Welcome,
Find a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down.
Allow your body to settle.
If it feels right,
Gently close your eyes.
We're going to take a journey together,
A walk into a peaceful forest,
A place designed for you to let go of stress and anxiety.
There is nothing to do and nowhere to be.
For the next 10 minutes,
Give yourself this gift of rest.
Begin by bringing your awareness to your breath,
Don't try to change it,
Simply notice the natural rhythm of your inhalation and your exhalation.
And now,
In your mind's eye,
Imagine to yourself standing at the edge of a beautiful,
Sun-dappled forest.
Before you is a soft,
Winding path,
Covered in a carpet of moss and fallen leaves.
You take a step forward,
Crossing the threshold from your world into this one of peace.
With each step you take,
You feel yourself moving away from the noise and pressure and deeper into a sense of calm.
You feel the cool,
Clean air on your skin.
You notice the way the light filters through the canopy of leaves above,
Creating patterns on the ground.
You are safe here.
You are welcome here.
Let's explore this forest with our senses.
First,
Listen.
Listen to the sounds of this peaceful place.
The gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze,
The distant song of a bird,
The quiet hum of life all around you.
Let these natural sounds wash over you,
Soothing your nervous system with each note.
Now,
Notice the scents in the air,
The rich,
Earthy smell of the soil after a rain,
The faint,
Sweet fragrance of pine and damp moss.
Breathe it in deeply.
With every breath,
Imagine you are breathing in calm and breathing out tension.
Reach out and place your hand on the trunk of a nearby tree.
Feel its solid,
Supportive presence.
It has weathered many seasons,
Standing strong and rooted.
In this moment,
You can borrow some of that strength,
That deep-rooted stability.
As you continue your walk,
You come to a small,
Clear stream.
The water moves gently over smooth,
Round stones.
This stream is a place of release.
I invite you to visualize your stress,
Your worries,
Your anxieties as leaves you have been carrying in your hands.
See them clearly.
They might be different colors,
Different sizes,
Representing different concerns.
One by one,
Gently,
Kneel by the stream and place these leaves upon the water.
Watch as the current willingly accepts them.
See them float,
Bob for a moment,
And then drift peacefully away.
Around the bend and out of sight,
You don't need to force them away.
You are simply letting the water carry them for you.
Let them go,
Leaf by leaf,
Until your hands feel empty and light.
Feel the lightness that remains,
A sense of spaciousness in your mind and your body.
Sit here for a moment by the stream and simply absorb the peace of this forest.
Let it fill the space where your worries once were.
The birds are singing for you.
The trees are holding this quiet space for you.
There is no need to do anything else.
Just be.
Here,
In this moment,
You are perfectly okay.
Slowly,
Begin to bring your awareness back to the rhythm of your breath.
Back to the feeling of your body in the chair or on the floor.
Carry a piece of this forest's peace back with you.
When you are ready,
At your own pace,
Gently begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Blink your eyes open,
Bringing this new sense of peace to your body.
Bring this sense of calm and lightness with you.
The forest is always here for you,
Whenever you need to return.
This meditation is complete.
