So Let’s Begin…
THE GALLERY AT NIGHT SLEEP MEDITATION SCRIPT
Allow yourself to
sink into your bed,
casting aside
all the thoughts of the day.
LONG PAUSE
And as you lavish
in the covers,
feel your body
melting in relaxation.
LONG PAUSE
And as you feel
your body relax,
let your mind open
to visions and dreams.
LONG PAUSE
Take a moment and find yourself
in an art gallery,
with magnificently high ceilings,
and hundreds of paintings
adorning the walls.
PAUSE
It’s the middle of the night
and you can see
thousands of glistening stars
through the glass ceiling.
PAUSE
You’re standing in the center
of a large hall,
next to marble statue
of a discus thrower,
a young Grecian man,
bathed in soft moonlight.
PAUSE
The statue is milky smooth
on the surface,
with fine, pristine details
of the face and body,
and muscles sculpted
with perfection.
PAUSE
The discus thrower
looks as if he’s
coiled up and
ready to release
all of human kind’s potential
in a single throw.
PAUSE
You close your eyes
and imagine the discus player
coming to life
and releasing his discus.
PAUSE
The discus is unleashed
into the night sky,
flying higher and higher
until it’s out of sight.
PAUSE
As you gaze the discus thrower,
the milky smooth marble
softens into skin,
and the discus thrower
takes your hand
and pulls you onto the platform.
PAUSE
He smiles,
brushes a tuft
of chestnut hair
from his brow
and raises his arm.
PAUSE
With his arms in the air,
figures from the paintings
gingerly step out and onto the floor.
Sculptures unwind
and walk about.
PAUSE
The air is perfumed
with the fragrance
of sweet wildflowers
and freshly baked bread
as well as dusting powder
and cologne,
all from the figures
in the artwork.
PAUSE
A barmaid
stops by the platform
sharing goblets of wine
with you and the discus thrower.
She moves about the gallery
offering her elixir to all.
PAUSE
You sip the wine
enjoying its taste
and the warm feeling
of relaxation it brings.
PAUSE
Then, a woman
with resplendent
honey-color hair
trots a dapple gray mare
through the hall,
proud and stately.
PAUSE
The women smiles
and pauses to
tap goblets
with the discus player,
then with you,
before trotting off
to somewhere else.
PAUSE
Around the hallway,
you notice that
figures from the art,
are now real people,
that stop and chat
with one another,
embrace and laugh
just like dear friends.
PAUSE
Two fishermen walk by
with a casting net in their arms
and the discus thrower
asks where their boat is.
PAUSE
The fishers laugh and point
to a wall
where a brown wooden boat
with sails like canopies
sits in the middle
of a painting.
PAUSE
In the distance,
you notice a man with
a gray bowler hat
and pinstripe suit
waltzes with a woman
with pink ribbons
in her hair and dress.
It’s so beautiful.
PAUSE
And while watching
the figures from the art
come together,
there’s an understanding of community
of how everyone contributes–
how everyone gives something back.
PAUSE
After a moment,
you notice the discus thrower
standing up on the platform,
and his discus slowly returning
to his hand.
PAUSE
The discus thrower
gently leads you off the platform
then repositions himself
just as he was
when you first saw him.
PAUSE
Gradually, then,
the other pieces of art
quietly reassemble themselves,
blending back into paintings,
and recreating their poses
as sculptures.
PAUSE
A hush falls over the gallery,
quiet and contemplative,
and you take in
all the beauty around you.
PAUSE
Your time at the gallery
draws to a close,
and you leave,
walking into night’s cool air,
peaceful and fulfilled,
with a new awareness–
an awareness that
art is the story of life,
the story of us,
and that you, too,
have a story to create.
NAMASTE
