Meditate

Candle lit, sat in a comfortable spot, the rhythmic sound of waves playing for atmosphere, a meditator prepares to meditate. Finding their centre, their peace is their goal. 

Beginning with a few deep breaths, they let their shoulders drop, relax their jaw, and feel the tension slip from their muscles. 

Focusing on the breath, they begin to count. 
One.  Inhaled breath. 
Two. The breath is released. 
Three. Inhaled breath. 
Four. The breath is released. 

Inhaling on the odds, exhaling on the evens, the meditator counts to ten. Then, begins again. Counting and breathing falls into the sound of the waves flooding and retreating from shore on the soundtrack of the session. Counting the breaths is like climbing the stairs of their mind, one plodding foot, then the next, until a state of pure in-the-moment-ness, is achieved. 

I am abundant. The mantra begins. 
“Abundantly fat.” A voice responds. 

The meditator mentally shakes their head. That was a minor slip. No matter. 

I am abundant.
“Abundantly boring.”

I am abundant.
“Abundantly useless.”

No. They breathe deeply, releasing the rising tension in their shoulder. Back to centre.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Did I take the chicken out of the freezer last night? 

No. They breathe deeply, feeling the burning stress down their spine. Back to centre. 
One. 
Two. 
Three. 
Four. 
Five. 
Six. 
The stairway to mindfulness stretches out in their imagination. It leads the way to a cool glade filled with ferns and trees and
“Mosquitos”, their mind whispers. 
No. More breathing. More counting. A shift in the seat. Relax the hands and remove the tongue from the roof of the mouth. Be one with the waves. On a beach, warm, comfortable, content. White sands, the pulsing of the waves, the heartbeat of Mother Earth. Seagulls in the distance, children playing, a soft breeze. Fresh air. Tissue begins to give to the warmth of the sand. Toes dig in, find a cool place under the surface. This is perfection, this is just right. 
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five. Six. A storm is brewing. Dark clouds gather in the sky. Rain streams down and chases across the lake. A wave, twenty metres high bares down. Heart is racing. Sweat beads on the upper lip. 
No. 

“I am abundant. I am loved. I am safe. I am important. I am abundant. I am loved. I am safe. I am important. I am abundant. I am loved…”
The meditator says aloud, refocusing the mind. 

The breath feels cool as it travels through the nostrils and fills the lungs. The diaphragm expands and there is a moment of silence before air is released in a whoosh, past the teeth and back out into the world. Are our souls all just moments, in these bodies, until we are sent out in the world? 
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Where do I begin and where do I end? Am I the breath of the clouds? Am I you? Am I me? Am I God? 
Inhale. 
Exhale. 
Are we all God?

A chime rings out, signalling the end of the session. The meditator returns to the room. With a crick-crack of the neck they open their eyes, to go about their day. With a deep and satisfying breath, the candle is extinguished.