Good morning,
Welcome to the morning bloom,
A meditation to open the day.
So in Zen the lotus flower is a reminder of something really profound.
It rises from the mud through the murky water and opens into its full beauty upon breaking the surface.
The mud never disappears,
The lotus doesn't wait for the perfect water or the perfect weather,
It just grows right there in the mess of life.
Our mornings are a bit like that,
So we wake from dreams and sometimes are heavy,
Sometimes light,
Sometimes not such a good sleep and the day ahead might already carry a list of worries or things to do,
But like the lotus you have the power to rise,
To open and to meet the world in full bloom and today's meditation is about awakening to that quiet strength.
It's about opening to the day as you are,
Not as you think you should be.
So as you're settling in just sit comfortably and just feel the weight of your body resting upon the ground,
Whether you're sat up on a seat or still lying in bed,
It really doesn't matter and just notice your breath as it comes and goes.
Just soft and natural,
You don't need to do anything with your breath,
Just allow your body to breathe.
Breathing in calm,
Breathing out relaxed and your body knows how to breathe,
You don't have to get involved and just feel your body slowly waking up.
And from your feet right up to the top of your head,
The quiet energy begins to move and you are here,
You're alive in this precious moment.
You don't have to do anything in this moment,
Maybe there's some stiffness in your body,
Maybe you can invite a soft stretch or just move your shoulders around just a little bit and whatever you do just gently do it,
Really mindfully.
Maybe open and close your hands,
Move your arms around just a little bit,
Move your head side to side a bit and let your breath expand your ribs and just feel your body slowly coming more alive and just feel the gratitude for your body and now just bring your awareness back to your breath,
You're not forcing yourself awake,
You're allowing life to flow back in and now just imagine if you could be a lotus,
A rose or a sunflower or if you're from Cornwall,
A wild Cornish bloom from the hedgerow,
Just pick whichever feels like you are today.
And see it resting in the soil,
Closed,
Waiting for the light and feel yourself as that flower,
You're rooted and you're grounded,
Resting in the earth,
Your roots go deep,
Taking in all the nourishment from every experience you've ever had.
Even the difficult moments you've had that have fed your strengths and now just slowly the light begins to change and the morning sun touches your petals,
You feel the warmth on your skin and something inside you begins to open and with each breath imagine unfolding as the petals open,
Another follows,
The air fills with your quiet radiance and you don't need to try,
It's all natural and this is your awakening this morning and you can whisper to yourself,
I open to this day with ease,
I bring light into what I do,
I grow exactly where I am,
You are the flower,
You are the stillness beneath all movement,
You don't compete with the other flowers,
You don't wait for approval,
You're just simply opening and growing and now see yourself standing in the morning world,
Maybe it's in your kitchen or your street or your workplace,
Nothing around you has changed but you have,
You are open,
You're calm,
You're wise and you're steady,
The world may rush by but you will not,
You will meet it with grace and the quiet beauty of being fully you,
And just feel your breath deepen once more,
Inhale the light,
Exhale the tension,
Inhale clarity,
Exhale doubt and as you breathe imagine the light of your flower reaching others,
Not to impress,
Not to outshine them,
But to remind them that they can open too,
A single flower can change the whole field,
Now take a final moment and just bow inward silently,
Thank the earth for holding you,
The light for touching you and the heart for opening again today and in a moment we're just going to bring ourselves back to this moment and I just want you to remember the foundations of who you are and just take lessons from a flower in a field or in a hedgerow,
It doesn't wait for permission,
It doesn't do anything other than just be a flower and today what would your day look like if you were just to be you,
To shine through the day with a deep gratitude for your foundations and where you've come from,
Just allow that to sink in for a moment,
What does that look like,
How does that feel,
And you just carry this quiet bloom into your day with the wisdom it holds,
With all your experiences and in a moment I'm going to count back from five,
So five,
Four,
Gently open your eyes if they were closed,
Three,
Shake out your arms,
Wiggle your fingers and toes,
And just as a closing thought,
The lotus never asked the water to be clear before it rises,
You don't need the world to be perfect before you shine,
Open where you are,
Bloom anyway,
Be that flower,
Thank you,
Have a wonderful day,
I'm Stephen Webb and I deeply appreciate your support,
You
