Meditation as a yellow leaf

Portland, Maine

Yesterday, my meditation was amazingly vivid and metaphorical. As I brought my attention to my breath, I pictured a yellow leaf at the top of a very tall tree in a forest of trees atop a mountain. My attention wandered from the leaf to the overall scene and I noticed the pine needles, branches, scent of the forest, the view from overhead. Noticing I had lost the yellow leaf, I searched for and found it again. I noticed the details of the leaf, the texture, the veins, the bright yellow color, the frayed edges. The leaf was gently lifted in the breeze and began a slow and gentle dance with the wind. Again, I noticed the surrounding trees, but kept my awareness on the leaf, as the background blurred. The leaf was blowing back and forth, sometimes being lifted into the air, only to begin again it’s gentle descent. Now I began to feel the leaf more fully. I became the leaf, being held aloft by the air, feeling my gentle swaying. I was floating slowly downward. My attention was one with the leaf. I became the bright yellow color of the leaf. No longer aware of the background of trees or the visual of the leaf in the wind, I was one with yellow. I am yellow. Breathing yellow. Exhaling yellow. Now there was no difference between the leaf, the wind, the forest, the yellow, my breath, my mantra. It was all the same. This is meditation.