Waterfall Meditation

by Lin Zyl
(East Providence, RI USA)

During my daughter’s chemotherapy treatments, I would spend a lot of time in the hospital cafeteria.

Because she was so medicated, my daughter slept through her treatments, and I got very anxious just sitting around waiting for her to wake up.

The cafeteria was a busy place that I could distract my mind from the terrible thoughts that seeped into it.

On a particularly difficult visit, I found myself more on edge than I could handle. I walked around the hospital, inside and out. I went to the library, the roof, and the activity center. Nothing would soothe my nerves.

I finally made my way to the cafeteria to get some hot cocoa. Once I was seated, my anxiety worsened. I decided to try a meditation technique suggested to me by a friend.

The technique consists of closing your eyes and picturing a waterfall. The idea is to imagine the rush of the water as if it was running through your body, from head to toe.

I didn’t realize how powerful this form of mediation was. About ten minutes into it, I heard laughter. When I opened my eyes, I saw a complete stranger sitting at my small table. She said she had asked me a couple times if she could sit down, and when I didn’t respond, she thought I was asleep and sat anyway.

It was a great comfort to know that meditating could bring me so far out of my stressful world, that I need someone else to bring me back!