Going to go for a walk in the mountains.
Before starting this meditation,
Please make sure you have consulted your doctor and are able to perform the exercise.
So to begin,
Today we're going to go for a walk in the mountains.
So go ahead and make yourself comfortable for today's practice.
Make sure your surroundings are peaceful and quiet.
You are in a safe place where you won't be disturbed.
And once you have settled in,
Gently close your eyes.
Now let's take a couple of deep,
Soothing breaths,
Breathing in through the nose,
Hold,
And breathing out through the mouth.
And repeat a few times.
So taking a long,
Deep breath in,
Inhaling calming and soothing feelings into your mind and your body.
And with your out breath,
Expelling all that you wish to release,
Letting go of all that has been weighing you down.
With every breath,
Allow your mind to become quiet.
Simply focus on your body as it continues to relax deep into your space.
Allow your muscles to completely soften.
You are becoming unbound from any tension.
Breathing in deeply and breathing out slowly.
Simply allow your mind to explore and appreciate the relaxation flowing through your body.
All you need to think about right now is the peacefulness of this moment.
As you continue to breathe,
Notice how the breath makes your body feel.
Observe the gentle rise and fall of your belly and chest.
Notice how your chest moves in synchronization,
Your breath and your body working in perfect harmony together.
Each breath you take brings you closer to feelings of peace and calm.
Imagine all tension from within you is being gradually carried away from you right now,
Bringing you to a completely comfortable sense of inner peace.
And now,
Allow your breath to become natural.
Just allow it to be soft and easy,
Flowing in and out of your body with no effort.
Just breathe.
And as you bring your breath back to a soothing,
Natural rhythm,
Imagine you are standing in the middle of a mountain range.
There are flowers and trees growing from the cracks in the large gray rock.
The surroundings of this place are just breathtaking.
Far in the distance,
You hear the gentle murmur of ocean waves gently crashing against the shore.
As you inhale,
You get a subtle hint of the sea air passing through your nostrils.
It makes you feel very peaceful and relaxed.
The view before you looks like the most perfect picture.
All the mountains,
The ocean in the distance,
The luscious green treetops that are gently swaying in the mountain breeze,
The birds and all the wildlife,
The earthy and soothing colors that surround you.
Nothing can compare to this incredible view.
Enjoy this moment and simply admire the scenery.
As you continue to breathe in the fresh mountain air,
You reach into your pocket and take out a rock.
Feeling confused,
You hold it out in the light and realize what this rock is.
This rock is something that you have been worrying about today,
Something that has been weighing you down.
So bring to mind anything that has been troubling you all day and see it existing in the presence of this rock.
As you look down at the ground before you,
You notice a small gap between the rocks.
The gap is the exact size and shape of the rock that you are holding.
You kneel down and place the rock into the gap.
It fits perfectly,
Just like a key.
As you stand back and observe the rock,
It seems like you have returned it back to where it belonged.
You feel a sense of relief wash over your mind and your body,
As if these worries had never existed.
You smile,
Feeling so much lighter as you enjoy this moment of relief with the faint sound of waves in the distance.
You begin to descend the mountain,
Following a small path leading you to the beach below.
As you continue your journey down the mountain,
You listen to the chorus of birds filling the air with their peaceful melodies,
As if they were cheering you on.
Suddenly,
There is a sound that really draws you in,
And it's the sound of a drumming woodpecker.
You follow the sound as you continue to make your way down the path,
Looking for the woodpecker up in the trees.
When you finally spot the beautiful bird hammer its beak against a hollow tree,
You stop for a moment and observe the woodpecker in its natural habitat.
The woodpecker has a small black-feathered body with white patches all over and a red crest on their head,
As if they were wearing a small red hat.
And it continues to drum against the tree rapidly and rhythmically until it flies away to another tree to drum on.
You smile and admire the wildlife on this path.
Walking along the path,
You have finally reached an opening revealing the beach.
The waves are still very gentle,
But the sound is so much more vibrant.
You continue to walk until you approach the water's edge.
The energy of the waves feels soothing and comforting.
You kneel down and dip your hand into the water,
Allowing yourself to experience a cool and refreshing sensation on such a warm day.
As you bring your hand back to your body,
Yet again you notice something in your pocket.
You reach inside your pocket and find another stone.
You hold it up and recognize it as another heavy stone,
Carrying all your worries and concerns.
And as you hold it in your hand,
It feels heavy and tiresome.
Why have you been holding this heaviness in your mind for so long?
You examine this large rock in front of you,
Feeling more and more peaceful,
Knowing that now you have found this rock.
You have the option to let it go.
You know this rock will no longer trouble you.
As you feel a gentle breeze roll by,
You see the stone begin to decrease in size.
It is becoming smaller and smaller until it shrinks down to a small pebble before eroding into only a few grains of sand that remain in your palm.
You tilt your hand and allow these grains to fall into the water,
Never to be seen again.
You feel another sense of relief take over your mind and your body as you listen to the gentle crashing of the waves.
And feeling so much more lighter and free,
You decide to lie back on the sand and closing your eyes,
Allowing the sea air to fill your lungs.
You listen to the waves and the breeze.
You give yourself full permission to embrace the calm feeling of this place and the inner tranquility it has allowed you to experience.
Know that this place is always here for you,
Waiting for you to return whenever you wish.
This calming place has been created from the power of your mind.
And this power can be used to release any stress or worry that you may be carrying.
So enjoy this moment of total serenity as you continue to take some gentle,
Deep breaths in and out,
Embracing the beauty of your surroundings as they continue to make you feel more and more at peace.
And as this practice comes to an end,
You may stay here for as long as you wish.
Or you can slowly begin to come back to your body.
Wiggle your toes and your fingers.
Move your head from side to side.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes.
