I walk on my terrace every evening. I used to go to the lake nearby, but going up two floors and enjoying the open space above me is so much easier. I get to see different kinds of birds- mynas, pigeons, crows, parrots and kites, and the occasional sparrow. It is like they all have a schedule for their space in the skies. It begins with the mynas, followed by the pigeons pottering around. Then flocks of parrots fly across the sky. A few crows hang around pecking at any food they can find. And then, finally, it is the turn of the kites to soar.
It is amazing to see them glide to and fro, as if enjoying themselves. They perch on the pipes from time to time to survey the area around them. I definitely marvel at their antics as they soar, hover, swoop.
I wonder what it might feel like to fly across huge areas, seeing for miles, swooping effortlessly through the air. Isn't it awe-inspiring?
And I wonder-as we go through our busy days, we become so close to the sources of our stress and anxiety and find it difficult to view them from a distance. What if we were able to fly like those birds to gain a better perspective.
With the 10 minute weightless meditation, we can do exactly this. We can use our sense of how it might feel to fly, so that we can explore the freedom of perspective.
You can do this meditation sitting or walking. But I recommend sitting. Find a spot with a nice view. Maybe you can drive out somewhere with a good view so you can just sit and meditate.
How to practice the 10 minute weightless meditation
- Find a place with a view. Maybe even your window.
- Sit comfortably. Sit up straight, but don't stress over the perfect posture.
- Connect with your breath. Be aware of each inhale and exhale. For a few breaths, just feel your lungs expand when you inhale and your abdomen relaxing when you exhale.
- When you are ready, close your eyes.
- Visualize a bird with large wings soaring above you.
- Imagine it looking out at the distant horizon and occasionally down to you-a tiny figure on the ground below.
- Now, imagine you are the bird and see yourself through its eyes. As you look down and beyond, you see a winding river and a road through a forest.
- You glide effortlessly, the wind rushing past your head and beneath your wings, supporting you. You feel free and safe.
- A warm gush of air rises up from below you, lifting you up and helping you glide forward.
- You are in no hurry to get anywhere. You are just enjoying flying, conscious and aware of everything you pass and see, but unaffected by it.
- As you continue to fly, maybe you see a farm or a city or a mountain range. You do not anticipate what you are going to see next - you just take it as it comes and soar along.
- When you feel ready to return home, imagine gently tilting your body, circling around, and flying back the way you came.
- As you draw closer to where you started, bring your attention back to your breathing, to your body, to your surroundings.
- Take the time to reconnect with your body, gently moving your fingers and toes.
- Notice how you feel as you come out of this meditation and return to your day.
Reflect over the following:
- Have you gained some perspective?
- Do some of the worries or stresses bothering you seem a little smaller and less important now?
- Do you feel you could soar over them without letting them drag you down?
If you want to do the 10 minute weightless meditation when you are walking, you'll need a quiet area-maybe a park. And you'll need to keep your eyes open.
The 10 minute weightless meditation is a full body experience especially when you walk, because you feel the sensation and sound of each moment, the feel of the earth under your feet, the movement of your arms, nature around you, the warmth of the sun and the wind around you.
Will you try this and tell me how you feel?♥
Wednesday Wisdom is a series with short bursts of easy-to-consume wisdom in the form of inspiring stories, verse, quotes, anecdotes, reflections, easy meditation, thought-provoking questions and humor.
