A meditation on creating inner harmony, this practice works with the idea of inherent paradox as we experience periods of stillness and flux in our lives.

During the meditation, consider what you need and ask if you crave more movement or stillness. Breathe into a sense of fluidity and focus on the waves, or breathe into your seat as an anchor. As we develop more self-awareness, the practice involves uniting polarizing states to achieve inner harmony.

This meditation closes with a little bit of metta to recognize and honour that we are all connected and send loving-kindness to yourself, those you love, and the communities you embody.

Style: Meditation

Duration: 17-minutes

Level: open

Props: none

Focus: accessing inner harmony through states of stillness and movement

Location: Third Beach, Vancouver, BC

Come to a seat of your choice or lay down; choose a comfortable position where you can be and breathe into your body comfortably. Rest your eyes on the beach and receive the sound of the waves. Close your eyes or soften your gaze.

Take a couple of deep breaths, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth to clear any stagnant energy or tension from the body.

Meditation is the opportunity to observe and connect with the self; it is a space to be still and quiet to receive whatever needs to move through us. There is nowhere to be; there is nothing to do. Like the rhythm of the waves you can hear on the beach, your thoughts will continue to move even as you honour stillness.

Connect to the beach; connect to the sand and the rocks. They are immobile, grounded, and still. They are affected by the water, the sunlight, and all the life surrounding them, yet they are still. Be still as the sand, rocks, and beach. Breathe into this stillness as you inhale and exhale deeply. Or, shift your focus to the movement of your breath in your body and the moving water. Choose one or the other to focus your attention, stillness or movement.

There are points inside of us and around us that will always be moving. There are points inside of us and all around us that will always be still. When we breathe into both movement and stillness, when it is needed—when it is needed—we can come to a sense of harmony.

Harmony is a state of feeling connected to the breath, body, and everything within and around us. Meditation allows us to observe when we are in harmony—when things are congruent and flowing.

Assess if you need to be like an anchor and be still, or if you need to be like the waves and flow. Be present for what your body needs as you move through the rest of your day.

Close with Metta Meditation (loving-kindness) on loving-kindness to send compassion to yourself, those you love, and your communities and the universe.