Welcome to your daily meditation.
Start off by sitting comfortably,
Allowing your spine to be nice and tall.
Stack your head on top of the neck and relax the shoulders,
Especially if they're tense.
Allow your hands to rest on the tops of your thighs,
In your lap,
Or onto your abdomen to connect with baby.
Feel the weight of your hands.
Close your eyes,
Or perhaps lower your eyelids,
Softening the gaze.
Bring your attention to your breath,
Inhaling through the nose,
Feeling the abdomen expand,
And then exhale,
Just letting the air naturally escape.
Observe the breaths coming in and exiting.
When you find your mind wandering,
Bring your attention back to the breath.
Perhaps by paying attention to the quality of the breath,
Its movement coming in and exiting.
This particular meditation today is focused on the element water.
Water has many symbolic representations and characteristics.
The ability to cleanse and nourish,
Just like the rain as it glides along leaves,
Petals,
Rocks,
Or absorbs into the soil,
Roots of plants,
Or our skin.
In large quantities,
Water has the ability to change the form of the earth.
And like other liquids,
Water is adaptable.
It takes the shape of whatever holds or carries it.
Water is everywhere,
And water is life.
There are so many reminders of our connection to and of the importance of this element.
For example,
Our veins,
Arteries,
And capillaries are like natural,
Free-flowing waters too.
As you take breaths in and out,
I invite you to now visualize your own body,
These red and blue ribbons of all sizes and lengths running from head to toe.
The blood vessels within our own bodies are just as complicated and intricate as flowing streams and rivers.
These tubes,
They carry and exchange parcels of nutrients and chemicals into the bloodstream to nourish or remove waste from the body.
And in the case of pregnancy,
Your body exchanges nutrients and waste through the placenta,
A unique vascular organ made up of your cells and babies.
During pregnancy,
The womb,
Otherwise known as the uterus,
Holds the amniotic sac,
Which is filled with amniotic fluid.
This fluid surrounding the growing fetus is mostly made up of water,
But also contains nutrients and electrolytes.
Amniotic fluid cushions the fetus,
Supports its growth,
And provides protection.
Mothers are described as vital carriers of water.
The woman's role as a life giver is recognized by the Anishinaabek indigenous peoples.
Women are viewed as caretakers of water.
And they may also be able to carry life through water.
I welcome you now,
If you haven't already,
To place your hands onto your abdomen,
Allowing your breath to bring about expansion on the inhale and release or relaxation on each and every exhale.
Acknowledge your role as a carrier of life in this experience here and now.
An opportunity to acknowledge your connection to water,
The water that supports life all around us.
Staying here in this moment,
Recognizing the importance and value of water,
This element that moves through and around us,
As well as in generations to come.
And when you're ready,
You can slowly open the eyes on your next exhale.
Going about the rest of your day with this fresh perspective and deep rooted connection with Mother Earth.
Peace.
