Let your body settle in whatever way feels most comfortable to you.
Now when you're ready gently close your eyes and imagine yourself just outside the edge of a forest.
This is a safe forest.
You're welcome here.
There's a trail in front of you.
If you look down you notice the soft earth beneath your feet.
You're barefoot and the ground is warm and kind.
As your feet press into the warm yielding earth imagine any tension stored in your calves and thighs draining out through your soles of your feet.
Like roots reaching deep into the soil let the earth absorb the weight of the day.
Leaving your legs feeling light and your steps effortless.
You're invited to follow the trail into the forest.
There's no hurry.
You have all the time you need.
You might walk slowly step by step or maybe you feel playful.
Maybe you want to twirl or wander a little off the path just to be a free spirit.
However your body wants to move is welcome here.
As you move deeper into the forest you notice the trees around you.
They're tall,
Ancient.
These are grandmother trees.
Strong,
Steady,
Patient.
Observe the slow rhythmic sway of their highest branches.
As you breathe in imagine you are drawing in the clean ancient vitality they exhale.
As you breathe out feel your shoulders drop and your jaw soften.
Releasing your own breath back to the forest in a quiet exchange of life.
The air smells rich and alive.
The scent of damp earth,
Leaves,
Bark,
Blossoms after a gentle rain.
It invites you to breathe deeply and take it all in.
You hear the distant sound of a gently flowing brook.
A rhythmic song of water dancing over smooth ancient stones.
Like leaves falling onto its surface.
Allow any remaining thoughts or worries to drop into the water and be carried away by the current.
Leaving your mind as clear and cool as the stream itself.
Eventually the trail opens into a mossy clearing.
Sunlight filters through the forest canopy above.
Soft dappled sunlight mixing with shadows.
The moss feels warm and welcoming.
You feel heavy in a good way.
Sleepy,
Safe.
And you decide to lay down in the thick bed of soft moss.
Feel the moss gently conforming to the shape of your body.
Filling every curve of your spine and supporting the back of your head.
It's a living cushion.
Cool against your skin but warm with the sun's memory.
With every exhale you feel every muscle begin to relax.
The forest breathes around you in your bed of soft moss as it cradles you gently.
The trees offer fresh air and relief.
You allow yourself to drift off.
Time doesn't matter.
And when you eventually open your eyes within your dream,
You notice you're not alone.
Nearby you see a woman you recognize.
A grandmother.
Someone who feels familiar even if she's no longer with you in life.
You feel her presence before anything else.
Her warmth.
Her support.
And as you relax there you begin to notice others.
More grandmother ancestors emerging gently from the forest.
Some you recognize.
Some you don't.
And even if you don't know their names,
You know who they are.
You can feel it in your body.
They are here for you.
Some remain nearby quietly.
Others come closer in curiosity.
You might imagine the sensation of a gentle hand on your foot.
It may be the soft resting of a hand on your forehead.
And the feeling that washes over you is deeply familiar.
Comfort.
Nurturing.
A sense of being loved.
Around you the grandmothers are living their lives.
Some are foraging.
Some are gathering leaves.
Some are cooking,
Crafting,
Playing,
Resting.
Each of them doing what they do.
And all of them connected to you.
You feel it in your bones.
The quiet strength of those who came before.
You're not separate from them.
You are their living continuation.
They live within every cell.
Every breath.
Every heartbeat.
You can rest knowing you are carried by a love that is part of your very being.
Let the love of the grandmothers wrap around you like a soft blanket of shadow and light.
In the comfort of being home.
As you drift deeper and deeper into the soft wordless stream of the forest.
No longer needing to hold on.
Only needing to be held.
You slowly drift off into dreamland again knowing you are never alone.
Your grandmothers are with you.
They will sit beside you.
And be with you.
To comfort.
To love.
To hold.
To embrace that knowing they will never leave.
They are your roots.
Your strength.
Your comfort.
Always there with you.
Rest easy into a deep sleep on your soft bed of moss.
Sweet dreams.
