Welcome everybody to this guided meditation.
My name is Rachel and today we're going to be using the visualization of nature,
In particular a lake,
To create a sense of calm and groundedness within us when we are feeling perhaps flighty and tense.
This is your safe space to be so I encourage you to find a safe place somewhere you can unwind and be present for our time together.
Even if you can't be outside right now,
Next to a physical lake,
Just bringing this lake into your imagination is enough to settle and create safety in the body.
Allowing yourself to be sat upright on a cushion or meditation chair or stool,
Let your spine have a sense of verticality within it.
Just allow your shoulders to drop,
Perhaps reaching the shoulders up towards the ears and drawing them down the back line of the body and closing your eyes or finding a soft point of focus and gaze if that feels safe.
Taking a deep breath in through your nose and a long exhale through your mouth.
Again in through your nose and a long exhale through your mouth,
Signalling safety and softening.
And just begin to connect with your breath for a few moments,
That natural rise and fall.
Imagine yourself walking along a soft path,
The air is fresh and clear and beneath your feet you feel the earth.
You have bare feet walking on the earth,
You notice the earth beneath your feet and its texture.
And as you gaze ahead you notice a lake in the distance,
Its surface is smooth and calm and inviting.
The lake is clear as the sky above is blue.
Just taking a moment to notice all the colours and witness the wonders of nature.
Drinking in all that nature is showing you.
Maybe the greens of fern trees,
The blues of the lake or the sky.
Notice the sunlight dancing in the water and notice the small ripples on the surface of the lake.
As you keep walking towards the lake you approach the shore.
You feel the connection between your body and the ground.
Each step is steady as you walk further towards the shore.
Each breath invites your system to relax.
As you approach the shore just noticing the beauty of this lake.
Bringing your attention to your senses,
You notice the water rippling,
The undercurrents,
Teeming.
And the surface of the lake is not as still as it seems.
Notice the reflection of the trees or the clouds and the soft horizon in the distance.
Maybe you start to hear the sounds of the water,
Bubbling movement,
Water coming in from a stream,
The birds in the trees and the rustle of the leaves in the wind.
Noticing that there is life everywhere,
Doing its own thing and its own time,
To its own rhythm.
Begin to feel the cool breeze on your skin or the warmth of the sunlight.
Again noticing your feet rooting into the earth and your body being supported.
You might smell the fresh scent of water or a distant scent that is unfamiliar.
Just let all fill your lungs.
If you could imagine the air tasting of something,
Let it feel cool and refreshing and nourishing.
Allow all of your senses to be nourishing you,
Softening you and bringing you back to yourself and the connection that you have with the outside world.
Noticing how everything works here in harmony.
Nature is busy doing,
But there is no rush or urgency.
It has its own pace.
And knowing that this is attainable for you as well.
And just now imagine yourself gently stepping a little closer to the water.
The lake mirrors the sky,
Calm and steady,
And you see soft ripples forming and dissolving.
Natural,
Effortless movement.
Imagine placing your hands on the water's surface.
What is the sensation you feel?
Visualize yourself bending down and noticing your reflection in the lake.
Noticing how your face is calm and steady,
Reflected back at you.
This lake is not demanding anything from you.
It is showing you in your purest essence,
In your most calmest form.
And with each inhale imagine drinking in the calmness of this lake.
And exhale releasing the tension or overwhelm into the water,
Into the ground.
And now you sit quietly by the lake's edge,
Still feeling the warmth of the sunlight on your hands and on your forehead.
Still noticing the sounds.
And you notice how your body feels.
Now it's slowed down and softened.
Now it's connected to something greater than yourself.
And just know that nature has profound healing qualities.
And if it's not possible to go outside,
You can bring the outside within.
In your own time just gently opening up your eyes,
Reconnecting with the physical world.
And knowing that you can come back to this practice easily,
Every day,
To connect with nature.
I encourage you to do this practice time and time again.
Because consistency builds habits and then those habits build lasting change.
If you haven't joined my course already,
Please check out my course.
Where you can find more support and more help and more practices like this.
I wish you a beautiful day.
Thank you so much for practicing with all my love.
Rachel
