There's a special place that I know that is a quiet,
Calm,
Safe place that I go to when everything in the outside world feels too noisy,
Too intense,
Too overstimulating and too much.
So I'm going to take you there now.
We're going to be playing with our imagination.
So to be able to connect and tap into our imagination,
It's really important that we are comfortable.
Get yourself sitting down in a comfy chair or lying down on the floor or even on the sofa or in your bed and get as comfy as possible.
Maybe you want a blanket or a cushion.
And then if we're going to use our imagination,
It's also really interesting and perhaps helpful to close our eyes.
So if you feel okay with closing your eyes,
You can do that now.
And if you don't want to close your eyes,
You can relax your gaze.
And we're going to start by taking three or four big,
Deep tummy breaths.
So imagine your air that goes into your lungs can reach all the way down to your tummy.
So your tummy swells up and then when you let the air out,
It comes out slow and long.
So breathe into your tummy again.
And then out slow and long.
And then one last time.
Breathe in.
Fill up your tummy and then out slow and long.
And now you can breathe naturally again.
And we're going to imagine that in front of us,
There's a big old tree.
That in front of us,
There's a big old tree.
And this tree is really wide and really tall.
And you look up and you see the leaves moving in the breeze.
And you notice how majestic and how still and how sturdy this tree is.
And you get a bit closer and you walk around the trunk.
And you realize that on one side of the trunk,
There's a big open triangle hole that leads all the way down to the ground.
And this hole is just big enough for you to fit inside.
And you start feeling quite excited because you've never sat inside the base of a tree before.
So you crouch down and you crawl in.
And you check first that the earth is nice and dry so you're not going to get a wet bum.
And you sit down and instantly you feel like you've been transported to another place.
Almost another time.
Because inside the tree,
All the sounds that you were hearing before that were perhaps overwhelming for you have stopped.
It's silent.
And it's so silent that you can hear almost the beating of your own heart.
The beating of your own heart.
And you can also hear your own breath as you breathe in and out.
And what's lovely about this space as well is the smell.
It smells earthy and comforting.
Perhaps a touch damp and just so so fresh and green.
And it somehow smells and feels old as well.
Like you're not the first person to come to this special place and you won't be the last.
When you think about how old this tree might be as well,
It could be hundreds of years.
And that makes you feel calm and comforted as well.
And you sit in this magical space and you look out of the triangle hole that you came in.
And you see the nature seen in front of you,
Perfectly framed by the tree.
And you notice all the colours and the textures.
You notice the shapes.
And you notice nature just doing its thing.
And you get to decide what you look at and for how long.
From your safe space inside the tree trunk.
And sitting there,
The longer you're there,
You realise that it almost feels like you're growing roots as well.
Roots that mirror the world around you.
And meld with the roots of the actual tree that surrounds you.
And these roots make you feel really strong and really stable.
They reach deep down,
Mixing with the roots of the tree.
And there's something else really special that you notice about this safe space.
It's that it's so comforting and so calming.
It almost feels like the tree is hugging you,
But without touching you.
Some sort of wonderful,
Natural magic.
It's like all the wisdom and the calmness of the tree is draping itself around your shoulders and your back.
So you enjoy this sensation,
Knowing that you're safe,
Knowing that you're held in a way.
And you sit there,
Peaceful,
Breathing,
And you notice that you're not alone.
Just listening and noticing.
Really happy to have found this special place.
And when it feels right for you,
You can get ready to leave.
Perhaps you want to touch the base of the tree,
Part of the trunk as a little thank you.
And then you slowly scramble out.
And then you turn back round to marvel at the tree one last time.
And as you do so,
You realise that you still feel that special hug from the tree surrounding you.
Like it's given you a special armour that you can take with you as you go back out into the world.
Knowing that this armour that no one else can see will protect you and help you feel safe and strong.
