Hi,
I'm Sammy from Temple Yoga Perth.
Welcome to your space.
This meditation is your chance to pause,
Breathe and care for yourself.
My hope through our time is that you can unwind,
Release what's not serving you and connect to your higher self,
Bringing your mind,
Body,
Heart and spirit back into alignment.
Wherever you are,
Try to tune inward.
So if you are out for a walk,
Just enjoy the sun,
The breeze,
The steps,
But be aware of your breath and tuning in.
If you're able to have space for yourself and you can close your eyes and it feels good,
Please do that,
Just to really give your attention to yourself to be present here and now.
Just be aware of any resistance and tension in your face and start to consciously let go.
So with every inhale now you are aware of the ease and the lightness filling your body and with every exhale,
You're aware of that furrowed eyebrow softening.
Maybe any tension in your jaw,
Being able to be released now.
Following that inhale through your nose,
Inviting that ease and calm through that inhale all the way through the chamber of your throat,
Your chest and into your belly.
You're inviting that soothing inhale to fill your abdomen with a full conscious breath.
And as you exhale,
You're letting go with ease,
Allowing your system to return to that calm center.
We are going to open this meditation with a visualization.
Just feeling your body grounded and connected with the earth,
Aware of any part being supported and held by the ground.
Now you're imagining roots extending from your body into the ground,
Growing slowly with depth,
Anchoring and stabilizing.
As you feel connected to the earth,
You feel secure and stable.
Let's continue to take those soothing deep breaths in.
You're visualizing yourself outside in nature.
You're surrounded by lush green grass.
The sun is shining on you.
You can feel the warmth on your face,
Blowing all around your shoulders.
You're aware of the sun rays bouncing off of those blades of grass.
The environment around you is bursting with life.
It is green,
It is lush,
It is growing.
You now picture a majestic tree in front of you.
This tree has roots that stretch deep into the earth and its branches are reaching long into the blue sky.
This tree is roughly as old as you are,
And from its trunk you notice a branch which has been sawn in half.
You approach this area of the tree and see the sun and the warmth still surrounding it,
But you can see now the growth rings of that tree exposed.
Each ring is a year of growth and each ring is a story of its life.
Each story a year and each year a new and different level.
Some rings are wide and they show years of abundance.
Some are slight and slim and narrow,
Representing harder years,
Slower progress.
Each layer is a new experience,
A new lesson,
New wisdom.
Each ring regardless of its size is essential for its overall strength and resilience.
This is like your growth,
Like this majestic tree.
There are seasons,
Wide rings with abundant years,
Narrow rings where you've weathered hardship.
Maybe you can see some seams of gold running through.
Every ring is part of your growth.
Now you reflect on all of these rings making up the trunk of your life and where you feel possible express gratitude for the rich variety of growth for all of the rings because they have made you who you are.
Each ring not more valuable than the last,
They are all valuable regardless of their size and they are all essential for your overall strength and resilience.
As you reflect on this majestic tree bring a smile to your face,
See the width and depth and breadth of its trunk and branches,
The seasons that it's endured and know that there is more growth to come.
A poem by Morgan Harper Nichols.
Let this be the year you do difficult things that you've never done before.
Let this be the year you start finding joy in new places.
The courage to stand up again and the belief that there is more for you.
I will offer an affirmation,
You can choose to let the words wash over you or repeat them in your mind.
I honour my growth in all of its forms.
I am strong,
Resilient and ever evolving.
I welcome new experiences.
Growth is not always easy but it is always worth it.
Now reflecting on this beautiful naturescape filled with growth,
Take a deep breath in and sigh out through your mouth,
Letting it go.
Taking one more physiological sigh,
Breathing in a deep breath,
Releasing and as you leave remember that growth can be uncomfortable because you have never been there before.
I wish you all the bravery,
All of the hope and the resilience as you continue to grow.