Hi,
Welcome!
My name is Annelies and I'm going to guide you through a practice of active imagination.
Before you begin,
Pause this recording and grab a glass of water.
We will be using it later in the practice.
Each of us possesses all of the four elements within our bodies.
Having them manifest too much or too little can bring challenges to our physical,
Mental and emotional health.
In this meditation,
Guided by your inner wisdom and imagination,
You will have the chance to assess how harmoniously the elements are manifesting within yourself.
All elements profoundly impact our lives and we can use them as symbols to better understand our inner experience and guide us as we cultivate harmony within.
Pay attention to the imagery that my words evoke within you and trust them to point you in the direction of what in you is needing your attention.
Find a comfortable seated position or if you prefer,
You can lay down as well.
Make sure that you are comfortable enough that your body won't be busy with wanting to move.
Find a position where you feel supported,
Stable and where you can keep your spine straight without losing comfort.
Bring your hands to your thighs,
Palms facing up and if you're lying down,
You can rest your arms and hands by your side or bring them to rest on your belly or one hand on your stomach and one on your chest.
Gently close your eyes.
Take a deep,
Slow breath in through the nose.
Notice your belly expanding,
The muscles relaxing.
And exhale slowly through the mouth,
Lengthening the out-breath.
Inhale slowly and deeply through the nose,
Relaxing the belly.
And exhale completely through the mouth.
And for the next cycle of breath,
Allow any sounds to be released with the out-breath through your mouth.
You are here.
You are in your body.
Notice your sit bones touching the chair or the cushion.
And if you're lying down,
Notice your body's contact with the floor.
And see if you can release as if your body were melting into the ground.
Notice the parts that are touching the floor.
And allow gravity to keep you grounded and stable.
As I guide you through this active imagination,
I invite you to release any preconceived ideas of what anything should look like.
As I offer you images and ask evocative questions,
I encourage you to trust whatever appears.
As you travel with the sound of my voice,
Continue to follow the breathing in your body.
And if at any point you find that you are distracted by thoughts,
Notice that and kindly choose to bring your attention back to the breathing and the sound of my voice.
This is a moment for you to explore,
To open up,
To play.
So release judgment.
There is no right or wrong way of being here.
You simply are.
Breathe in.
And as you breathe out,
Imagine that you are entering a forest.
This is a magical place where nothing needs to be the way it is in our everyday reality.
This is your magical space.
And here everything is possible.
Bring your imagination forward and trust what you see.
As you enter this forest,
You notice the earth beneath your feet.
How does that feel?
Is the earth wet or dry?
Is it warm or cold?
Is it solid and stable?
Or are your feet sinking in?
Notice the smell of the earth.
Notice its colors.
Notice the texture.
Is the ground smooth or rocky?
You're walking forward into the forest and you see an earth animal approaching.
What animal do you see?
This is your earth animal and it does not need to be one that lives on the ground necessarily.
So what do you see?
Is this animal female or male?
Is it big or small?
Is it slow or fast?
What are some of the qualities of this animal?
And what's your response to him or her?
Do you feel safe in their presence or do you feel fear?
Do you want to approach them or do you want to move away?
Go closer to your earth animal and see if you can look them in the eyes.
They have something to tell you.
What is it?
What are they saying?
Whatever they told you,
Keep their words in your heart.
Bow to them in gratitude for their wisdom and continue to walk deeper into the forest.
You notice a flickering light and as you approach it,
You encounter a fire pit.
Listen to the crackles of the fire as it burns.
Watch the movement of the flames.
You notice that a woman is dancing in front of the fire.
What does she look like?
Does she look friendly or intimidating?
You notice that she's moving sensually,
Circling her hips,
Enjoying her own body.
Watch her for a moment.
Is she human?
Is she a goddess?
A witch?
Do you feel compelled to join her or to walk away?
She makes a gesture with her hands inviting you closer and you walk towards her.
The closer you get,
The warmer you feel.
Your body is warm and your skin is glowing with the light of the fire.
You get even closer to the woman and start dancing with her.
How are you moving?
In what speed are you moving?
What shapes are you making?
How much space are you taking?
Do you feel free and loose or do you feel self-conscious and uptight?
However you're feeling,
Notice it as you continue dancing.
Look right at the fire and allow its energy to melt away any doubt,
Any judgment.
Watch the constant movement of the flames blowing old criticisms you make of yourself to the air.
Notice how your body feels,
Especially your womb.
Breathing that warmth,
Welcoming vitality,
Strength and creative energy into your body.
Turn to the woman dancing with you and hug her.
How does it feel to touch her?
Listen as she whispers something in your ear.
What is she saying?
Keep that close to your heart and thank her for her wisdom and for her joy and continue to walk deeper into the forest.
You find a body of water.
What type of body of water that is?
Is it a lake,
A river,
A waterfall,
Maybe an ocean or even a swimming pool?
In what shape is water appearing to you?
In what color?
Is it fresh or salty?
Is it still or running water?
Can you hear the sound of it?
As you contemplate the water,
You feel called to go inside.
Do you want to get into the water?
Notice your response and even if you feel like avoiding getting wet,
Make your way into the water now.
Once you are inside,
Watch yourself.
Are you wearing clothes or not?
Do you feel safe and contained or do you feel apprehensive,
Maybe a sensation of flooding?
Do you want to swim,
Play,
Float?
Stay in there for a moment,
Allowing the water to wash away any toxins,
Emotional,
Mental and organic toxins.
Feel the sense of renewal,
Rejuvenation.
Let this water cleanse you and notice how your body is interacting with this element.
Does it feel expensive or contracting,
At ease or tense?
When you leave the water,
Stand there for a moment.
Notice the air touching your skin.
Notice if there is a breeze.
And as the wind starts to blow,
Feel it against your skin.
Watch as the air drives the water from your body.
Hear the sound of the leaves blowing in the wind.
You smell the bark of the trees.
Allow the air to take away whatever does not belong here.
See these elements leaving your body and blowing with the wind.
What is leaving your body right now?
Notice how that feels.
Breathing deeply,
Feeling the air entering your body,
Feeling your body energized by it.
And breathe out slowly,
Feeling your body emptying completely.
If the wind could take you away,
Would you want to go with it?
Or would you like to stay?
Where would you want it to take you?
Or why would you want to stay right where you are?
And as the wind blows stronger and stronger,
You continue to walk,
Looking for shelter,
For a place to rest.
You see a big,
Glorious tree,
And as you approach it,
You notice a crack in the trunk.
You touch this crack,
And the trunk opens like a portal.
Enter it.
Enter this safe space,
This perfect shelter.
And once you are inside,
You start noticing that the limits between you and the tree are becoming less solid.
This tree is large enough for you to stand tall in it.
You bring your attention to your feet,
And you notice that they are connecting with the earth.
The roots of the tree are now your own roots.
Notice how grounded and supported you are.
Notice how stable you are.
Feel the earth touching our roots and welcoming you,
All the nourishment from Mother Nature.
Let the wind touch your body.
Notice how gently or how harshly it is blowing.
You are healthy and supported,
So you remain stable no matter how hard the wind blows.
You enjoy it.
You allow it to take away anything that does not belong with you.
And you are now one with nature,
Connected with the feminine beneath it all.
Notice how it feels to be integrated with the life-giving earth.
And bringing your attention to your heart space,
Breathing slowly and deeply,
Feeling the heart expanding.
And breathe out completely,
Grounding even more.
Breathing deeply,
Invoking the energy from this magical forest,
From the roots of the tree at your feet,
Up through your legs,
Passing through your sacral,
Your navel,
Your heart,
Your throat,
All the way up to the crown of your head,
And breathing out the potential to grow,
To flourish,
To create.
Again,
Breathing in this energy,
Pausing at the top and bringing a glass of water to mind.
And breathing out with the intention to pour all of that goodness into the water.
And do that for a few more cycles of breath at your own pace.
Breathing in compassion from the earth,
Empathetic joy from the fire,
Loving kindness from the air,
And the quanimity from the water,
And breathing out all of that goodness into your glass of water,
Allowing all imagery to fade away,
Bringing your attention to your physical body right here,
Right now,
Noticing the breath,
Noticing sensations and feelings that are present,
Noticing the flow of energy in your body,
And noticing your physical state and your emotional state,
And finally your mental state,
Gently bringing movement back to your fingers and toes,
And slowly,
Softly,
Whenever you're ready,
Opening your eyes,
Allowing the images to gradually become clearer,
Taking in your space,
Noticing yourself in the room,
Seeing your body taking up space,
And when you're ready,
Grab your glass of water and take a sip or drink it all to absorb all of the goodness that you have just put into it.
And I highly recommend that you take a moment to write down any images,
Symbols,
Thoughts,
Feelings,
And emotions that may have come up for you.
Perhaps you write a poem or a little story.
Simply let the words express your experience without judging them and without controlling the process.
Thank you for practicing with me,
And as you continue to move through your day,
May you have peace in your thoughts,
Peace in your words,
Peace in your heart,
And peace in your actions.
Ciao.
