APRIL MEDITATION, 2006

I am writing this on the day of the Easter full moon and this month’s meditation is inspired by the theme of new life in nature as daffodils and other spring flowers come to full bloom in the gardens. As I sit here at my computer, through the window I can see the forsythia bushes filled with their yellow blossoms. In the local nature reserve the trees and bushes are covered with the green mist of new leaf buds. It’s the time of the year with the promise of the of the sun’s warmth after the cold days of winter.

THE SECRET GARDEN

Begin your meditation in the usual way, sitting comfortably on a chair or on the floor. Begin to observe your breathing for a few minutes until your mind becomes quiet and still. Begin to visualise a long, high brick wall covered with ivy. As you gaze at the wall, you notice a door hidden behind the ivy. The handle is like an iron ring. When you turn it, the door won’t open. Then you notice a hole in the wall where a brick is missing. Feeling in the hole, you find a key. It turns in the lock of the door and you go through, finding yourself in a beautiful garden. It is well cared for and has well kept flowerbeds and lawns, with grassy paths between them.

Walk along the grassy paths, admiring the flowers and shrubs and enjoying the soft perfume of fresh plants that come to you. At the centre of the garden is a small rectangular lake with water lilies floating on its surface. The lake is enclosed by a low wall, with water flowing in at the centre of each wall through an ornamental figure, perhaps through the mouth of a fish or angel with a ewer – see what it is for you.

It is early in the morning and the sun is beginning to rise. The sky is filled with the rosy colours of the dawn. The light and the colours you see are reflected in the waters of the lake and throughout the garden as the light shines on the plants and flowers. It is very warm and you can bathe in the lake if you want to, or just sit by the edge and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the early morning. On each of the sides, where the water enters the lake, there is a goblet from which you can drink the pure spring water. Observe the material the goblet is crafted from. Is it crystal, gemstone, silver, gold or pottery? Fill your chosen goblet with pure spring water and drink it. It is so pure and fresh and fills you with extra energy and vitality and a new sense of joy and enthusiasm for life. The sun rises higher in the sky and the light takes on a vibrant quality. Breathe in light and life; feel that every cell of your being is bathed in light.

Then continue to sit in this peaceful and tranquil garden as long as you like. It is a place where you may always come to renew your spirit, your joy and enthusiasm for life, or to find inner peace. Remember also to share these feelings of peace with those who need it by visualising those you know surrounded by light. See light also going to the places in the world that need peace and healing.

When you are ready, walk back through the garden to the door in the wall. Go through carefully, locking the door behind you, knowing you may return to the secret garden whenever you need to find inner peace. It is always there waiting for you when you need it.

© Kathleen Pepper 2006

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