a Guided Meditation for Renewing our Surface
The Seasoning of the Self
Begin seated.
Spine upright.
Breath:
steady.
Hands resting like a pan awaiting heat.
Invocation
Today we enter the forge -
Not to burn. To temper.
Not to erase. To season.
Rust as Birthright
Rust is not foreign. It is born of the self. Iron does not rust in isolation. It rusts in relationship.
Water and oxygen - life-giving, essential - the two become corrosive only when they meet the substrate. Only when they touch the body. Only when they enter the breath.
This is not betrayal. It is chemistry. It is memory. It is the visible record of contact.
To rust is to have been exposed. To have been alive. To have been touched both by what sustains and by what wears away.
We honor the rust. Not as flaw. As evidence. As the trace of life meeting life.
Rust and Reaction
Inhale slowly. Let breath enter like moisture. Life-giving. and ever-capable of corrosion.
Exhale gently. Let go of what clings.
Rust is not failure. It is memory. Contact between your nature and another's nature. A reaction. A reminder.
A shared story of shared contact, of communion, of connection, of lives...
Lived.
Where have you been exposed?
Where has your surface been compromised?
Let breath settle into those places.
The Soak
Before the scrubbing, there is soaking. A bath to soften the grip
Of what clings to you
Of your own clinging to surface
Beneath each surface - remember - sacred depth.
Soak, now...
Let yourself steep in something that softens -
Something that soothes
Something that supports
Something that invites release
Something that reveals true depth
Come spend some time beneath the great, old evergreen -
Soak in the hush of pine needles underfoot. In the sway of a hammock. In the breath that curls around a cup of cooling tea.
Let the rust loosen. Not through force. Through warmth. Through stillness. Through the quiet companionship of nature’s sounds.
You are not being erased. You are being readied.
You are being revealed...
Scrubbing and Stripping
Imagine the act of slow and persistent scrubbing. Not as argument or denial. But rather as care.
A return to rawness. A clearing of residue.
You are not erasing history. You are preparing for renewal.
Preparing to re-write story, renew surfaces, boundaries
Feel the friction. The heat. The honesty of abrasion.
Breathe into the discomfort. Let it soften.
Seasoning and Memory
Introduce oil. Neutral. Nourishing.
A thin, thin layer. Not to mask. To protect.
To define
To invite
To inform
To welcome story
Seasoning is residue transformed into resilience. Memory of past interactions. Bonded into strength.
Each layer, a story. Each use, a reinforcement.
Where you have built protection
You may welcome new life.
Where have you built protection through repetition? What acts have seasoned you?
Inhale: Let breath coat your inner surface. Exhale: Let it bond.
There is strength in story.
Heat and Integration
Feel the heat rise. Not to burn. To bind.
You are being tempered. Not hardened. Made whole.
Smoke is not danger. It is the signal of transformation.
Let breath rise and fall like waves of heat.
Let the body absorb the heat.
The heat -
a great Teacher of Transformation
Heat offering seasoning.
Water and Caution
Water gives life. It also invites corrosion.
Balance is key - Moisture must be met with warmth. Exposure with care.
Dry yourself with attention. Coat yourself with intention.
Breathe in clarity. Breathe out protection.
Closing
You are not a vessel of perfection. You are a pan of memory. Seasoned. Reactive. Resilient.
Offer of yourself well. Fry. Sear. Serve.
Nourish, transform.
Let your seasoning deepen with each encounter.
Bow gently to the forge within.
Let this breath cool. Let this body rest.
Thank you.
Music Cue:
Chris Collins:
