I’m bestselling indie writer Teague de La Plaine. This is my weekly newsletter, where I talk about writing and self-publishing in addition to my own life. I keep the newsletter free, because I prefer you spend your money on my books.
This is the second part in our mediation series.
The next step in our meditation practice is a visualization process. Complete the breathing step and when you are finished, sit for a moment and just breathe normally.
Now, breathing deeply and evenly, close your eyes to the world and imagine you are in a forest. In your mind, picture yourself collecting stones and wood from the forest and building a cabin. This cabin will be your safe place, a place where you keep all of your good memories. Once you have this cabin built you will always be able to go inside and remember all those things that are good about your life.
Begin stacking the stones on top of each other until you have built four solid walls that are higher than your head. As you place each stone, remind yourself of one thing you are thankful to have in your life. You can be thankful for anything, big or small. You can even be thankful for things you don't have yet, but want to have. Keep stacking those stones and keep being thankful for everything good you've ever experienced or had.
As you complete your cabin, make sure to leave spaces for a door and for a window in each wall. Take the wood pieces and build a roof on top of the walls, making sure that everything is tight and weatherproof. As you place each piece of wood on the roof, simply repeat the words "Thank you" quietly as you exhale. You are building a place of refuge, a cabin that is built of all the good things in your life.
Go ahead and put a nice door on your cabin; make it a green door with a big brass handle. Now put glass in all the windows; trim each window in the same green color as your door. Now you are just about finished. Even if you've never even built a bookshelf in real life, in this forest in your mind you are a master builder. Your cabin is a perfect representation of your mind. You should be relaxed and content sitting in the forest and confident that your cabin is a refuge from the world around you.
When you sit down to do this meditation, you can repair your cabin or add to it—you can even completely rebuild it from scratch if you like. Or simply go inside and remind yourself of all the things you are grateful for in life.
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