Start by getting connected to your breath. Feeling the air fill and expel from your lungs, feeling the coolness of the air right underneath your nostrils, right on your lips. Notice the temperature of your breath, how as you inhale the air is cool and as you exhale the air is warm. Keep breathing—in and out, in and out, connecting to this inner rhythm. If your eyes aren’t already closed, I invite you to do that now. Now, take a deep but gentle breath in, holding it in for three seconds, and release. Do that once more—a deep, conscious breath in, hold and release it all the way out, letting it all go. Connect back to the natural rhythm of your breath now. Don’t force it, just allow it.

Now take a moment to get even deeper inside your body. Starting at the tips of your toes, imagine a warm, glowing light slowly and gently trickling into your body from the core of the earth. Give this warm glowing light a color. Maybe it’s a light blue, or a crystal white, or golden yellow. Whatever its color, once you have the vision of it in your mind’s eye, imagine that this warm light is filling every part of your body, slowly working its way up towards the crown of your head. Feel this warm light gently spilling into your calves, knees, thighs. Feel it warming your pelvic floor, your belly, your sternum. Keep breathing and use your breath to move this light to the rest of your body. You can feel this light moving up your shoulders and down your arms, reaching right to the tips of your fingers.

Traveling up to your chest now, this light is filling and warming your throat, your neck, reaching itself gently up to your jaw, your ears, behind your eyes, and now coming right to the top of your head. Now that you’re filled with this warm, radiant light, bouncing gently inside of your body, next I want you to imagine with your mind’s eye a peaceful tranquil landscape. It could be a white sandy beach, or a desert oasis, or a lush forest clearing—whatever resonates with you, whatever atmosphere that feels calming and inviting to you and makes you feel at ease. Now invite your current self and body into this landscape. See yourself standing or sitting there, relaxing, enjoying the surroundings of this open and free paradise.

When you have a perfect image of this landscape and of you basking in it, next I want you to take a moment to observe everything. What are you wearing? What time of day it is? What are you doing in this paradise? Notice everything about and around you. Take a snapshot of this in your mind. Next, I want you to ask yourself this question: Who am I as a sensual being? Breathe this question into your body, and let it permeate throughout this peaceful scene you’ve envisioned. Again, who am I as a sensual being? Keep feeling this question being asked to your body. Give it space to open you, to fill you, to move you.

Now, gently open your eyes and make your way to your journal, moving slowly. Then, begin to write down whatever came up for you as you thought about this question. Let it come out naturally, writing your first thoughts and images. Write until you cannot write anymore. Leave it all on the page. What was the answer to that question? Write it down. Take as long as you need. Next, turn over the page, and on the back begin to document everything you witnessed in the scene you envisioned. Refer back to the snapshot you took, jot down some notes about what you saw. What kind of landscape was this taking place in? What was the mood of this scene? What kind of sensations or feelings came up for you as you watched yourself there? What were you doing? What were you wearing? How were you standing or sitting? What expression was on your face? Write down whatever comes to mind—your first thoughts and images are preferred. Try not to censor yourself. Write it down even if it doesn’t make sense.

When you’ve finished writing all that you can, read through what you wrote. And that there, that is the true you. That is you shining brilliant, magnificent. That is you as a sensual being. And you will always carry the essence of this being within you—always. It cannot be separated or taken from you. As we close out this meditation, I’d like to leave you with this question: What does this sensual being, the one you envisioned, need from you in order to be fully expressed and honored? I’ll ask it once more: What does this sensual being needed from you in order to be fully expressed and honored? Spend some time with that question and make note of anything that comes up for you in the process. Amazing work today.