Dear friends,
There are days and times when we can feel a certain anxiety or fear.
This might be some worry concerning ourselves,
Those we love,
Our community.
The anxiety might come about for a number of reasons,
And very often because of the many differences that are used by the unwise to separate us one from another.
But remember,
We are here.
Whoever we are,
We have the right to be here,
Simply by reason of the gift that has been given to us,
The magical,
Wonderful,
Inexplicable gift of existence.
So take heart.
Any difference which you may feel,
Any sense of difference which others try to impose upon you,
If there is such a difference at all,
And all of us are different in some way,
This is a reason for celebration and joy.
And so as you come to the end of this day,
Here is a meditation designed to bring you to a place of comfort,
A place of rest and renewal,
A place where you are reminded that you belong,
That you are loved.
This night time meditation will run beyond your time of sleep.
The good news is that I will not be talking to you all night.
The music which accompanies this meditation will continue right through the night and into the morning.
It will greet you as you wake up to the gift of another new day.
This meditation is designed to be listened to as you settle into the comfort of your bed.
So let us begin.
Close your eyes.
Relax.
Take in a number of deep breaths.
And each time as you breathe out,
Try to let go of any feelings of unease.
Breathing in,
I breathe in the air that is the common support of all of humanity.
Breathing out,
I give thanks.
Breathing in,
Refreshing support.
Breathing out,
I let go of what needs to be let go.
Let's continue this breathing relaxation exercise for just one minute,
60 seconds of calm.
You may have found it difficult at times to get to sleep at night.
Sometimes the fears and worries of the day,
The experiences of the day,
The idea of being watched or judged or not accepted,
These are hard to shake off.
But now is an opportunity to let these feelings go.
Let them go as day gives way once again to the calm of night.
Now this is not to suggest that you lay down your guard.
Concerns and fears are an old built-in message reminding us that we need to take care of ourselves.
But these are messages of the day.
They belong in the day.
Bedtime is an opportunity to leave these worries to themselves so that you can arise refreshed,
Ready to meet any challenges that the new day may bring.
Tonight you are not being asked to be brave.
You are not asked to explain yourself or to forgive the unforgivable.
You are just invited to be here,
To receive this welcome and to be reminded that you are loved just as you are.
So again,
A reminder to relax and to allow the concerns of the day to loosen any grip that they might have.
Realise,
Maybe for the first time in a little while,
That it is okay to relax.
Relax and come to a place of refreshment and rest.
Allow each in-breath to remind you once again that you have a right to be here.
And let each out-breath be a celebration of your uniqueness.
So may you be well,
Whoever you are and wherever you are.
May you be well.
May you be well regardless of your background.
May you be well regardless of your nationality or your ethnicity.
May you be well regardless of your skin colour.
May you be well.
May you be well regardless of your gender or your gender identity.
May you be well regardless of who you love.
May you be well.
Love is our greatest gift and our greatest need.
Love is our constant calling.
Love celebrates all our differences.
Love is the hope of the world.
If you happen to be still awake at this point,
You might place a hand over your heart and say to yourself,
Right here and right now,
All is well.
Right here and right now,
I accept the gift of relaxation.
Right here and right now,
I remind myself that I belong.
Life has chosen me.
I am here in my uniqueness,
As a result of an unbroken series of events going back to the beginning of time itself.
So again,
May you be well.
May you feel safe in this moment.
May you feel the protection of the night.
May you know that you belong.
Remind yourself you are not a mistake and may you awake refreshed,
Ready to enter the new day.
And now a prayer or affirmation that you can make your own.
Love is the star which guides you,
So fear not.
Love allows you to rest in stillness.
Love restores your soul.
If you should pass through times of difficulty,
Do not fear,
Because love surrounds you.
Let all the love you have ever received comfort you.
Let it provide a safe path before you,
A light to guide your way.
Know that day by day,
Even though unseen,
You are blessed by a love beyond all our understanding.
Surely love which has accompanied you this far shall surround and support you always.
Forever and ever,
May you and all those you care for be safe in the arms of love.
Namaste.
