Hello and welcome.
I'm so glad you've joined me here on Insight Timer today.
My name is Kate and today we'll be exploring a gentle practice to help you find and anchor into a place of safety within yourself.
This will be a place you can return to any time you need to feel calm,
Steady,
Support no matter what's happening around you.
So if you can make yourself comfortable whether you're sitting or lying down and allow yourself these few minutes to simply be here just for you.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in and let it fall out gently as though you're placing something heavy down after carrying it for too long.
Breathing in and let it fall out.
And perhaps you notice the surface beneath you,
How it supports you completely without asking anything in return.
With each breath imagine yourself loosening your grip on the day and allowing it to drift away like leaves floating downstream.
There's nowhere else you need to be right now,
Nothing else you need to do,
Just this moment.
You and the steady rhythm of your breath and as you feel yourself softening you might notice your shoulders dropping,
Your jaw loosening,
Your breath finding its own gentle pace as if your body already knows you're in a safe space here with me.
And from this softness I'd like you to imagine a place,
A place that feels completely safe,
Completely yours.
It might be somewhere you've been before or somewhere you create entirely from your imagination.
There's no right or wrong way to find it,
Only the way that feels right for you in this moment.
Perhaps it's a quiet forest clearing where the sunlight filters softly through the leaves or a warm sandy beach,
The sound of gentle waves moving in and out like your breath or a cozy corner of a room with a soft blanket,
The smell of something familiar and comforting in the air.
Wherever it is it doesn't matter,
Just knowing that this place is yours and that you are safe here.
Notice what you see here,
The colours,
The light,
The shapes.
Do you notice movement or stillness?
What is the ground like under your feet?
Notice the sounds that live here,
Perhaps distant bird song or the hush of water against stone or simply the quiet that wraps itself gently around you or maybe even your favourite song playing in the background.
Just take some time to notice and feel into the air on your skin.
Is it warm,
Cool or something in between?
How does your body feel in this place?
Perhaps lighter,
Perhaps more open,
Perhaps steadier?
And as you explore allow yourself to choose an anchor for this place.
It might be a visual anchor,
A particular view,
An object,
A symbol that represents calm for you.
It might be a sound,
The rhythm of the waves,
The whisper of leaves,
The chime of a bell or a scent,
Fresh rain,
Lavender,
Wood smoke.
Whatever it is,
Trust your mind to choose it for you now.
Breathe with it for a moment,
Noticing how as you focus on your anchor your body settles even more,
Your breath deepens,
Your muscles loosen,
Your heart rate finds its own calm rhythm.
Know that here your nervous system is regulated.
Now life will sometimes bring storms.
The wind may rise,
The rain may fall,
The waves may crash and yet ships have anchors for a reason.
No matter how the surface churns,
The anchor holds steady and you can hold steady too.
Because whenever those storms come you can close your eyes and bring back your anchor,
The picture,
The sound,
The scent and in an instant the body remembers,
The nervous system remembers,
You are safe,
You are here.
And I wonder how it will feel next time you notice tension rising to simply call to mind your anchor and feel the shift as calm returns,
Like a lighthouse guiding you back to shore or the roots of a tree holding you steady while the wind passes through its branches.
Because this place is yours now,
Always here,
Always safe.
And as you prepare to leave this place for now,
Know that it is never far away.
This anchor that you have chosen,
Whether it's an image,
A sound,
A scent,
Is your doorway back.
Anytime you need it,
In the middle of a busy day,
In the quiet of the night,
Even for just a breath or two,
You can return here and your body will remember the steadiness,
The safety,
The calm.
So take a final moment here to thank yourself for arriving and to trust that this safe place will rise up to meet you whenever you call.
When you're ready,
Begin to notice the space around you,
The feeling of your body supported,
The air moving in and out of your lungs and with a gentle stretch or sigh come back to your day,
Carrying this anchor with you always.
Until next time,
Sending love.
