Hello,
Beautiful soul.
Let's go on a little enchanted journey together in our minds.
In your mind's eye,
See yourself rise from where you're seated and step outside your door.
Walk to the gate nearest your door and pause there.
What you find beyond that gate may be very different from what you expect to find.
Whether the gate is usually locked or not is of no consequence.
It will open for you now.
You open the gate,
Step inside,
And close it behind you.
You have perfect faith that what you will find here is exactly what you most need at the moment and that you are perfectly safe.
You have entered an enchanted garden within a magical forest.
Even if you've never been here before,
The air feels familiar and fragrant with the scent of woods and flowers.
This is a place you've known in your soul,
But you didn't imagine you'd ever be able to visit it in this lifetime.
Well,
Beautiful soul,
Here you are.
Take a deep breath,
Down into your belly,
And look around.
How beautiful it is.
At your feet,
You notice 10 stepping stones forming a path to a cozy little cottage where the door stands ajar.
A lovely aroma drifts through the open door,
And the smoke of a cozy fire billows out from the chimney.
You know you're meant to spend some time in that cottage.
Something tells you.
That it's meant just for you.
You place your foot on the 10th stepping stone and move to the 9th.
Moving intentionally and with great joy toward the cottage.
You move on to the 8th,
7th,
And 6th stones.
The delightful smells emanating from the cottage get stronger.
The 5th,
4th,
And 3rd stepping stones beneath your feet fill your heart with calm anticipation.
You move on to the second step,
And then onto the first,
Right at the open doorway.
You step inside and are instantly greeted by the delightful sound of rain beating hard on the roof.
But wasn't it sunny out?
As if in answer to your question,
The sun shines through the stained glass windows of the little cottage,
And your eyes are enchanted by the play of color and light on all the room's surfaces.
The friendly flash of well-tinted flames draws your gaze to the crackling fire and a grand old hearth that fills most of one wall.
Before the fire sits a chair,
Not just any chair,
But the chair of your dreams.
It is the epitome of comfort for you,
And you sink into it,
Savoring the sensation of relaxation.
Just as you exhale,
Completely relaxed,
You notice a bowl of your favorite fruit that sits on the table beside you.
Someone has prepared such a beautiful scene just for you,
And it fills your heart with profound gratitude.
How wonderful just to have time to sit in a cozy chair by a crackling fire,
Delighting in the flavor of the most ripe and luscious fruit imaginable.
What a gift you've been given.
There's nothing you need to do,
Nowhere you need to be.
This is your magical retreat,
And it exists because you are here.
And it exists outside of time and space.
It's a secret pocket in the universe just for you.
You decide to stay here a while longer,
Just basking in the feeling of perfect peace.
You have a sense of calm now that you'll take with you back to your day.
You stand and stretch before the fire,
And you thank your host,
Either silently or aloud,
For arranging such a perfect place for you and only you to enjoy.
Even though they're not visible to your eyes,
You know that your host can hear you and appreciates your thanks.
You know also that you can bring others here if you like,
But that no one may ever come here without your invitation.
That's why you're perfectly comfortable leaving the fire going in the hearth and leaving the door ajar as you leave.
You know that this wonderful place will remain safe and protected while you are away,
As will you.
As you step onto the first stone just outside the doorway,
You breathe in the forest air deeply.
You know you can return whenever you like,
And that knowledge gives you joy.
You step on the second and third stones,
Marveling at how refreshed you feel after your little time away.
You move on to the fourth and fifth stones,
And you notice a new bounce in your step.
On the sixth,
Seventh,
And eighth stones,
You begin to feel like the luckiest person in the world and wonder why everyone doesn't have a magical place like you do.
On the ninth step,
It dawns on you.
Everyone does have a magical place like this.
And you realize now that you've always had it,
Too,
But you just never visited it before.
On the 10th step,
You take one more deep breath,
And a sense of profound joy permeates your being as you place your hand back on the gate and prepare to step through.
As the gate closes behind you,
You find yourself back in your physical body in the world we commonly call the real one.
You begin to move your fingers and toes around,
Bringing consciousness back to your body and back to the room you're in.
When you hear the bell chime,
You will open your eyes and your spirit will be revived and ready to face what's before you.
