You can record the following meditations yourself, or ask someone you love and trust to speak the words in a calm, gentle voice. You may wish to have relaxing, soothing music on in the background, playing softly. Where I have indicated pauses, do not say them; there should be a period of quiet on the tape, anywhere from fifteen to sixty seconds in length or even longer, depending on the kind of pacing you prefer and the amount of time that you need to experience the images fully. You may want to experiment with different voices, music, and pacing before you find the combination that puts you at ease and feels right to you. Remember, there are no right or wrong ways of doing these visualizations. Do not judge yourself.
Begin by taking some deep breaths. Breathe in peace. Breathe out conflicts and thoughts and fears. Just fill a balloon with them and let them go. And when you’re ready, look up and let your eyes close gently if they haven’t by now. And now let a wave of peace move down through your body. You might give it a color if you like, or repeat a word like “peace” or “relax” to yourself. Let go of the tension in your jaw muscles, and your neck and shoulder muscles.
I’d like you to try to remember sitting in a school room, a classroom with those old wooden desks, names carved on the surface, the sound of your classmates around you, the teacher at the blackboard filling the board with lessons and chalk writing. When the board was full and the lesson was done the teacher would take an eraser and just erase the blackboard. Do that now. Clean your slate and erase the blackboard of your mind so that you are ready for new lessons and new experiences.
Once you’ve prepared the slate for new images, words and lessons, we’ll go on a journey. You know where we’re headed. We’re headed for the middle of nowhere, to your corner of the universe, your own special place in the middle of nowhere, with its vivid colors, textures, aromas and sounds. Take yourself to that very special place you have created for yourself. Once you’re there, find a quiet little den or nest that you can rest in or curl up in. And take a moment here to absorb the energy of the earth and the sky and to take the time for self-healing. If there is any problem present within your mind or body, see yourself eliminating that problem, with any treatment or techniques that you would like to utilize. And now take another moment for yourself, here in this special safe place that only you know where.
[Pause]
And when you’re done I’d like you to follow my voice again, and dress yourself for work. We’re going to build a bridge from your corner of the universe to ours, a bridge over a river that will connect with your path through the universe.
So dress yourself for work, and be aware of the weave and fabric and texture of your life, and how that has prepared you for the journey. And if your garments need to be repaired, repair them with love so that you’re prepared for your journey and are dressed appropriately to work on your bridge.
Then take a look at the bridge you’ve built as you walk across it: how wide, how long, how strong? What kind of a connection do you have with the universe?
[Pause]
As you cross the bridge to start down your path to begin your journey, all of the people in your life will be present—family friends, co-workers, people you have all kinds of relationships with. Stop and touch them, and talk to them. See what changes occur in your feelings and theirs as you all come together. All feelings are appropriate. They are simply feelings.
[Pause]
When you have completed that, continue on your path. But if you need to stay you can catch up with us later. As you walk down the path you will see an old house off to the side with a garden and a porch. Walk through the garden, up to the porch steps and into the house, and find the living room. And when you find the living room look around in it for a chest.
Be aware if the chest is in some dusty old corner, or out in a prominent place. Have you looked at it many times before? When you find your chest, open it and see what lies within, what your heart would like to tell you. What gift or message does your heart have for you as you look inside your chest?
[Pause]
When you find the message within your chest make it a part of you and then come out onto the porch and back to the garden. Find a place where you’d like to plant a seed to create more beauty. And prepare the soil and take the seed and plant it. And then become that seed, sitting in the dark, paying attention to what it feels like to be that seed. Do you know which way to grow? Do you know which way is up? Which way to put down roots? You can’t see here in the dark, but you can feel and you can know.
[Pause]
So put down roots to give yourself the nourishment and strength you need to get a grip on things. And then grow, pushing aside problems and obstacles until you break out into the sunlight and then stretch your limbs to the sky. Grow and bloom and blossom. Become that unique beautiful individual that you already are. And just fee! the velvety petal, the aroma, the beautiful color. Grow and bloom and blossom where you are.
When you’re done make that flower a part of you. And then continue on your journey. You will come to a quiet safe place where I’d like you to stretch out, or sit, and become small enough to enter your own body. Go through your body, opening every cell to light, to love. Harmonize the organs, and listen to what they have to tell you. Go through your body, repairing, rebuilding, recreating. Walk the corridors of your mind and brain, opening doors, cleaning the shelves of old material, turning the valves and switches in the different rooms to create the changes that you want to create in your body, so that you create a new self, a new you, a new I.
Then look in the mirror at this new self, this new creation. And look out of the mirror at yourself. Reflect upon what you see, and embrace yourself, accept yourself. Become one with your new self. And then gradually let this new self come back to the room, back to your breathing. Breathe in peace and alertness. Come back gradually, awake and alert, yet relaxed and at peace, back to an awareness of your chair, or the floor. And when the music and the voice have stopped, come back to the room and open your new eye when you are ready.
Take a few deep breaths. Breathe in some oxygen and life. Give yourself a gift; you deserve it for being the kind of person you are. So breathe in peace and life and love and oxygen. And allow yourself to settle down. When you’re ready look up and let your eyes close gently. Let a wave of peace move down through your body releasing the tension in the muscles. Breathe in peace and breathe out conflicts and fears and worries. Then remember what it’s like to erase the slate, to clean the slate, cleanse your mind. You know where we’re headed.
[Pause]
Once more we’ll go off to the middle of nowhere, to your corner of the universe. And each time you visit be aware. Is it different? Are the colors any more vivid, have the sounds changed, the aromas and textures, the feelings you have as you arrive there? Find your nest or den again, and curl up for a moment. This moment is just for you. To absorb the energy of the earth and sun and to heal your body and your mind. Take a moment to eliminate any problems in this special safe place.
[Pause]
When you feel cleansed and ready for the journey, dress yourself. And each time you do this you will see if the weave and texture and fabric of your life have changed any. And if they have, then know you’re changing and growing, and that repairs in the fabric of your life can be made continuously with love.
[Pause]
And then cross the bridge that connects you with our part of the universe. Be aware of how strong and long and wide that bridge is, and of any changes in the connection since the last time you were here. And as you start on your path, know you will always take the turns that feel right for you. Wherever the path divides, you will know which turn is yours. Sometimes you may go left and sometimes you may go right, but whichever way you go will be right.
As you walk along the path you will see a child coming toward you and you’ll realize that the child is you. Give the child what it needs. Go with the child and be a child. Perhaps you’ll find a playground or a park. Or you may want to go for a run in the woods or a field. Go wherever your child wants to go to feel free and experience some joy. Take a moment to be a child and have a happy childhood.
[Pause]
And then become one with your child and come back on your path. As you walk along the path you’ll come to an elevator. It’s made totally of glass and if you look out at the numbers marking the floors, you’ll see that the elevator is now up in the eighties. I’d like you to take it back from the eighties to the seventies and sixties. Just keep going back through the years, to a floor or to a year that’s important for you. And when you get back to that year, stop the elevator and step out into the voices and aromas and sights that are important for you to come back to. For whatever reason, you have decided to come back to this year to relive, to experience, to heal, to love. As you come back to that time and that familiar scene, ask yourself what you feel as you re-enter that scene. Spend the time here for what you need to accomplish and do.
[Pause]
When you have completed that, and only then, follow my voice again and we’ll step back into the elevator and go down to the ground floor and step out on our path. Know that the elevator will always be there for you, and can go both ways, up and down, into the future and into the past. Then follow the path over a little hill, down to the seashore or the lakeside. And as you watch the gulls, realize how easy it is to fly and to rise above problems. You too can learn to fly, to rise above earthly cares. You know what it’s like to bowl, how it feels taking those three steps and releasing the ball, the weight. Take three steps and let go of the weight you’re carrying so you rise up and just fly. The weight you’ve let go of is your problems. Let them go, let them sink out of sight beneath the sea or the lake. Nature will take care of them. And you are rising up, supported by nature, just flying free, enjoying a moment of total freedom and support as you float above it all.
[Pause]
When you’re ready, just gently come down, down to the shore. Stretch out. Absorb the energy of the earth and sun. Once again open yourself, every cell, to light and love. Harmonize the organs. Create the person, the new self. Go into every cell, every structure, the DNA. Reprogram the genetic mechanisms, repair, recreate, redo until you’re satisfied with what you’ve done. And when you are just let your light fill the room so that it mingles with our light and our love. And take back into you some of our light and some of our love so that not only will we be with you, but you will always be with us in times of need. Take that light and love and store it inside your chest. When you have it safely inside, allow yourself to be aware of your chest and how it feels, how it moves with each breath. Breathe in that love, and each breath will bring you back a little more alert, while still at peace. Until when you’re ready, you’ll open your eyes and return to the room, alert and at peace, but with a new view of the world and yourself.
Take a few deep breaths. Take a breath of life for yourself. Breathe in life and energy and peace. Fill your lungs. Feel your chest rise and fall, then settle down. Let the life and energy go all through your body. Let all of the troubles and conflicts and thoughts just go up in a balloon as you breathe them out. If there’s any tension in any of the muscles in your body, let it go. Let a wave of peace move down through your body.
[Pause]
Once more let’s go back to that classroom. If you run your fingers over your desk you can feel the carvings of people’s names and dates, hear the chalk scratching on the blackboard, the sounds from outside the room, sounds from the cafeteria or from kids in the yard. You’ll be aware of all of them.
When the teacher has finished the lesson, she cleans the slate. Now clean the blackboard of your mind. Wipe your slate clean, and put up an empty movie screen.
[Pause]
On that great big screen, let’s create the middle of nowhere. You are very familiar with it by now and you know where it is, so create it for yourself with all the textures and sounds, the aromas, feelings and sights that make it so special to you. Put it all together and find your safe little quiet place, and curl up there. Take a few moments to heal and eliminate any problems, and heal your life. As your life is healed, see any disease being cured and eliminated.
[Pause]
When you have completed that, follow my voice again. Once more we dress for some work. The weave and texture and fabric of your life may change from day to day. Take a look at the weave and fabric of your garments, feel them, then step on to that connection you’ve made, that bridge with the universe, with our universe. Come across. You’re brave enough to cross all the bridges in your life and start on your path.
Pay attention to your feelings as you go, so you’ll know which turns are right for you. Whichever way the path divides, you’ll always take the turn which is right for you. And as you walk along you’ll come to a lovely pond and garden. Walk to the edge of the pond and slip your things off and enter the warm healing waters. It’s not deep at all. Lie down on your back and let the water support you and bathe you and heal you.
[Pause]
Then turn over and look down into the water. Look below the surface. See what lies down there, what is there for you to see and be aware of. Reach down into the depths and see what needs to be brought up that you can learn from and understand. What is at the bottom of all this?
[Pause]
Make what you discovered a part of your awareness and bring it to shore. Dry off in the sunlight and dress again, and continue on your path.
You will come to an outdoor theater. All of the people in your life will be sitting there. You’re to go up on the stage and let them know what you want them to know by performing—singing, dancing, speaking. Show them what you want them to see and feel. The stage is yours. It’s your show.
[Pause]
When you have completed that, come down into the audience and see how they respond to you. How does it feel? Who do you see there? What have they heard?
[Pause]
When you’re done, come back to your path and continue on your way. Off in the distance you’ll see a very bright light on your path. You may see a figure coming out of that light, someone coming toward you. As that individual gets closer, you will see more clearly what he or she looks like, what kind of feeling comes with him or her. Finally you’ll get close enough to learn the name of this being, who is your guide. Ask your guide about any questions or problems or conflicts you might be having in your life. But if no one has yet appeared out of the light, turn and look at the shadow which has been created by the light. Look into your shadow, and talk to your shadow, and see what you can learn from your shadow. Take a moment to speak to your guide or shadow, and learn, and receive guidance.
[Pause]
When that is done, know that the guidance will always be there when you need it. Continue on your path again, until you come to a quiet safe place where you can stop and pause and fill your body with light and love.
[Pause]
Go through your body, creating the new you, the new self, repairing each cell and opening it to light and love, reprogramming the DNA, finding the rooms of your brain and mind where the controls are, and making all the changes necessary to produce the new self, the new you, the new I. Then look at your work in the mirror. And look out of the mirror at yourself. And bring them together, all of the images, to blend in, to embrace, to accept as the new self. Let that new self come back to the breathing, back to the chair, the floor, the music, and my voice. And when you’re ready, with each breath feeling more alert and at peace, come back to the room, awake and alert, but at peace, by opening your new eye.
Begin with some nice deep breathing. Breathe in peace and love and light, all the things that fill the room. Just take them in.
Let go of any problems, weights, worries. And look up and let your eyes close gently when you’re ready.
Once more, let a wave of peace move down through your body, perhaps repeating a word like “peace” or “relax” with each breath. Then erase the blackboard of your mind, put up an empty movie screen. And once more recreate on that screen your special place in the middle of nowhere. Once more take a moment to stop there before you begin your journey, to restore yourself, to heal, and to give yourself a measure of love.
[Pause]
When you have charged your battery and feel that self-love, walk up to your bridge and be aware of any change you have made in it. Then cross your bridge and start on your journey or path. Each step you take is helping you feel more relaxed as you progress on your way.
Soon you’ll come to a mountain that the path climbs. I’d like you to start up that mountain. Equipment and tools are there if you need them. Be aware of how you progress and how you overcome obstacles, how you get to the top.
[Pause]
When you do get to the top, enjoy what you’ve accomplished, and give yourself credit for the effort. Then be aware of a large rainbow-colored balloon with a basket hanging from it. Climb into the basket and release the balloon. It’s totally safe.
Rise up over the trees and clouds. The breeze will carry you. You’ll feel weightless, trouble-free. Keep going until you have an astronaut’s view of the earth. How small problems seem up here. But if there are any problems in your life, use the pencil and pad you’ll find right beside you to write them down. List all the problems in your life. And then let them go, out into space, as you sail on trouble-free, weightless. You can now relax and enjoy the freedom.
[Pause]
Come back down gradually, come down slowly and safely. Keep coming, until you touch down alongside the path and climb out of the basket and start on your journey again.
Think for a moment about what you would be if you could be any creature in the world. And become that creature—an animal, a bird, a fish, another person. Who or what would you like to be? A butterfly? Take a moment to enjoy the experience of being what you would like to be.
[Pause]
Then ask the creature what you have experienced and what you can learn from it. And then come back into yourself, and continue on your journey. Look ahead to see where your path goes. Where will it lead? As you pause here, put a message on the blank billboard next to the path. Use this billboard to let people who come this way know whatever it is you would like them to know. You may paint, design, or write anything at all on the billboard. It is your message to those who come this way after you.
When you have completed the message, allow yourself to come back to your path. As you move along, you’ll see the path disappearing into a dark tunnel going through to the next mountain. But you can see the light over there, so you will go for that light. It’ll be dark in the tunnel, cool, damp. You may find yourself bumping into the sides, stumbling occasionally, perhaps falling down. But if you focus on the light, moving toward it, you’ll find your way. Remember what it was like to be a child learning to walk? How many times do you think you fell down? What happened when you learned to ride a bicycle? How many times did you fall off? But you got up and you tried again. You climbed on again. And so you head for the light, just as you learned to walk and you learned to ride the bike. You know how to overcome difficulties.
And eventually you will come out into the light. Once again your family and friends will be there. How do they see you? What will you share with them after this experience? Take a moment to exchange feelings and views and words.
[Pause]
Then bring all your loved ones around you. Just let them love you, and heal you, and feel the change occurring in you as you accept the love and the healing. Now take a look at yourself. How have you changed? Accept this change and bring it back with you, back to the room, back to your life, back to the future. When you have made it a part of you, allow yourself to come back, renewed, restored, recreated. Upon opening your new eye you will see the new you, when you are ready to look.