In with the good air...

Frequently, during the "whirlwind times" the only way that I am able to relax enough at night (when my brain always decides to go into overdrive) to sleep is to focus on this simple meditation.

Imagine that it is a comfortably warm day and you are in a meadow or on the bank of a river, wherever it is that you feel most comfortable, most "you." There is a tree there, with a smooth, comfortable place to sit and lean against the bark of the tree.

As you picture the tree, now imagine the trunk at your back - it is solid and its roots go deep into the cool earth, bringing a slight coolness up through the trunk itself.  You can almost feel the strong positive energy flowing into the trunk.

As you relax and feel your breathing settle into a steady rhythm, imagine hearing the leaves gently flutter in the warm breeze. Just as they absorb sunlight to create nutrients for the tree, they are now catching the warmth of the sun and the prayers and good thoughts of those who care for you. Those prayers flow through the leaves and into the tree as a sun-warmed sap.

As the sap reaches the cooler part of the tree, it is as if the sap cools and thickens to the texture of honey, and is now flowing directly through you as well, coating the section of your spinal cord that has been damaged, offering a soothing balm to help you heal.