"You are the space of peaceful wellbeing, capable of holding all human experience with love."
Begin by getting into a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down. If you’re sitting, relax your shoulders away from your ears and then roll your shoulders backward a couple of times. When you’re ready, gently soften your gaze. Feel the relaxing of your jaw and throat. Now, draw a deep breath down into the lowest part of your belly. Draw each breath in through your nose, pause, and then exhale slowly through your mouth. Feel the sensation of your belly rising and falling. Rising and falling again. Begin to notice the rhythm of your breath in perfect harmony with your belly’s rise and fall. You may feel led to place a hand just above or below your navel to become closer with the gentle rhythm that is unfolding.
Now, as your breath continues, imagine a vast, deep blue sea. The sea is calm and peaceful, and it extends in every direction as far as the eye can see. The reflection of the moon and a billion twinkling stars dance playfully on the surface of the water as if to keep it company. The water itself is friendly, welcoming, and relaxed. It has no preferences or wishes. It is content exactly as it is, brimming with Life and Love.
The sea stretches out its arms as wide as it can as a sign of its willingness to allow anything to pass through its cool, blue waters. It opens its heart to offer love and protection to each and every ship that moves through its infinite space.
For a moment, simply feel the expansiveness of this tremendous sea. Allow its spaciousness and strength to draw you toward it. Watch the dance of the moon and stars on the surface of its calming waters. Hover effortlessly above the sea as you breathe, and sense the smell of the salty air. Inhale….exhale……allow the experience of peace and contentedness to settle deep within you. Feel how the sense of relaxation grows naturally throughout your body as you rest easily just above the water’s surface.
With each inhale, feel your body become more and more at one with the sea itself. Imagine the soft, gentle rhythm of tiny waves mirroring the rhythm of your breath. Each inhale, the wave rises; each exhale, the wave returns to the sea. Again and again, the wave rises and falls. Again and again, your belly rises and falls. Inhaling and exhaling, you become one with the sea. Rising and falling, the waves become one with your breath.
You are vast and spacious, spreading in every direction as far as the eye can see. The reflection of the moon and a billion twinkling stars dance playfully on your surface as if to keep you company. You are friendly, welcoming, and relaxed. You have no preferences or wishes. You are content exactly as you are, brimming with Life and Love.
You stretch out your arms as wide as you can as a sign of your willingness to allow anything to pass through your cool, blue waters. You open your heart to offer love and protection to each ship that passes through your waters. A cargo ship enters your peaceful blue waters from a distant shore. Its destination is somewhere just beyond your sight. As it begins its journey through you, YOU—the vast blue sea—welcome it with love. You offer your kindest protection and grace because you know that you are strong and resilient.
You are the unperturbable peace that holds space for every emotion, thought, and story to safely pass through. No emotion is off limits. No thought, feeling, physical sensation, or story needs to be turned away. They all rest securely in the space of peace that defines you.
Rest easy AS the peace that you are.
There is no need to meddle in the thoughts and sensations that arise. They are Life’s intelligent energy. They are not about you. They are not personal. They are simply Life arising and passing through. You are the space of Love and Peace that offers them safe passage as they travel.
Who-you-are is calm, relaxed, and untouched by the lights and shadows that dance on the Earth. You are the vast blue sea.
And now, it’s time to begin your journey back into the brilliant and miraculous body that YOU—the pure aliveness of YOU-- have been given to animate. Begin to notice the rhythm of your inhale and exhale. Just notice as if you are watching the waves crest and fall. Allow your attention to be drawn to your fingertips. Feel the aliveness in each one. Now allow your attention to be drawn to the tip of your nose….and now to the soles of your feet. Simply breathe as YOU—the aliveness that you are—come back to this moment, here…now.
Take a couple more slow and peaceful breaths, and when you’re ready, close this meditation and be led to deep rest. Allow gratitude to arise for the gift of peace and love that defines you.