The Gentle Mental Clearing
Overwhelm clouds the mind, making focus impossible. This practice guides you through a mental clearing, visualizing your thoughts as swirling leaves in a gentle breeze. You'll watch as they are gently swept away, leaving behind a clear, quiet space. From this place of mental stillness, you can regain your focus and choose your next action with intention and ease.
The Invitation
Come, settle in. Find a posture that speaks of dignity and ease, whether you are sitting or lying down. Let your hands rest, palms open or closed, in a way that feels like a quiet arrival. Close your eyes if you feel safe to do so. Or simply soften your gaze, letting the world around you blur into a gentle wash of color and light. We begin not by forcing stillness, but by noticing what is already here. Take a breath. Not a special breath, not a perfect breath, just the one that is happening now. Feel the air enter, and feel the air leave. This simple rhythm has been with you your entire life, a faithful companion through every storm and every celebration. Today, we honor this rhythm. We honor this body. And we make a simple, gentle space for the mind to be seen, to be held, and to be cleared.
The Swirling Leaves
Bring your awareness now to the landscape of your mind. And let's be honest about what we find there. For many of us, the mind feels less like a quiet garden and more like a windswept street in autumn. Thoughts, worries, reminders, and regrets swirl like fallen leaves. *Did I send that email? What if they were upset by what I said? I need to remember to buy milk. I should be doing more. I am not enough.* See them now. Not as enemies to be fought, but simply as leaves caught in the wind. Each one a memory, a task, a fear. Some are old and brittle, others fresh and vibrant. They tumble and spin, blocking the light, obscuring the path forward. Our brains, trying to process it all, become overwhelmed. This visual chaos triggers a subtle, constant stress, making it nearly impossible to focus or feel at peace. For a moment, just watch the storm. Don't try to catch a single leaf. Don't try to stop the wind. Your only task is to witness the beautiful, chaotic, intricate dance of your own mind. Notice the colors, the shapes, the speed. There is no judgment here. This is simply the weather of your inner world at this moment. You are the sky that holds this weather. You are the stillness that contains this storm.