Allow your body to relax ... ...
Take a deep breath and as you exhale allow your body to relax. Feel the relaxation flow from your toes, slowly, up through your body, right to the top of your head. Notice each part of your body, the feelings and sensations, the tensions and ligament pressures. Release any tensions and ligament pressures and allow each part of your body to relax.
Relax....
Allow your mind to relax and be at peace ... ...
Take another deep breath. As you exhale allow your mind to relax and be at peace. Remember a beautiful place where you have been happy, a beautiful sound that you love, a delicate perfume that reminds you of joy, a gentle caress from someone you love. Let go of any worries that are troubling you. Lay them down for the time being. If thoughts or feelings come allow them to float away, like a leaf on a stream, or a cloud on a summer's day.
Let go...
Let God... ...
See in front of you a pathway. Follow the pathway through meadows strewn with daisies. The sun shines with the gentle warmth of autumn, and the trees in the hedgerow are beautiful with the muted colours of leaves ready to fall. You walk towards a birch tree. Its small leaves are yellow with age, its silvery bark makes a striking contrast to the to the leaves already gathering around its foot. As you watch a leaf floats gently down to join the others already on the ground. You feel a sense of the rhythm of the year as the leaves gather to rot down and give up their nutrients to the soil to feed the tree next year. There is a sadness in the gentle falling of the leaves, a letting go, a leaving behind of summer days. As you stand and watch the leaves fall allow the sadness to be. If memories come allow them to come, but don't hold on to them. Let them fall away with the falling leaves.
If thoughts and feelings arise, good or bad, let them come, and let them go again as you watch the falling leaves.
Allow God to receive the past, and use it.
Trust God to take care of the future, and leave it in his hands.
Stand and watch the falling leaves ... ... ...
When you are ready, allow the place to fade to the limits of your vision, walk back along the pathway, and return to here, and now.
We shall meet again at 2pm on Wednesday 1st February at Springfield. Ring Valerie on 676725 or Gale 740042 for details.
All are welcome, from those who have never meditated before through to experienced meditators.
For an introduction to meditation click here.
On this page you can take the Morning, Noon and Night challenge set out below, or you can browse among other prayers and meditations listed underneath. Some may take a while to load, so you may need to be patient.