This is your time.
A time for total relaxation and inner serenity.
Take a moment now to make sure that you're comfortable and warm.
And cross your legs and allow your arms and hands to lie by your side.
And close your eyes.
Take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
Hold it.
And slowly exhale.
Allow any discomfort or unease to melt away as you slowly relax more and more deeply with every out breath.
Take another long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
Hold it.
And exhale.
Empty your lungs completely.
Take a third deep breath in.
Taking your time.
Hold it for a moment.
And then let it go.
And you're beginning to drift into a state of natural,
Deep relaxation.
Allow your breathing to find its own pace.
And relax.
Move your awareness to the top of your head.
Imagine a sensation of relaxation beginning to spread down from the top of your head.
Allow the muscles in your forehead and temples to relax.
Allow your eyes to relax.
Let your cheeks and the muscles in your jaw soften and let go of all tension.
Now this peaceful feeling moves down through your neck and down into the muscles of your shoulders.
Soothing.
Releasing.
Relaxing.
And breathe.
Allow this peaceful feeling to flow down through your arms.
Relaxing and soothing.
All the way down to your fingertips.
As your body relaxes,
Your mind relaxes.
And as your mind relaxes,
Your body relaxes.
Now the peaceful sensation moves down through your chest and your stomach.
Feel how this area gently rises and falls as you breathe.
Slowly and deeply.
Soothing and relaxing.
Turn this attention to your back and feel this relaxing sensation move all the way down the muscles of the back.
Now the peaceful feeling flows down through your lower body.
Relax your hips,
The backs of your thighs,
The fronts of your thighs.
Feel all those large strong muscles becoming loose and relaxed.
And the relaxing feelings flow down through your knees and into your calves.
Your ankles relax.
Now your feet relax.
Your entire body is soft,
Calm and relaxed.
And now it's time to leave the external world behind and go on an inner journey.
A journey to a place of serenity.
Imagine that you're standing on a beautiful white sandy beach.
It's early morning and a light hazy mist surrounds you.
The sun is rising slowly.
You can feel the warmth on your face and your body.
You're feeling content,
At ease,
Relaxed,
Safe and secure.
The sand beneath your bare feet is soft and warm and relaxing.
A light breeze caresses your face.
This beach is deserted.
You have it all to yourself and you have all the time in the world.
Listen to the relaxing sound of the ocean.
Its waves are breaking gently on the shore.
And begin to walk slowly through the mist towards the water.
A small boat is waiting there for you.
The boat is comfortable and steady.
Notice that it's tied to the shore with a strong rope.
Walk to the water's edge and step into the boat.
You're feeling completely at peace,
Completely safe and completely relaxed.
When you are ready,
Untie the rope and let it go.
Relax and allow the natural currents of the ocean to guide you away from the beach.
Your boat drifts smoothly.
It rocks ever so gently in the water.
This rocking motion relaxes you even more deeply.
The sun is now higher in the sky.
Its light has gathered strength.
Notice that the mist that surrounds you is beginning to evaporate.
You can see the air becoming clearer and clearer.
Watch as the sun's rays dissolve all of the mist.
Now you can see clearly in all directions.
It's as though a veil has been lifted.
Sparkling ocean water surrounds you on all sides.
And in front of you,
A small island comes into view.
Your boat moves closer and closer to the island,
Gliding slowly and effortlessly through the water.
The island is drenched in sunlight.
It is covered in tropical palm trees that sway gently in the breeze.
Your boat glides slowly forward and comes to rest on the shore.
You have arrived.
Step out of the boat and take a moment to appreciate this place of beauty and serenity.
Exotic birds fill the trees and brilliantly coloured flowers grow in abundance.
The air itself seems to shimmer and vibrate with pure luminous energy.
You can hear the soothing sound of the wind as it passes through the trees.
In this place,
You are free from all memories of the past.
You are free from all concerns about the future.
You are free from all responsibilities.
This is a place of total serenity and it is all yours.
You notice an opening between the palm trees.
In the centre of this opening,
There is a narrow path that leads deep into the rich green forest.
Begin your journey into the heart of the forest.
Follow the path as it wanders between the ancient trees.
This forest seems familiar to you,
Like the memory of a pleasant dream or a place you visited as a child.
Walk deeper into the forest.
You are guided by a force that you trust and that makes you feel safe,
Nurtured and still.
You have reached the very heart of the forest.
Before you is a shimmering pond of crystal clear water,
A pond of perfect stillness.
The pond is round,
Filled with pure spring water.
Notice that the water is perfectly still,
Like a mirror,
Free from even the slightest ripple.
A ladder with three steps leads down into the water.
And you decide to bathe in this magical pond and you undress.
As you take the first step down into the pond,
You notice that the wind has eased.
All the trees have become motionless.
As each moment passes,
The world around you becomes more and more calm.
And you yourself become more and more relaxed.
As you lure yourself onto the second step,
All the birds in the forest become quiet.
The silence is deep and reverent.
Now lower yourself onto the third and final step and glide into the water.
Feel yourself sliding into a deep state of relaxation.
In this pond,
Your thoughts simply melt away.
All is still and silent,
And the only sound that remains is the sound of the waves far off in the distance.
Your mind seems to expand.
You feel timeless,
Vast,
Empty,
Relaxed.
For the next few minutes,
Enjoy this experience of serenity and inner silence.
When thoughts arise,
Simply let them go and return your awareness to the sound of the waves.
Slowly bring your awareness back into the pond.
Slowly bring your awareness back to the pond.
You are deeply relaxed and refreshed.
Now it's time to make your way back home.
Slowly begin to climb the ladder.
As your foot touches the lowest rung,
Notice how wonderful your body feels.
You feel light,
Refreshed.
As you step up to the second rung,
The sound of birdsong returns.
Now step up to the first rung on the ladder.
And as your foot touches the step,
The breeze returns and the trees begin to sway again.
Dress yourself now and follow the path back to your boat.
You are drive back at the entrance to the forest.
Your boat is waiting for you,
Just where you left it.
Walk to the water's edge and climb into the boat.
You feel relaxed and secure.
And you know that in the next few moments your boat will bring you home safely.
Your journey is effortless and calm.
Like all the moments in your life now,
Effortless and calm.
And you relax and allow the current to gauge you.
And before you know it,
You arrive at the beach.
Step out of the boat and onto the sand.
You are home.
And of course you know that at any point,
Should you wish to,
You can revisit the beach,
The tropical island,
The sea,
The sea.
You can revisit the beach,
The tropical island,
The forest,
And especially the pool of serenity.
And you can choose now to drift down into sleep.
Letting go.
Simply letting go.
And drifting deeper.
And drifting deeper and deeper.
Deeper and deeper asleep.
Deep,
Deep down asleep.
Deep,
Deep down asleep.
Deep,
Deep down asleep.
Deep,
Deep down asleep.
Deep,
Deep down asleep.
