And just find a comfortable position either seated or lying down.
And adjust your body in any way that it needs right now.
Well,
That's right.
And gently close your eyes.
And take a long,
Slow breath in through your nose.
And sigh it out of your mouth.
Feel the weight of your body settling into the surface beneath you.
Supported.
Rooted.
And imagine the busyness of the day.
Sliding off your shoulders.
Like a coat you no longer need to carry.
Every breath.
Loosens the knots.
Every exhale.
Releases the storm.
You are safe here.
You are welcome here.
You belong here.
Now.
Just imagine,
Only imagine now.
Is standing at the edge of a vast meadow.
And the sky above is heavy with storm clouds.
Layers of grey.
Swirling.
Alive.
You feel the electricity in the air.
A charge across your skin.
The way the world holds its breath just before the rain.
This storm is your overwhelm.
The thoughts that flash like lightning.
The emotions that rumble like thunder.
The weight that presses on your chest.
Notice how powerful it seems.
Notice 2.
You are not the store.
You are the one who sees the storm.
The one steady enough to stand on the Earth.
While the sky roars above.
And now imagine you take a step forward.
And feel the ground beneath your feet.
Spingy.
Alive with roots and grass.
With every step.
Picture the storm inside you beginning to move.
Stress hormones,
Cortisol,
Adrenaline.
Dispersing like raindrops absorbed into the soil.
Your body knows how to release.
Your body remembers how to return to balance.
As you continue walking through the meadow.
The air is cool and sweet.
Filled with the scent of wet earth.
Each breath feels like medicine.
Each step.
Is a prayer.
And as you walk,
You encounter four companions.
The natural chemicals of regulated presence.
Each one a gift from the living world.
The first that comes along is dopamine.
And ahead of you a small robin lands on a fence post.
Its chest glows red against the silver sky.
In the site.
Fills you with delight.
A tiny win.
A small success of noticing.
Every detail you notice.
Curve-ably.
Pattern in a stone.
The sound of a bird.
Is dopamine flowing.
Rewarding Awareness.
Whispering.
You are doing enough.
Each moment is enough.
And next comes serotonin.
Clouds part slightly and sunlight spills across your face.
Golden warmth that soaks into your skin.
Your muscles.
Your very bones.
You feel steady.
And quietly confident.
Serotonin tells your nervous system.
You are balanced.
You are supported.
The world is brighter than you thought.
And then oxytocin arrives.
You rest your palm against the trunk of an ancient tree.
Its bark is rough,
But alive.
Pulsing with silent wisdom.
And for a moment.
You and the tree breathe together.
Oxytocin fills you with belonging.
As if the forest itself is embracing you,
Whispering.
You are a part of us.
You are never alone.
Finally endorphins.
You take a deeper breath,
Filling your lungs with pine-scented air.
And your body warms from the warmth.
And with it comes a lightness,
A lift.
A hint of laughter rises unbidden,
Like the kind that bubbles up in good company.
Endorphins are the breeze that carries away pain.
In the spark that makes even effort feel joyful.
Together,
These four friends walk beside you.
Dopamine.
Serotonin.
Oxytocin.
Endorphins.
Weaving together a symphony of presence.
And now pause your walk and step barefoot onto the earth.
Feel the cool soil against your skin.
Tiny grains pressing into your souls.
Roots twine below,
Drawing nourishment upward.
And imagine the subtle energy of the Earth.
Deep current flowing into your body.
Balancing your nervous system.
Smoothing the edges of tension.
With every breath.
Release what you no longer need.
Old shirts.
Stale have-tos.
The static of overwhelm.
The Earth receives it all.
Composting it into new strength.
With every inhale.
You draw up steadiness.
Patience.
Clarity.
The ground itself is lending you its call.
And now.
Lift your gaze upward.
The storm clouds begin to dissolve.
And the sky stretches wide and endless.
And colors spill across it.
Golden amber.
Deep Violet.
Soft rose.
Shifting moment by moment.
It's as if an invisible hand is painting.
Just for you.
Notice how your breath catches in this moment.
This is awe.
The kind of wonder.
That needs no explanation.
A kind of beauty.
That draws us into silence.
And awe.
Just like us.
Can never be fully defined.
It's still a mystery.
And yet.
.
.
We know it heals.
Lower strats.
Softens the hide.
And steadies the nervous system.
Let yourself feel it now.
The colors shifting.
The vastness overhead.
The reminder that you are part of something infinite.
And know it.
How your body responds.
Your chest loosens.
Your vision softened.
The grip of overwhelmed eases.
And as your vision widens to see how far the land stretches.
How the sky curves around the world.
This wide vision tells your nervous system it is safe now.
You can rest in the medicine of presence itself.
As you feel all flow through you like a river of light.
Washing away the tightness.
Leaving only wonder.
Gratitude.
Presence.
Just stay here for a few breaths.
Bathing in this living miracle.
And place your hand over your heart.
And feel the rhythm there.
Steady.
Ancient.
Alive.
Let this mantra arise gently.
I am not the storm.
I am the sky it passes through.
I am not drowning.
I am the time.
Always returning to shore.
Breathe it in.
Let it settle.
And as you prepare to return to your day,
Know this,
Every walk outside,
Every ray of light.
Every touch of bark or soil or water is an invitation back to presence.
Nature waits for you,
Always.
Ready to walk off the storm.
