Flowing Stream Meditation

by Marla Young

Flowing Stream Meditation (acceptance and release)


Please close your eyes and breathe in and out slowly and deeply 3 times.

Now imagine a golden light, a warm, thick golden light streaming down onto your head
Feel this golden light spread across the top of your head, flowing slowly like warm honey
It flows down the back of your head and onto your forehead, cheeks, your neck, your shoulders
The warming light relaxes the muscles of your face and neck
It moves across your shoulders, down your arms and your upper body. Melt into it
This light continues down your body, onto your hips, thighs, knees and to your feet
You are now enveloped from head to toe in this warm liquid light. Melt into it
All of your muscles are slack and at ease. Enjoy this light’s warm embrace.

Now imagine that you are in the forest standing on the bank of a gently flowing stream
It’s a warm sunny day and the air smells of damp earth and green things growing
Breathe in deeply and smell the life of the forest
Look at the stream and notice the sunlight sparkling on the water
Hear the sound the water makes as it tumbles over the rocks

You reach down and slip off your shoes and then wade into the middle of the stream
The water is cool and the steam bed is sandy
You are facing downstream and the water is flowing away from you
The sun warms your back and the water cools your feet
You notice leaves floating on the water as it flow downstream

Gently turn your awareness to your thoughts, select one that has been troubling you
Now reach down and pick up one of those leaves floating in the stream
Place the troubling thought on the leaf
Bend down and put the leaf, which now carries your troubling thought, into the moving water
Watch as it floats away from you, further and further away from you
And as it floats downstream and out of sight notice that you are feeling lighter and lighter

Now return to your thoughts, become aware of a situation or circumstance that is troubling you
A situation that you can neither change nor control, it can be personal or global
Again reach down and pick up a floating leaf
Put the troubling situation on the leaf and place it back into the moving stream
Watch as it floats further and further away from you, notice the relief you feel

Acknowledge your troubling thoughts, accept them and then release them to the stream of Spirit
Let go of your attachment to them, no fixing, no solving, no trying to change them
Allow the flow of Spirit to fill the space where these troubles once lived in you
Allow the stream of Spirit to dissolve your need to control outcomes
Invite Spirit in and give it a place of honor in your awareness, allow It’s gift of peace to fill you

Continue to release your concerns into the stream of Spirit for the next 10 minutes