for a related, and far more brief version, please consider:
https://www.swellcast.com/t/O1Uri0Gxs5RN7Th
Rising Above the Weight of the World
[Opening – Grounding the Body]
Find a comfortable position - seated or lying down.
You can stand too - if you like.
Let your hands rest somewhere gently.
Close your eyes, if that feels safe.
Take a slow, deep breath in…
and exhale gently...
Again…inhale
…and release.
Feel the weight of your body supported by the Earth.
There is nothing you need to fix right now. Just be here.
[Imagery – The Ascent Begins]
Now, imagine yourself standing in a quiet clearing at dawn.
The ancient forest is waking for the day.
The Sky is slowly shifting through a range of subtle colors...each more pleasing than the last.
Before you is a hot air balloon - vibrant, steady, waiting...
It's tethered to a great, old stone.
It's basket has a small gate, left open.
You step inside the basket.
It's a rather magical space.
With each breath, the balloon begins to rise.
Slowly…
gently…
You lift off the ground, leaving behind the noise, the urgency, the weight of the problem you’ve been carrying.
[Perspective – Rising Above]
As you ascend, the landscape below begins to shift. The streets, the buildings, the people… Even the problem that once felt so overwhelming… They all begin to shrink.
Clouds swim past the steady basket.
Soon, more birds glide past below you than above.
You rise higher - past the clouds, into the stratosphere. The Earth curves beneath you, vast and luminous.
From here, everything is held in a quiet stillness. The problem is still there - but it no longer defines the whole.
[Reflection – Spacious Awareness]
Let yourself rest in this spacious awareness.
Notice how your breath moves more freely.
Like the clouds drifting lazily by, below... Notice how your mind begins to soften.
Like the clouds drifting lazily by, below...
From this vantage point, ask gently:
“What else is true?”
“What matters most, even now?”
You may not need an answer. The asking itself is enough.
[Return – Reentry with Clarity]
When you’re ready, begin your descent.
With each exhalation, the balloon steadily settles earthward. The balloon lowers slowly, gently.
You return with a new perspective - not because the problem has vanished, but because you are no longer entangled in its gravity.
You carry with you a wider view, a steadier breath, and the quiet knowing that you are more than this moment.
[Closing – Integration]
Feel your body once again - your hands, your feet, the rhythm of your breath. Wiggle your fingers or toes if you like.
And when you’re ready, gently open your eyes.
Welcome back.
Thank you.
