Photo: betsyandnat.com
Hello, SuperForest!
I hope you are all well and enjoying 2011 thus far. I realize that there has been a lack of posting these days, but never fear, we’re still here! I know that for me personally, I’ve been taking the time to recharge and set intentions for 2011, as well as getting back to work, but SuperForest is always very often top of mind in my thoughts. I hope you have enjoyed the posts we have put up lately, and of course there is always time to go through the Archives and enjoy! So many treasures in the archives….
Having said that, I wanted to share with you a meditation exercise I have done in the past that might be helpful for you! Interestingly enough, it has been on my mind to share this with you for a while, but I was recently even more inspired to share it after I listened to SuperForester Jon on Be Love Radio the other day. Jon was talking about letting go of things that we’re attached to, and realizing that sometimes the universe is pushing you out of things because it’s leading you in a different direction. When talking about his own journey, SuperForester Jon talks about “the let-go and then paralleling that is stepping into a truer version of [yourself] that is even braver…” It’s a super inspiring talk, you can listen to it here.
Letting go is something that has helped me in life — letting go of bad habits, toxic situations, stresses and things that are just generally not serving me. One exercise you can do to really help you let go of things is by using candleboats.
Let me explain.I can’t remember where I first heard about this idea, but a few years ago when I was working at a weight loss camp for teen girls, I chose to lead them through this exercise, and it was really successful and beneficial for all. We had the candleboat ceremony on the last evening of camp, and it was truly a time of reflection and empowerment.
The first part of the exercise involves making your candleboat. This is where you can really explore your creativity and start thinking about what you need to let go of in your life. Some people make their boat out of paper, some make it out of wood. We chose to pick up dead wood from the forest floor of our campsite and carve small depressions in the wood, small enough to hold a tealight candle. The wood didn’t float as well as we’d liked, but it still worked for the most part. Most candleboats look like the ones above in the photo and are made of paper, but I decided to change it up a bit with the girls. Sidenote: I think this practice might have originated in India and might have a spiritual significance, but I’m not sure. Something to research later I suppose!
Back to the candleboats. Once you have made your candleboat, you are ready for the candleboat ceremony of letting go. Ideally you should be near a natural body of water, but if you are not, you could always visualize the candleboat ceremony in your mind. Think about what you need to let go of in your life. With these girls, we talked about letting go of unhealthy eating habits, unhealthy body image etc., but you can use this meditation for whatever you need to let go of that is not serving you in your life. Ready to begin?
Photo: betsyandnat.com
Candleboat Meditation:
Gently place your candleboat in the water. Light the candle and softly push the boat away from yourself so that it begins to sail away. While the boat is traveling away from you, either say these words out loud, or have someone else recite them to you, or the group(the latter being ideal). (It is also ideal to do this in a group because the vision of all of the candleboats is so beautiful, but if you are alone, then it is also perfectly fine. Either way you are working on letting go, and that is the important part.) Alas, the suggested script below:
As I push my candleboat into the water away from me, I am letting go of ___________. The fire of the candle represents both death and life. The fire is destroying the habit, behaviour or situation that I am letting go of, and allowing for a rebirth of my soul in this moment, away from that habit/behaviour. The fire also represents the new life and hope that exists as I let go of ____________and push on in the present moment, towards the future. It is a bright symbol of the life I choose to lead, where this bad habit is no longer a part of me.
As I let go of ___________, I am experiencing a metamorphosis. I am letting go of who I was when _________ was a part of my life, and I am rebirthing myself as the person I am now. I am no longer allowing __________ to be in my life. I am choosing to let go of things such as _____________ that do not serve me.
As you watch the candleboat sail away, you can take a moment in silence to breathe and feel the amazing, renewing and powerful feeling that exists now that you have let go of that which is not serving you. Usually in a moment like this, or in a meditation ceremony, your eyes are closed, but in this case I recommend that you watch your boat float away.
If you do the ceremony in a group, it can also be really powerful to end the ceremony in silence, and walk away in silence as a group, retiring to your cabins or wherever you came from before the ceremony. In this case we also considered the environment and went and collected all of the boats because we didn’t want the candles to stay in the lake, but that is something that can be done by the facilitator after everyone has left the area, so as not to upset the mood.
What are you letting go of this year?
Yours in the spirit of healing,
SuperForester Heather
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