Welcome to this guided meditation practice on finding refuge.
In this practice,
We're going to explore finding refuge and sanctuary through the breath,
Through the body,
And through mental imagery.
So to begin the practice,
I invite you to find a comfortable posture,
Seated or lying down,
Allowing the body to come into a space that's both awake and alert,
Relaxed and at ease.
Closing the eyes if that feels comfortable,
Otherwise just softening the gaze and looking a few feet in front of you.
Coming into this new moment,
Bringing the mind and the body together.
This is a moment that we've never had before,
We'll never have again.
It's a moment worthy of our attention.
We might begin by taking a few slow,
Deep breaths,
Breathing in through the nose,
Breathing out a nice,
Slow,
Prolonged exhale.
For the next couple of breaths,
Experiment with completely letting go on the exhale.
So letting the exhale release through the body without any need to control or slow it down,
Allowing the breath now to return to its natural rhythm.
As we bring mindful attention to the breath,
Mindfulness is an intentional attention that's rooted in the here and now.
It's also free of judgment.
There's an element of curiosity and openheartedness when we practice mindfulness.
We might explore bringing mindfulness to this next breath,
Noticing where in the body we feel the breath as we breathe in and we breathe out,
Seeing if we can feel the breath from the beginning of the inhale to the end of the inhale,
Beginning of the exhale to the end of the exhale.
We follow the feeling of the breath.
We might feel it the strongest in the nose or the throat.
Maybe it's in the rise and fall of the chest or the belly.
Wherever we feel it the strongest,
Seeing if we can follow that felt sense throughout the duration of the breath.
And if we notice the mind is kicking up thoughts,
This is a perfect opportunity to notice and return.
In any moment we can begin again feeling this next breath.
Sometimes it's helpful to give the mind a little something to do as we feel the breath.
So we might have the mind gently whisper,
Breathing in as we breathe in,
Breathing out as we breathe out.
Breathing in,
We feel the inhale.
Breathing out,
We feel the exhale.
And if it's difficult to access the felt sense of the breath,
We might experiment with placing a hand on the belly or the chest as we feel the rise and fall with each breath.
Sometimes that can allow us to connect with the feeling a little more fully.
The breath can serve as a portal back to the present moment,
Can serve as a refuge to recenter us.
One breath at a time,
That's all we have to do here.
And we'll gently shift into exploration of mindfulness of the body.
And seeing if we can connect with any sense of refuge in the body.
As we drop our attention to the feet,
Up into the legs,
We notice sensations just as they are.
Noticing the hips and the pelvic floor and to the lower belly and lower back.
Bringing a kind curiosity to sensations in the belly,
Up into the chest,
The heart.
You might notice sensations through the back and the spine.
Whatever we're feeling,
This belongs.
Bringing mindful attention to the fingers,
Hands and arms,
Up through the shoulders,
The throat,
The neck.
Noticing sensations in the face and the head.
And as we scan the body in this mindful and gentle way,
Is there any part of the body that we notice that feels safe in this moment?
It might feel pleasant or it might just be more neutral,
That it's just okay.
Is there any part of our body that we connect with that feels okay or pleasant in this moment?
Becoming curious about what that feels like.
What does it feel like to have a sense of okayness,
Even if it's in a very small part of the body?
For the next minute or two,
Can we rest our attention there?
A sense of being okay in the body.
What does it feel like to have a sense of refuge in the body?
Very gently shift our attention now to the mind as we intentionally explore a mental refuge through visualization and imagery.
We can get as creative as we want here.
We'll begin by exploring a place in the mind's eye that feels restorative,
That feels safe.
It could be a place we've been in this lifetime.
It could be somewhere in the world that we want to go.
It doesn't even have to be on the earth.
We can explore mentally transporting ourselves to this place of sanctuary,
Placing ourselves in the middle of this safety,
Of this refuge.
We can invite in whatever we feel is needed for optimal support and safety.
We might begin by inviting in our favorite smells.
Favorite smells.
We might explore our favorite sounds.
Or maybe we want silence.
We get to choose.
Any sounds that feel supportive,
That bring comfort.
Could be a favorite song.
Could be a sound in nature.
Any sounds that feel supportive in this moment.
May they be present.
We can create the perfect temperature.
Whatever temperature allows us to feel comfortable and at ease.
We can also invite in any colors.
Whatever we wish to see visually,
We can invite that into this space of refuge.
It may be that we wish to be alone in this space.
We can also have the option of inviting in support networks.
Could be loved ones,
Family,
Friends,
Pets,
Spiritual figures,
Spirit animals.
We can surround ourselves with whomever and whatever we need right now.
It's also an opportunity to let go of anything that may be weighing us down.
Any emotional burdens,
Physical burdens,
Mental burdens.
Just for a few moments,
We can set them down.
We don't have to carry them all by ourselves.
The sanctuary can hold space for them.
We can give ourselves a break.
You might imagine that any fears or anxieties,
Discomforts,
Can simply drop away from us for a moment.
Be held in this space in whatever way they need.
We can invite in whatever energies we need.
Any feelings that we're hoping to feel.
Safety,
Health,
Balance,
Peace,
Joy.
All these things that we're seeking,
That we desire,
We can invite them into this mental sanctuary.
I offer the invitation to just rest here for a couple of minutes.
Being held in the space of safety,
Of ease,
Of comfort.
Begin to let this mental imagery go for the moment,
Knowing that we can return to it in any moment that we need.
Return to this breath,
Noticing what it feels like to breathe into this body.
Inhaling and exhaling one breath at a time.
As we close the meditation,
We can open to these words from Mary Oliver.
Wild geese,
You do not have to be good.
Do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
Tell me about despair,
Yours,
And I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile,
The world goes on.
Meanwhile,
The sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes,
Over the prairies and the deep trees,
The mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile,
The wild geese high in the clean blue air are heading home again.
Whoever you are,
No matter how lonely,
The world offers itself to your imagination.
Calls to you like the wild geese,
Harsh and exciting,
Over and over announcing your place in the family of things.
You might rest here in silence for just a few more moments.
Whenever you're ready,
You can open your eyes if your eyes were closed.
Thank you so much for meditating together.
I hope this meditation serves you in many ways,
Remembering that in any moment,
You can return to the refuge of the breath,
A sense of refuge in the body,
Or moving into the mind space,
Resting in a mental sanctuary.
Many blessings to you.
