Imagery-Being a Sunflower

This is a Sunflower Imagery Meditation.  I put this on my computer after guiding myself through the visualization of first being a sunflower seed, then growing into the flower, then... well, read it for yourself.

Sunflower Imagery Meditation

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a flower?  You are about to take a journey to experience what it’s like to be a flower.  Begin by closing your eyes and taking in 3 deep breaths – inhaling through your nose, exhaling through your mouth.  Relax and let go of any concerns that are on your mind.  Imagine that you are a sunflower seed.  You are a fully ripened sunflower seed.  You are nestled closely to other sunflower seeds in the center of a large, beautiful, golden yellow sunflower.  You are filled with anticipation as you feel your connection to the flower head is loosening.  A small bird – a goldfinch of brightest yellow and black - is perched upside down on the flower head, using its beak and foot to pry loose the seed beside you.  As the goldfinch flies away with its prize, you feel yourself falling, falling toward the earth.  A breeze gently caresses your shell as you come to a landing on the soft earth among blades of grass.  You notice that the earth feels much cooler than the flower head.  You are feeling lonely without the company of your sister and brother seeds, yet the Earth comforts you and reassures you.

A chipmunk comes along and sniffs at your hard, outer shell.  You feel its hot breath as he picks you up with his paws and tucks you into his cheek.  It’s dark, warm and moist inside the chipmunk’s cheek.  You sense the movement as the chipmunk searches for the right spot, and then quickly digs a hole with his front paws.  The chipmunk opens his mouth and you fall onto the earth again. 

The light from the sun gradually disappears as the chipmunk covers you with dirt.  Now it’s dark and cold, but you’re feeling very tired, so you curl up and go into a dreamless sleep for the winter…

You slowly wake up, feeling warmth and moisture on your shell from the Spring thaw.  You are aware of an inner change.  As you stretch, your shell softens and cracks open.   Your first root pushes out and down into the earth in search of water and nutrients.  Your stem pokes through the other end of your shell and pushes up, breaking through the surface of the earth to reach for the sun.  Two leaves burst forth from your stem and now you can feel the warmth and light of the sun again.  Ah, how you have missed the sun!  You take in a deep breath of fresh air through your shiny new leaves.  When the sun goes down, you bring your awareness to your primary root that is growing down into the earth.  You send new shoots out the sides of your primary root to counterbalance/hold the weight of your stem and leaves and to search for water and nutrition sources from the soil.  Your roots search for nutrients – helpings of love from Mother Earth.  Your roots also provide the solid foundation upon which you will grow. 

As days go by, your stem grows strong, taller and thicker.  New, smaller stems and leaves grow out from your main stem, reaching for the sun.  At the same time, your root system is growing and expanding, channeling water and nutrients to your stem and leaves. 

Occasionally, you must curl your roots around rocks or send them deeper and wider to find water.  Your stem and leaves enjoy the gentle caresses of the wind.  You can feel the tiny footsteps of ants and other insects that stop by to touch you.  Sometimes, they take small bites of food from your leaves – this is only a minor inconvenience as you know you are there to nourish them and that you heal quickly. 

During a thunderstorm, your whole being vibrates to the sound of thunder.  Lightning flashes add nitrogen to the air and your leaves breathe it in.  Raindrops wash the dust from your body.  High winds challenge the strength of your stem and roots.  The storm tears off one of your beautiful green leaves and then another.  Your stem whips back and forth wildly in the wind.  You use all of your strength to hold on and stand tall during the storm.  When it’s over, you feel exhausted… 

Your leaves are bruised -- your roots are stretched and aching -- your stem is leaning over.  Your roots expand and drink in large amounts of water, sending life-affirming nutrition and energy up your stem to your leaves and more growth occurs.  You feel stronger every day as you grow taller, heal your wounds, grow some new, bigger leaves and reach toward the sun – ever reaching toward the sun. 

One morning, you notice something new – your flower bud is forming.  Since your stem and leaves are now fully mature, you send most of your nutrients directly to your growing flower bud.  It sits on top of your stem and looks up at the sun.  You recognize the bud as your face.  You start to peel back its edges and tiny, yellow petals emerge in a circle around your brown velvet center.  You roots expand again to feed the bloom, and the petals grow larger and surround your face with brilliant golden orange-yellow splashes.  You open your eyes and behold the beauty of the sky above.  You can see the sun you’ve been reaching for.  You breathe in the beauty of the earth and sky.  You see how big, strong and powerful you are.  You see a ladybug land on a leaf as another small insect crawls up your stem.  You barely notice their tiny bites as they express their gratitude for the food you generously provide.  A monarch butterfly lands on your nose and opens its wings to sun itself as you marvel at its intricate beauty.  You often feel the buzzing of bees as they land on your face to gather and spread pollen – you thank them for the essential work they do… 

You delight in the sensations of sunlight, moonlight, raindrops and breezes on your face and body.   At night, you vibrate to the songs of crickets and count the stars in the sky. You enjoy every moment of BEING a sunflower – a powerful reflection of the sun – a perfect reflection of the light and beauty of physical existence.  You enjoy every moment of BEING and reaching toward the light – reaching toward the sun. 

Now, you notice that your petals are falling away in the breeze and seeds are forming in your face.  You carefully fill each seed with light and love.  Your face grows heavy from the weight of the seeds and turns down toward the earth, so the sun shines on the back of your head.  The days are growing shorter and the birds are coming now – goldfinches are the same color as your petals were – chickadees are chattering – as they land on your upside down face, to pluck one seed at a time and fly off to enjoy its gift of life.  You enjoy providing nourishment for birds and insects alike.  You notice a seed that lands on the earth and watch as a chipmunk snatches it up and carries it away.  You smile, observing the cycle of life.

The Buddha said “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.”   Let’s take a few moments of quiet time to reflect on that.

Written by: Maggie McDermid