Welcome to the peaceful place meditation.
Begin by finding a comfortable position in which you're choosing to meditate.
Maybe you're sat on a chair,
Maybe you're sat on the floor,
Maybe you're even lying down somewhere.
Taking a moment to settle into the space wherever you are.
And maybe you're going to close your eyes or maybe you're just going to find a spot in the room to rest your gaze onto.
Take a moment just to roll the shoulders slightly forward and just slowly backwards.
And then I invite you to start to focus onto your breath.
Allow your breathing to centre and relax you.
Notice the breath coming in.
Notice the breath going out.
Feeling the breath coming in.
Feeling the breath going out.
Continue to breathe slowly and peacefully as you allow the tension to start to leave your body.
Release the areas of tension.
Letting your muscles start to relax.
And become more comfortable with each and every breath.
Continue to let your breathing relax you.
Breathing in.
Gently breathing out.
Feeling the breath coming in.
Feeling the breath going out.
Let the rate of your breathing become gradually slower as your body relaxes more and more.
And from this place of relaxation.
I invite you to begin to create a picture or a description in your mind of a place where you can completely relax.
A place where you will be completely peaceful.
Imagine what this place needs to be like in order for you to feel calm,
Relaxed and at peace.
Let's start with the physical layout of the place that you are imagining.
Where is this peaceful place?
Perhaps it's outdoors or indoors.
Maybe it's a small place or a large one.
Maybe it's a real or imagined place.
What's the physical layout of the place you are imagining?
Take the next few moments of silence to imagine this fully.
Now start to picture some more details about your peaceful place.
Who is in this place?
Are you alone or are there other people present?
Maybe there's animals or birds.
Imagine who is at your peaceful place.
Again,
Using the next few moments of silence to detail and notice who is in the place.
Now I invite you to focus on the relaxing sounds around you in the peaceful place.
And notice any tastes and smells your place has to offer.
Maybe you can hear birds singing or waves crashing.
Maybe you can taste the sea air or your favourite drink.
Maybe you can smell flowers or cut grass.
Just noticing the sounds,
The tastes and the smells.
Now start to imagine the sensations of touch,
Including the temperature,
Any breeze that may be present,
The surface that you are on.
Imagine all of the details of what you can feel and touch in this calming place in your mind.
Now bring some awareness to the sights of your peaceful place,
The colours,
The shapes,
The objects you can see.
Maybe it's plants,
Flowers or water.
What are all of the beautiful things that make your place enjoyable that you can see?
Take a moment to look all around your peaceful place,
Taking in all of the sights.
Now simply imagine yourself in your peaceful place.
What would you be doing here?
Perhaps you're just sitting,
Enjoying the peace,
Relaxing.
Or maybe you imagine that you're walking around or doing something else.
Maybe you're standing or swimming in the sea.
Just notice what you're doing in your peaceful place.
And imagine a feeling of calm,
A feeling of peace.
A place where you have no worries,
Cares or concerns.
A place you can simply rejuvenate,
Relax and enjoy simply being.
Enjoy your peaceful place for a few minutes more.
Memorise the sights,
Sounds and sensations all around you.
Allow yourself to take it all in fully.
And know that you can return to this place in your mind whenever you need a break.
Whenever you feel overwhelmed or stressed or worried in daily life.
You can take a mental vacation,
A little mental holiday back to your peaceful place.
So in these last few moments of relaxation.
See if you can create a picture in your mind that you will be able to return to the next time you need a relaxation break.
Picture yourself in your peaceful place.
This moment you are imagining now.
You can take a picture in your mind that you can return to next time you need to relax.
Then when you are ready to return to your day,
File away your peaceful place into your mind and know that it is there,
Safe and waiting for the next time you need to return to it.
So start to turn your attention back to the present moment.
Notice the feeling of the breath coming in and the breath going out.
Starting to breathe a little deeper,
A little fuller.
And then start to notice your surroundings as your body and mind return to their usual level of alertness and wakefulness.
Maybe starting to move your fingers and your toes.
Just allowing yourself to come back into this present moment.
