This meditation is designed to help you use immersive visualization to calm the mind and soothe the body.
It's designed to be deeply relaxing,
So please do not do this meditation while driving or doing anything else where you need your full attention.
Beginning with noticing the surface beneath you,
The pressure and contact with the feet,
The support and holding of your full weight,
And then taking a few deep breaths together,
Breathing deeply into the belly,
And slowly out through the mouth,
And into the belly,
And out slowly through the mouth.
And one last deep breath in,
And one last slow sigh out through the mouth,
And then releasing the focus on the breath,
And bringing to mind a peaceful,
Soothing place.
Maybe it's the ocean,
Or a forest clearing,
Or a cozy cabin with a roaring fire.
There's no right place,
Simply whatever comes to mind as a deeply safe and comforting place for today.
And begin to imagine the details of this place.
What does this peaceful inner sanctuary look like?
Maybe sun-dappled trees,
Or something completely unique to you.
Notice the colors in this place.
Are they vibrant or soft?
What textures can you see around you?
Maybe there's a gentle movement of leaves,
The shimmer of water,
Or the soft weave of fabric on a cozy blanket.
Notice all the beautiful colors,
Shapes,
And details that are most peaceful and soothing for you.
What pleasant,
Comforting sounds might be present in this place?
Maybe a gentle rhythm of waves,
A soft rustling of trees,
The crackle of a fireplace,
Or simply a serene silence.
What can you hear that brings this place alive for you?
What pleasant,
Inviting scents do you notice in the air?
Maybe the saltiness of ocean air,
The freshness of pine,
Or the comforting smell of old books.
What can you feel in this place?
Maybe sand beneath your feet,
Soft grass,
Or the weight of a fuzzy blanket.
What does the air feel like?
Imagine you can make the temperature just right for you.
Maybe the rays of the sun warming your face,
Or a breeze ruffling your hair.
I'll be silent for a moment as you take your time and explore this inner sanctuary,
Absorbing all of its details.
You can sit or lie down,
Or maybe you're joined by a comforting presence of a safe,
Kind person,
Or a beloved pet,
Just taking a moment to take it all in.
And it might feel right to imagine a luminous barrier of soft golden light forming a protective shield around your peaceful place.
You may notice how this barrier shimmers with warmth and strength,
Growing brighter and more secure with each moment.
You can see out,
But only peace and calming energy can flow into your special space.
This radiant boundary creates a perfectly protected sanctuary of complete serenity and security,
Where your mind and body can rest and restore.
And as you continue to soak in the details of this peaceful inner place,
Imagine you can let the warm,
Soothing energy of this place flow throughout your whole body.
You might imagine this energy softening the forehead,
Releasing the small muscles around the eyes,
Softening and relaxing the jaw,
Blowing down the neck and loosening the shoulders,
Allowing them to hang loose,
Moving calmly through the hands which can settle peacefully onto whatever surface they are resting on,
Flowing down through the chest and stomach,
Imagining this energy bringing gentle comfort to every area it touches,
Releasing any tension in the stomach muscles,
Flowing down through the legs,
Gently loosening the muscles so that the upper legs soften into the supportive surface beneath them,
And the lower legs might release any tension,
The feet relaxing and grounding into the steady,
Solid earth below.
And now you might imagine the ease and comfort of this peaceful place filling the whole body.
And in this moment,
Settling into this peaceful energy,
Notice that any sense of centeredness or calm is coming from within you.
This always exists ready to be tapped into.
And you might take one more grounding breath,
Anchoring all of this settledness and peacefulness into the body on the in-breath,
And releasing anything that you want to release on the out-breath.
And when you're ready,
Bringing your attention back to the room around you,
Maybe noticing the light through your eyelids,
Maybe doing any gentle movements like rotating the wrists,
Giving yourself a stretch.
And when you're ready,
Opening your eyes.
Thank you for meditating with me.
