wildflowers and blackberries.
And as we continue to walk,
We begin to notice the slight subtle differences as autumn starts to come over the forest.
The leaves go from green to yellow or orange or red.
As the path begins to look more open as the leaves fall off the bushes and off the flowers,
We begin to sprinkle the path that we're walking so gently on.
There are new smells in the air.
There's a coolness as well to the air that now fills our lungs that is invigorating.
You can hear different sounds.
More crunching of leaves and breaking of twigs from those small animals around.
And maybe even spotting an autumn olive tree to taste those berries.
Again,
There's nowhere else for you to be.
So we are not rushing down this path.
We're simply savoring nature that is fullest for how it loves to change.
We're taking a moment to embrace that,
To acknowledge it and really cherish that we are also in a season of change ourselves.
And seeing the beauty in nature's change as much as we strive to see the beauty in our own.
So let's continue to walk down this path and taking it all in,
Reflecting on the shift,
A subtle one,
But a shift indeed as we continue to walk down this path.
This path does not go on forever.
We do walk upon the cabin in the woods.
That is inviting for there is a fire roaring inside and it is warm and cozy.
It is safe and at the sound of the wind.
And you're able to sit in a chair right in front of the fire and embrace it all for what it is.
Enjoying the flickers of the flame,
The smell of the wood.
And in this moment you are able to really settle into some inner peace and know that this is representative of you ultimately.
That this cabin is your home,
Just like how your body is and that this fire is like your breath in your heart.
It is burning bright and strong and everlasting.
Keep this in mind as you move throughout your day that even if you may not have taken time to notice subtle changes outside or inside,
That they are happening,
That they are beautiful,
That they are necessary,
That you are able to walk gracefully down your own path,
Back home to yourself whenever you need to.
I invite you to place your left hand over your heart,
On your right hand over your belly.
And softly press into yourself so you can feel that heart beating and feel your belly breathing.
And take a deep breath into the nose and open outside all out.
And take your hands stretching across your body and wrap them around yourself and give yourself a great big hug.
Show yourself some love.
Now this is a hug I will give you if I was big.
I was very proud of you for waking up again on another Monday morning.
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Release.
When you are ready,
You may begin to softly open your eyes and welcome yourself back into the space.
Thank you so much for joining me this morning for this guided visualization.
I hope that you have a wonderful rest of your day and that you are able to enjoy all the other facilitators that we have lined up for the rest of this semester for meditation on the lawn.
Take care.
And again my name is Carrington and hopefully I will meet you soon one day.
Bye-bye now.
