Hello,
I'm Jenny B.
Welcome to this guided meditation designed to reset your energy and nervous system.
Deep relaxation and sleep is possible,
So please only listen when it's safe to do so.
There is no chime in this meditation to allow for sleep.
Let's begin.
Allow your eyes to close and at your own pace take some deep releasing breaths.
Inhale peace and balance.
Exhale any unhelpful thoughts or anxieties.
Let them all go back to the earth to absorb.
Slowly,
Slowly.
Feel your stomach gently rise and fall.
Experience its softness.
Imagine or feel a soft light above your head.
Any color you choose.
Maybe white or purple,
Silver,
Whatever feels right today.
Allow this gentle light to slowly move through your head,
Behind your eyes,
Your jaw,
Releasing any tension it finds.
Your tongue,
Your neck,
Down,
Down into your shoulders.
Your arms,
Your hands.
Slowly filling your body with gentle soothing light.
Relaxing your chest,
Your hips,
Eyes,
Legs and feet.
Notice a sense of peace as this beautiful light buses through every organ,
Every fiber,
Every nerve,
Soothed and calmed.
With slow and even breath,
Let it all move through you and away.
Leaving you ready for your journey of rest and regeneration.
Now as you continue to relax,
Let's bring our focus onto our surroundings.
Take a moment to imagine this peaceful spot.
I invite you to visualize,
Imagine or feel sitting on a solid wooden bench,
High up on a hill.
Your feet rest on a cinder path,
Which is crunchy beneath your shoes.
Sit here quietly for a while,
Breathing in the cool air and arriving in this moment.
You are alone and safe,
A dry autumn day.
Behind you stand holly bushes,
Their dark waxy leaves and red berries bright in the sun.
Above you,
The sky is powder blue.
It's just after midday and the sun hangs large and pale.
Green and yellow grasses sit either side of the path,
With a few purple thistles to one side.
Their architectural shape and fluffy seed heads move gently in the breeze.
You're warm and cozy in your coat and scarf,
Soft against your face.
It smells faintly of something familiar and comforting,
Maybe a perfume or aftershave.
You enjoy its touch against your skin.
Directly in front of you,
You have a fine wide view.
From here you can see easily the panorama of the landscape below.
A river curving as it goes,
The sun shining on its waters.
It's a restful sight and you relax your shoulders and jaw just a little more.
There's no rush here.
Let the world slow down around you.
Take your time,
Leave everything you need.
This place is just for you.
Nothing to do but enjoy the fresh air in your lungs and your steady feet on the path.
In the distance you see a small town with warm yellow stone houses,
A church with a steeple,
Some wide open spaces,
Patchwork fields,
Long winding hedges.
You take it all in.
You notice large oak trees,
Wide and solid with their roots deep in the ground,
Their leaves starting to change into their autumn colours of red,
Brown and golds.
Soon the leaves will curl and fall,
Leaving the mighty oak ready for its winter rest.
It's a timeless view,
One enjoyed by many generations and now you.
Enjoy the peace and quiet of this place,
Watching from afar at the scene below,
Feeling nature all around you,
Being in the world,
In the flow of life,
Still but always evolving.
After some time you will feel ready to move,
An easy path which reaches to the left.
You hear a gentle rustle behind you and notice a bright-eyed black bird enjoying the berries,
His shiny black feathers and yellow beak so familiar,
A bird that seems to have been around for your whole life,
Making nests,
Rearing young chicks as flustered parents,
Their lives often mirroring our own.
Today he is easily picking the berries off one by one.
After a while you decide to leave the black bird to enjoy the berries and slowly you rise,
You push your hands deep into your soft warm pockets as you walk on.
It's nice to walk,
To feel your body moving,
Feel the soft sun on your skin,
The momentum and the rhythm of your steps on the path,
That satisfying crunch,
Crunch,
Crunch as you make your way along the path.
Above you,
You hear the distant cries of birds,
High,
High up and you just make out the distinctive shape of swallows,
Miraculous little birds preparing no doubt for their long migration to Africa,
Reminding you of the rhythms of nature.
You pause and watch them for a while,
Dipping and swooping seemingly randomly for the insects they need to sustain them for their long journey.
It seems strange sometimes that as humans our lives change so much,
Not always noticing the ebb and flow of the planet,
Of the seasons,
Yet these little birds live their lives by every tiny detail,
Every insect,
Every storm.
As you walk,
A comforting scent of wood smoke drifts towards you.
It's a signal you're nearing your destination,
A place of rest and warmth.
Ahead is your sanctuary and the smoke tells you that you're on the right path.
Enjoy the rest of your stroll,
It clears your head of any concerns,
Lets them drift away behind you,
Disappearing like twirls of grey smoke.
And after some time,
You notice an old green metal gate with a nameplate,
Lantern Cottage.
The gate squeaks softly as you walk through.
There's a small garden with late roses still blooming,
Giving you their lovely fragrance as you walk past.
Some ramble up the wall and others grow in bushes.
Pink and white and their glossy green leaves.
You reach out,
Touch a petal,
Remember that feeling,
That velvety soft petal,
So perfectly made by the rose.
In the window,
A lantern flickers,
It's warm and welcoming light,
It looks so cosy inside.
Filling in your pocket,
You remember the large key you have.
It's an interesting shape in your fingers,
Old-fashioned and slightly ornate and heavy for its size in your hand.
The key turns easily in the lock and as you step inside,
You're welcomed by the comforting scent of waxed wood and baking.
The hall is light and airy.
There's a small stained-glass window with the last of the autumn sun shining through,
Illuminating the colours as they stream through onto the floor.
A vase on the side is filled with fresh bright sunflowers and papery orange Chinese lanterns.
You sigh and slip off your shoes and feel the warm floor beneath you.
Then you leave your coat on a hook nearby and lock the door.
A small,
Small country kitchen and pantry at the back of the house with jars of jams and pickles,
Strawberry red,
Plum,
Raspberry,
Tomatoes,
Mango and lemon,
A wonderful store for the winter and beyond.
You start to feel a little tired after your walk and the living room has a crackling fire in the hearth.
A soft,
Large chair next to it looks so inviting as you lower yourself into its gentle shape.
Your body is welcome to soften and relax and it remembers how it likes to do that.
A clock ticks rhythmically and you notice next to the table,
Next to you,
A table with a tray laid out with perhaps a hot teapot,
Cup and saucer,
Warm cakes and biscuits,
Everything you would like to see after a walk on an autumn day.
The fire warms your feet and you taste the soft,
Warm cake on your lips.
What does it feel like on your tongue?
Is it lemon or fruits or something else?
Outside,
The light is starting to fade and the lantern on the deep windowsill glows its comforting light.
As the fire crackles,
You hear a soft sound outside.
Curious,
You move towards the window and see a hedgehog snuffling around the garden.
You step back so not to alarm her.
As she collects leaves for her winter hideaway,
Safe in this lovely green garden.
As you close the curtains,
The fire continues to pop and crackle and you feel sleepy.
The chair beneath you feels so soft and supportive.
Your eyes close and you can give a gentle audible sigh,
The signal that all is well.
You are safe in this moment,
Safe to rest,
Safe to be.
No one to disturb you,
All the time to go deeper into rest.
As you drift,
You remember your refreshing walk,
The crunch underfoot,
The view from the top of the hill,
The glinting river.
The call of the swallows high up in the sky,
Busy in their work.
You remember the cool air as you snuggled into your warm bed.
The warm scarf and the pale sun in the sky.
The crackle of the fire and the glow of the lantern,
The time to rest,
All is well.
You can return here whenever you wish,
It's just for you.
If you wish to sleep,
You can stay here,
Resting,
And when you return to wakefulness,
You will feel relaxed and peaceful.
Until then,
Sleep well my friend,
And thank you for being here.
