Guided Meditation

The Boy at the Edge of Everything

Simon Ives is 12-and-a-bit years old, but no matter your age , you probably know what it feels like to “sit in the middle of everything and feel overwhelmed”, wondering to yourself, “Are there parts way way out that are just...calm?”

So, if you need to “space out” for a moment, try this easy 5 minute meditation exercise! You can read it and then try it, or have someone read it aloud for you!

“Wherever you are, close your eyes and notice what you hear. You can sit, stand, or lay down as you find it comfortable. Notice the pattern of your breathing (and don’t stop!) Focus on the sound of your breath as you inhale and exhale. Let the weight of your body sink into the ground for a few breaths, as if gravity has suddenly become even stronger. Now, imagine yourself beginning to be lifted, like you’re slowly floating off the ground. As thoughts come into your mind, let them slowly float up to space as well. Watch as they join the stars. Now shift your focus to those stars. Find the furthest one and imagine going all the way to it. From there, find the furthest star you can see and go all the way there. Then continue to float until you are far, far beyond it. Imagine yourself being transported all the way to the edge of everything. Here, you can just sit and be. Breathe in and out, in and out, in and out several times. When you feel ready, imagine yourself floating back toward the earth, taking a star in your hands as you pass by. Feel the warmth of the starlight spread from the tip of your head all the way down to your toes. Feel the light flow through your arms all the way to your fingertips. Take one more deep, calming breath and slowly bring your attention back to your surroundings. Let this feeling of light and lightness take you through the rest of your day.”

Feel free to repeat this exercise as needed!

Also, check out these mental health and meditation resources, recommended by BYU Counseling and Psychological Services (FREE or discounted for students!)

In what other ways do you see The Boy at the Edge of Everything exploring the importance of balanced social health?

Tags

Boy at the Edge

data-content-type="article"

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="376"] Margaret Roper[/caption] Margaret More Roper: Scholar and Daughter by Adam White, dramaturg Thomas More was a family man; he was married twice and had four children with his first wife, Jane Colt. After being married for six years, Jane Colt More died, leaving More with four children: Margaret, Elizabeth, Cecily and John. However, More quickly remarried to the widow Dame Alice Middleton, marrying her within a month of his wife’s death. While many of his friends resisted the rapid nature of the arrangement, More went through with it. Thomas and Alice More would raise the four children Thomas More had with Jane, as well as Alice’s daughter from her previous marriage and a foster daughter. Certainly, More valued his family and the welfare of his children. More also valued the power of education. He insisted that his daughters be educated through rigorous schooling, and this was unusual in 16th-century England, as society at large believed women unfit for scholarly pursuits. Despite cultural and institutional norms, Margaret More, the eldest of the More children (and More’s favorite, some would argue), would grow to become one of the most educated people in all of England, a woman of great scholarly knowledge. Margaret More Roper was tutored at home and became well-known for her studies, particularly for her adeptness in Greek and Latin. Her skill in writing and speaking Latin would impress the clergy of England. This specialty is reflected in a scene in Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons where Margaret and King Henry VIII engage in a bit of Latin language sparring. She would also become the first woman who was not of royal birth to publish a translated book. In October 1524, Roper published an English translation of a book called ‘Precatio dominica’ written by Thomas More’s good friend Erasmus. This book was based on the Lord’s Prayer. Instead of translating the book directly from Latin to English, Roper would use her extensive knowledge of both languages to construct the themes and the meanings Erasmus had written in to the treatise with her own words. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="291"] Erasmus, Dutch humanist and good friend to Thomas More[/caption] It was Margaret who would visit the imprisoned Thomas More the most often. They were very close, writing letters to one another regularly the duration of their relationship. It was in a letter to Margaret that Thomas More confided, “I do nobody harm, I say none harm, I thinke none harm, but wish everybody good. And if this be not enough to keep a man alive, in good faith I long not to live.” We have good reason to believe that Margaret More Roper very well understood what would be her father’s fate. After Thomas More’s execution, Margaret More Roper and her husband William Roper would continue to carry on his legacy in their own ways. William Roper would write the first biography of Thomas More, a glowing and gracious document that would influence our understanding of More’s personality for hundreds of years to come. Margaret More Roper actually kept her father’s head after his beheading, pickling it to preserve it from decay. While many of us may find that historical tidbit a tad macabre, I would like to believe that Margaret More Roper had deep admiration for her father; perhaps it was out of this feeling she kept his head. Please stay tuned to the 4th Wall Dramaturgy Blog to catch clips of my interview with Mallory Gee, the actress who will portray Margaret More Roper in BYU’s A Man for All Seasons. Bibliography: Abernathy, Susan. "Margaret Roper, Daughter of Sir Thomas More." Early Modern England. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. Duerden, Richard. "A Man for All Seasons." Telephone interview. 31 Jan. 2014. "Margaret Roper." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2013. Web. 02 Oct. 2013. "Sir Thomas More Quotes and Quotations." Sir Thomas More Quotes and Quotations. Luminarium. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection= overrideCardHideByline= overrideCardHideDescription= overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=

Guided Meditation

The Boy at the Edge of Everything

Related Articles

Margaret More Roper: Scholar and Daughter

gfhfgfhgfjh

Come And See Us!