This guided meditation helps you practice being in a standing posture while you meditate,
But it can also be done from a seated position.
So let's work on opening and strengthening your connection to your heart.
Standing upright or sitting upright.
Feel your spine lengthen without straining.
Feet are parallel.
Soften your knees.
Imagine a string coming up out of the ground from between your feet,
Running along your spine and up through the middle of your head and out through the crown of your head up into the sky.
This will help your body stay upright and relaxed.
Arms are relaxed by your side,
Jaw and face soften and relax.
Lips are gently parted.
The tip of your tongue gently touches the roof of your mouth.
Now notice your breathing.
Feel the breath coming in through your nose and out through your nose.
Relax and take a few mindful breaths.
If you're comfortable and you can maintain it,
Gently close your eyes.
Now bring your attention down to your feet and feel your feet touching the floor,
The ground,
Wherever you are.
In your mind's eye,
Find the middle of your right foot on the bottom.
Now find the middle of your left foot on the bottom.
Hold your attention there on the bottom of your feet for a few breaths.
If you'd like,
You can imagine roots coming out of the bottom of your feet,
Going down through the ground and down into the earth.
Sense into whether you can feel a connection with your feet and the earth.
Now feel your weight distributed equally between your feet.
And now let your attention draw up into your calves.
And now your attention comes up into your knees.
Notice your right knee and your left knee.
Feel your weight equally distributed between left and right knee.
And now bring your attention up into your thighs and up into your hips.
Imagine that from the hips downward,
You're the trunk of a tree,
A strong,
Sturdy tree with roots going down into the ground,
Into the earth.
The roots are allowing you to be upright and the lower half of your body is a trunk keeping you grounded and steady.
Feel yourself centered and grounded right where you are right now.
And now bring your attention up into your heart.
Imagine yourself breathing from your heart space,
Feeling the breath coming in and coming out from heart space.
Take three mindful breaths and imagine them coming from your heart.
In your mind's eye is a rose.
See a rose in the center of your heart space.
And bring to mind whatever color that rose is that would make you feel pleased.
And now in your mind's eye,
Bring a rose into mind and let that rose be centered in your heart space.
The rose can be any color that you like.
See it,
Feel it as that rose in full bloom in your heart.
Notice the beauty of the rose,
The many layers.
Feel it awakening and enlivening your heart with its beauty and its energy.
If you were touching the rose,
You could feel the softness,
The tenderness of the petals.
If you could smell it,
You could smell its sweet fragrance.
Now imagine the rose growing and expanding,
Blooming even more fully,
Filling the entire upper part of your body with its color,
Its beauty,
Its scent.
The softness of the petals,
The color filling your upper body into your arms,
Up into your face,
Down into your waist,
Up into your ears and up into your scalp.
Hold that image in your mind's eye.
See the upper part of your body filled with beauty and color.
All of this lovely rose blossoming from your heart,
Filling and infusing your whole being with beauty and love.
Breathe into the rose while it's blossoming,
Enliven and enrich your whole being.
As you take your next few breaths,
In your mind's eye,
Let the rose slowly relax and contract back into your heart space,
Its beauty,
Its tranquility centered in your heart once more.
Let your attention draw downward back into your hips and lower body.
Feel the sturdiness in your trunk.
Let your body slowly begin to sway just a little.
Let it move gently from side to side as your feet stay safely planted on the ground.
Letting those roots down into the earth,
Keeping you sturdy,
Grounded,
Centered.
If you'd like,
You can let the upper part of your body sway as well.
Let your self relax into this gentle movement.
All the while,
You can still feel and see the rose in your heart.
A full bloom in your heart space.
Let yourself reconnect with your breath intentionally.
Feel your breath coming in and going out relaxed and deep.
And when you feel ready,
Open your eyes,
Wiggle fingers and toes,
And see how long you can keep the sensation that you've cultivated right now.
Bring your mind and your attention back into your heart space throughout the day,
Reminding yourself of the rose right there in your heart,
Keeping you alive,
Awake,
And heart-centered.
