Come into a position where you feel both comfortable and alert.
You can be lying down,
Propped up on pillows,
Sitting upright,
Or you could even have your legs up the wall in an inversion.
Try not to get caught up in what you think a meditation pose should look like,
But allow your body to lead you into the right shape.
As you settle in,
Close your eyes or soften your gaze,
Beginning to take this journey inward.
Start with taking a few deep,
Slow breaths in through the nose and out through the nose.
Perhaps you notice your body relaxing a little bit more every time you exhale.
Imagine walking through a dense forest.
You are on a well-worn path.
The sunlight filters through the leaves of the trees and you are enjoying being out in nature.
As you walk,
You hear the relaxing sounds of water.
As you continue walking,
The density of the trees thins out and you come to a gentle stream flowing in front of you.
The water is crystal clear and you begin to walk along the shore of this stream,
Allowing its sounds to relax you.
The stream empties into a still pond that seems to be inviting you in.
You decide to slip off your shoes and socks and enter the river.
You don't swim,
But you lean back and allow your body to simply float.
You gaze up into the sky above the pond and you notice a cloudless blue sky,
The occasional bird flying overhead.
There is nothing more to do here but to breathe deeply and embrace the stillness of the pond.
Allowing this visualization to fade into the background,
Let's go deeper by considering the archetype,
The medallion.
The passing on of sacred objects is an ancient ritual with families,
Between lovers or friends,
And it can be witnessed in cultures around the world.
We gift jewels,
Treasures,
Keepsakes,
And memories of all kinds,
Some which hold great material value,
Some of which hold great emotional value,
And others have both.
Yet,
When these gifts are given to us,
It's important to recognize that they may bind us to an unspoken agreement or promise.
Are you aware of how the objects you hold dear may be embedded with unconscious energy or expectations?
Begin to turn your focus inward and ask yourself,
Is there an object I'm holding onto that is ready to release?
Sit with this question without trying to analyze or think,
Just paying attention to anything that comes up.
Is there an object that I'm holding onto that is ready to release?
Even though our deep listening question was inspired by an archetype,
You don't need to believe in archetypes for the question to be valid.
The point of this exercise is to practice listening to your inner wisdom,
And as you practice you might get a sense or a feeling of a message or an answer,
Or you might have a knowing of the answer.
You may not have gotten anything at all in this moment and something could come up later.
Whatever you experienced is fine,
There's no wrong experience here.
Take the next few breaths just to process anything that might have arisen for you.
Listen to the following affirmation allowing it to resonate deep within.
I let go of what no longer aligns with my highest good.
I let go of what no longer aligns with my highest good.
As we reach the end of today's practice,
Bring your palms together at heart center,
Slightly bowing your head,
And take a moment to reflect on your experience.
Did you connect with your inner wisdom?
Did you practice listening and being open?
Allowing this experience and any insights that you have gained to stay with you,
Bring your awareness back to your physical surroundings.
Take your time and when you are ready,
Open your eyes and allow your body any movement that it needs.
