Picture: Sunset, Deer, and River by Albert Bierstadt
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The Gift
From 5 to 15 minutes
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Take a slow, deep breath. In – and out.
Follow my words,
And let your imagination paint the landscape of this meditation.
Two green mountains lie on the horizon. The sky is pink and red; the sun is slowly coming up. This scenery fills you with relaxing energy. This energy is a cloud of sparks, flowing through your body, healing each part of it. It begins by crossing your left leg, starting from the foot, going up to the pelvis, and down to the right foot. Then it goes back up to your belly, and it travels through your spine. When it reaches your heart, the energy expands, and you feel happy without any particular reason. Thus, you learn, why not, that this could be your natural state. A sphere of energy spins in all directions in your heart center. Two tentacles of playful light flow from your heart to the shoulders, elbows, and hands. You feel rejuvenated. It’s a glorious feeling. Your neck dissolves like ether; your neck is in a state of deep relaxation. Your face is soothed by the sun, rising slowly above the mountains. Your head feels light and tranquil. No thoughts. Only perceptions. In a state of pure inner peace, you turn your back to the sun. A young deer approaches you confidently. You open your hand to receive something. You intuitively know. The deer opens its mouth, and a tiny ball of golden energy surrounded by circling sparks floats in the air towards you. You can play with and manipulate this globe. It feels so good, and childlike happiness fills your body. You chose to eat the little sphere. You close your eyes for a second – the wild messenger has already disappeared. In front of you, the gate of a beautiful forest welcomes you. You step in, carefree. The perfume of the woods, so earthy and fresh, makes you feel at home. You’re in the middle of a lush forest, and it’s the best place to be right now. Three birds, blue and yellow, flutter around you, singing. You receive their message, somehow understanding their ancestral language. You close your eyes and open them. You notice your immediate surroundings. Everything is perfectly and beautifully meaningless. You sense that neutrality may be a precious, hidden quality of manifested reality – if you choose to welcome it. You smile from within. Circumstances do not affect you as much. You feel connected. You feel neutral and natural. Wherever you physically are, you feel a cozy sense of belonging at this precise moment. As if this moment was all that ever existed. You look around and feel at one with what you see, hear, smell, touch, and taste.
Take a slow, deep breath.
In
And out.
Close your eyes.
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Herons
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Tips for best results:
The golden rule for any sort of wellbeing practice is repetita iuvant: repetition helps. Therefore, I would suggest you repeat the meditation a few times so as to understand its content better and facilitate the process.
Some readers may find it helpful to close their eyes initially to facilitate visualization and imagination, for example, at the end of each sentence, or for as long a segment of text as they are able to hold in their mind. You can then calmly reopen your eyes and proceed with the rest of the text.
Even though this meditation can be read anywhere and anytime, you may find it helpful to read it in a relatively calm space, holding a relatively comfortable position – sitting, lying down, or standing in a long queue – at a time when you know it’s unlikely you will be disturbed or interrupted.
Finally, there is no perfect way to do it; experiment with it, trust your intuition.
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Find the free PDF version of the meditation below: