Meditation (Ocean)

Breathe with me,

In and out…

Close your eyes;

Hear the distant shore,

The waves–

Rising,

Falling,

Like breaths

Rising in your chest,

Falling from your nose,

Resting at your toes.

Feel the water pull at you,

Letting your soul drift out,

Exhaled on ocean breeze

Slipping through the leaves

That veil Summer’s heat.

Feel it expand

Like a sail on the wind

Stretching out your doubts and fears

Until you can see through them,

Until all you see is horizon

Water going on and on and on.

Breathe in the sights

And exhale the sense of urgency.

Feel your feet

The sand is warm between your toes.

You curl them

And let them go,

Watching particles fall

You smell the salty air

You smile.

You open your eyes

And all around you is warm.

You are warm,

A bright, shining star;

You feel at peace.

Meditation (Desert)

You close your eyes and breathe.

You focus on nothing else,

Just the friction in your nose

And the sound of your breath.

You feel yourself drifting,

Shades of light shifting

As your skin begins to warm.

Light travels along your fingertips;

You feel it working its way up,

Gliding on your arms

Resting on your shoulders,

Like hands lightly pressed

To steady in a storm.

It rises to your neck

And drops to your chest

Like every weight

You’ve carried for too long.

From your chest it slides

Wrapping around your stomach

Settling in your lap

Like a hug you’ve never had.

It nuzzles your thighs

Tickling a bit

Then traces your hips,

Calves, feet, and toes.

It breathes on your nose,

Traces your cheeks,

Kissing freckles you never knew

Till all you feel is radiance.

You open your eyes,

Slowly,

Delicately, but deliberately

Taking in the miles and miles of dunes.

Nothing and no one around you.

Nothing and no one to need you.

Nothing and no one to call you.

There is only sand,

And light,

And warmth,

And peace.

The sun is gentle to your skin,

Never more or less

Than just right.

You breathe.

You let go.

You breathe.

The light grows.

You breathe.

And all is well in this moment.

Just Breathe

Close your eyes…

Breathe in.

Feel the air fill your lungs.

Feel the tension in your hands

Holding ropes and the chains of expectation

Hold them tighter…

Breathe out slowly,

And release.

Breathe in.

Feel the air fill your lungs.

Feel the tension in your shoulders

Like the weight of everything holding you back

And crushing your spirit

Is resting there

Push back

Stand your ground.

Breathe out slowly,

And release.

Breathe in.

Feel the air fill your lungs

Feel the tension in your jaw

All the words you’ve wanted to scream

All the words you did and regretted

All the silences and lies you tell to avoid pain

Bite down harder on your inhibitions

Then open your mouth

Your lips

Breathe out slowly

And release.

Breathe in.

Feel the air fill your lungs

Feel the tension in your stomach

All of the things you have or haven’t eaten

All the feelings you have about your waist

All the feelings and concerns that rest there

All the disappointments that feel like acid

The hollowness of it all sometimes

Find those feelings

Push them against the walls of your stomach

Breathe out slowly,

And release.

Breathe in.

Feel the air fill your lungs

Feel the tension in your thighs

Feel the buzz running through them

The heaviness like lead

Hold them still

Breathe out slowly

And release.

Breath in.

Feel the air fill your lungs

Feel the tension in your butt

Clench those cheeks

Like you’re prairie dogging

And you’re at your in-laws

And the family already hates you

You make it to the bathroom

Breath out slowly,

And release.

Breath in.

Feel the air fill your lungs.

Feel the tension in your calves

Like running is not just a pastime

But an addiction

A need to always be moving

So you’re never caught by what’s chasing you

Except you’re carrying it the entire time

Hold it

Breathe out slowly,

And release.

Breathe in.

Feel the air fill your lungs.

Feel the tension in your feet.

Holding you up all day

Grounding you to the planet

To the floor

To everything

Curl your toes and hold it

Breathe out slowly,

And release.

Breathe in…

Feel the air fill your lungs.

Hold it…

Breathe out…

Repeat…

Next we’ll construct a happy place…