Daily Meditation
The Butterfly
Preparation: create a space around you that is warm, comfortable, and free from distractions.
To Begin: Either sitting in the Butterfly position (seated with knees out to side, bottoms of feet together, hands on feet), or lying down in a comfortable position. Breath gently, silently and deeply into your abdomen through your nose. Slowly close your eyes over 3 or 4 breathes and allow yourself to relax.
The Journey: When you close your eyes, allow yourself to begin to see yourself as a butterfly, from inside the butterfly. Look over your shoulders to see your wings, look down at your many legs, experience your body as a butterfly. Experience the sensations around you, the warmth of the sun on your wings, a gentle breeze, the smells in the air, the sights. Begin to look around you and explore your environment. Where are you? Perhaps on a fence post, a rock, a tree, a mountain top. You may find yourself on a beach, in a meadow, or in a city. Allow yourself to look around, and from your butterflies perspective, take it all in through your many senses. When you are ready, you may begin to explore flight. As you flap your wings, allow yourself to lightly lift off, and begin to fly. Coasting on the breeze, dancing among the wildflowers, dodging in and out of the trees. Use your imagination to explore. Take your time. Use your childlike wonder to experience life as a butterfly. Then, after you have explored enough, you can come in to rest. You will find yourself back on your fence post, rock, or meadow. Gently cool your wings, and fold them away. Take a last glance, sniff, taste, feel of your magical place. Then, slowly bring yourself back to the room that you are in. Allow yourself a few moments to re-acclimatize to your body and your world.
The Conclusion: The magical sense of freedom that we feel in the butterfly's body can remain with us in our daily life when we are living consciously. We don't have to capture the butterfly to borrow it's freedom, it is within us all the time. It is just up to each one of us to find our own beautiful sense of freedom in our minds, in our hearts, and in our world.