half the journey is the first step ❤️
"Find a comfortable spot for you to sit, gently supported. Allow your breathing to become smooth and regular. Bring your attention into the present moment, and to the sensations of your breath, the sensations of your body, particularly where it is making contact with the chair or the floor. Take a few easy, comfortable breaths. And as you breathe, imagine yourself walking through the forest. Green grass under your feet, tall trees around you, blue sky overhead. You know the way around the forest, you are safe and protected. The sun is just right, not too warm.
You feel the gentle breeze on your face. Listen to the birds overhead. Breathe in the fragrance in the air, so crisp and refreshing. Feel every step that you take. As you walk, you come to a meadow – soft green grass, wildflowers, trees all around it. Notice a shallow, fast stream of water at the edge of the meadow, underneath the trees. Come up to it and find a place to sit comfortably. Take a moment to pay attention to the water, as it runs over the rocks on the bottom of the shallow stream. Listen to the babbling sound of the water. Notice how clean and clear the water is; you can see every piece of sand, every pebble on the bottom. You might even touch the water with your hand, noticing how cool and refreshing it is.
And notice how from time to time a leaf falls from the tree, gently floats toward the stream, lands in the water, and is carried away by the current. And another leaf falls from the tree, floats toward the water, and is carried away. Watch how the leaf slowly descends, twirling slightly toward the water, landing on its surface and floating away, out of sight.
Now pay attention to the thoughts going through your mind right now. Whatever those thoughts are, notice them, pick one, attend to it kindly for a moment, long enough to label the thought as planning, or wishing, or worrying, or predicting, or whatever the thought might be. Now imagine gently taking it out of your mind and placing it on one of those falling leaves, watching it twirl toward the water, land on its surface and float away, out of sight. Notice another thought, attend to it for a moment with curiosity, label it, place it on a falling leaf, watch it twirl toward the water and float away, out of sight. There is no need to engage with those thoughts, no need to change them in any way, no need to hold on to them, no need to make them go away. Simply notice a thought, label it, place it on a leaf, and watch it float away.
When you notice your mind engaging with a thought and following it somewhere, acknowledge that, and wherever you find your mind going, gently allow it to return to watching your thoughts, and the leaves, and the stream. Notice a thought, label it, place it on a leaf, and watch it float away, out of sight. You will notice that some thoughts come back, again and again. That is what our thoughts do, they come and go, they come and go. No matter whether you’ve experienced this thought before a moment ago or if you haven’t seen it in a while, notice it, attend to it for a brief moment, with kindness, label it, place it on a leaf, and watch it land on the water and float away. There is no need to engage or argue with the thoughts, no need to change the thoughts, no need to hold on to them or make them go away. Simply attend to the thoughts, coming and going, coming and going. Notice a thought, label it, place it on a leaf and watch it float away, out of sight.
If you notice yourself judging yourself for having some of those thoughts, or judging the thoughts themselves, notice that, label the judging thought as judgment, place it on a leaf, watch it twirl toward the stream and float away. Watch thoughts come and go, as they always do. Whatever the thought is, notice it, attend to it with kindness, place it on a leaf and watch it float away. Now take as much time as you’d like to attend to your thoughts, watching them come and go.
Whenever you are ready, open your eyes, place your hand on your heart, and take a full deep breath in and out."
Want to listen to this meditation, go to Thoughts on Leaves (voiced by me!) on our Anjali Power Yoga Away page ❤️
Thank you for being you and all you do, Anjali Power Yoga is here because of each and every one of you and we are forever grateful for YOU and the steps you take to get here ❤️
with gratitude,
Lucia (she/her/hers)