Hey there.
How's your day going?
I know it's rainy a little but I think it's
beginning to lighten a touch.
I see you're carrying a lot with you.
Shall we
take some of that weight off?
Okay.
As you breathe in,
Just lift your shoulders up
for a moment.
Hold them there along with your breath for a second or two and then
with a big sigh let the shoulders drop back down.
Whatever you are carrying,
Feel
it release from your body.
While we wait for the rain to ease,
Let's see if we can
get a bit more relaxed in the body.
We'll begin by finding your breath in your
abdomen,
Encouraging a gentle rise of the belly as you breathe in through your
nose and a lowering as you breathe out through your mouth,
Like a set of bellows.
Expand the belly as you draw the air in and contract as you release the air out.
A great way to ease yourself into a deeper state of relaxation is to
progressively tense and then relax the different muscles in your body.
Let's
give it a go.
Start by bringing your awareness to your feet and as you
breathe in through your nose,
Scrunch your toes up real tight,
Arching the foot,
Holding the tension and holding your breath.
One more moment and breathe out
through your mouth,
Letting your toes and feet unfurl and relax,
Breathing
naturally for a moment,
Resting the breath deep in the belly,
Allowing it to
rise and fall.
With each firm yet gentle tensing of the muscles,
You'll gradually
feel more and more relaxed.
Now,
Move your attention up to your lower legs.
Notice the sensations there.
As you breathe in,
Begin tensing the muscles in
your calves,
Holding your breath and the tension.
A few moments more,
Tight,
Tight,
Now let it all go.
Relax the muscles and relax the breath.
Feel the tension
leaving your body,
Letting go,
Breathing naturally.
Now,
Focusing on your inner
thighs and pelvis,
As you breathe in,
Tense them together and squeeze the
buttocks tight,
Holding the breath,
Holding and breathing out,
Let it go,
Let
it go.
Feel the tension leave your body,
Let the wave of relaxation take over.
Resting attention on the belly again and as you breathe in this time,
Really tense
up your stomach muscles and your upper chest too,
Maybe your shoulders pulling
slightly,
Holding the tension,
Holding and let it all go with a big breath out.
Let
the belly relax,
Returning to the gentle undulation of your breath.
With each
tensing and letting go,
The body relaxes more deeply.
Moving attention to your
upper back and shoulders.
If you can,
As you breathe in,
Curl your shoulders
behind you together slightly,
As if trying to make them touch.
Bunch them up
a bit,
Creating tension in them,
Hold,
Hold,
Hold and release.
Shoulders softening,
Feeling heavier,
Breathing naturally,
More at ease.
Now,
The arms,
All the way from
your hands,
As you start to clench your fists,
Tensing the muscles up through the
forearms and biceps,
Hold for a moment,
Squeezing,
Squeezing,
Now release.
Let the
hands lie floppy,
Arms restful,
Feeling relaxed.
One final big tightening and
tensing of the whole body,
As you breathe in this time,
Clench everything together
from your toes,
Feet and legs,
Through your pelvis,
Stomach and chest,
Up through
your arms,
To your shoulders,
Holding for a moment and a big breath all the way
out,
Allowing your whole body to rest,
Sinking into the ground.
Just notice how
you feel.
Resting in this peaceful state,
The sensations of relaxation in your
body,
Breathing naturally now,
Letting your breath lead the way.
It looks like the rain has cleared.
Shall we go for a walk now?
There's this magical
spot I've heard about.
A short meander through the forest takes us to this
secluded bay,
Where the calm and tender ocean is known for its healing properties.
A short dip in the water infuses you with a sense of courage,
Love and
belonging.
I know,
You're super relaxed,
But it's a very gentle walk.
There's so
little gravity in this place,
It's more like an effortless dreamy glide.
Ready to
go?
Okay,
We'll take our shoes off,
So our feet delicately kiss the ground.
The warmth of the sunshine is here to greet us,
And we have birds for company
too.
Feel the soft,
Mossy earth underfoot.
A few crunches and rustles from the embers
of fallen leaves.
There's a herbally,
Earthy scent,
That smell you get after a
fresh rainfall.
When did life become a task to do,
Rather than a journey to enjoy,
Hey?
We'll make our way through the forest first.
Ah,
The crisp and refreshing smell of the pine
trees.
That slightly floral,
Citrusy aroma.
It's a little cooler and darker in here too,
But don't be afraid.
It reminds me of how menacing things can sometimes look through
a clouded mind.
The shadows that suddenly appear.
Sometimes,
Old knowing can rush in
to understand.
Our skewed perspective can distort reality until it feels safe or
content enough to unwind again.
But there'll always be some mystery there.
Always some
doubt.
We must be okay with this.
The kaleidoscope of the mind does not reveal itself so easily.
I find it helpful to remind myself of when I should pause,
Breathe,
And hold some space for
a different reality to what my mind is telling me.
To pay attention to the vague shadow.
The
not knowing.
And perhaps,
See the world as a less threatening place.
Maybe the universe has
my back after all.
I know,
Life is so damn inconsistent,
Hey?
Always changing,
Building
up and breaking down.
Relationships swing in and out of balance.
Stuff comes,
Stuff goes,
Not enough of this,
Too much of that.
Though,
If we wish for life to be steady,
Complete,
Unchangeable,
For it to bend to our will,
Then we will struggle.
Instead,
With compassionate
responsibility,
We hold this awareness in our arms,
As if cradling a small child in need of
soothing.
There,
There,
Little one.
There,
There.
Ah,
Can you see it?
Can you begin to see the water
through the trees?
There it is.
That spectrum of colour,
Rich,
Deep,
And endless shades,
From turquoise blue to emerald green.
The sun sparkles and dances on the glassy surface.
A
lip of white pinkish sand hugs and skirts the edge.
A gentle tide laps in and out.
As we emerge
from the forest,
Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin,
Your cheeks,
Your ears,
Your arms.
A
tender touch from the cooling breeze takes an edge off the heat,
The refreshing,
Salty air.
This is a place of love and belonging.
You can always return here any time you need to.
You
don't have to wait to be invited.
This is your space,
Too.
Shall we go for a dip?
Okay.
Let's slowly wade into the water.
There's a little splash as you step in.
The temperature
feels perfect.
The wet sand supporting and receiving your feet.
The warm water tugs gently
against your ankles,
Your shins.
Every step,
A little more relaxation finds its way into your
mind and your body.
The water reaches your thighs and your waist.
A calming stillness.
Now,
All you have to do is lean back.
Lean back and let yourself float.
Trust in the water to
hold and heal you.
We must have a little trust in life.
To trust is to cultivate wise discernment.
In which our past guides but does not hinder.
Our intuitions unraveled from our impulses just a
little.
It's a wry smile at the limits to our awareness of our own motivations and that of
others,
Too.
It's a relaxing grip on the need to know as we befriend the foes lurking in the
unknown.
The ghosts of yesterday's hurts,
Too,
And dream the beautiful stories as yet untold.
Courage is indeed a love affair with the unknown.
This is to trust.
Bathed by the lake below and the sun above,
The elements hold and nourish you.
The transforming
power of fire and water's cleansing,
Healing release.
From here flows an expansion of the
depth and breadth of your perception,
Your trust,
And your kindness.
With this embodiment of
receptivity,
Your open-heartedness,
Here are some affirmations for you.
Let yourself receive
them deep in your mind and body.
There's nothing to do,
Just receive.
I am welcome.
I deserve to
take up space.
I belong here,
Too.
I am a compassionate warrior,
Both kind and courageous.
I can feel afraid and still move towards the unknown.
I continue to get to know myself with
tenderness.
I continue to get to know myself with tenderness.
I hold my vulnerable self with care
as I befriend the wounded and scared parts within me.
I am not alone with my struggles,
Others feel this way too.
I choose curiosity,
Playfulness,
And lightness in my life.
I am falling in love with the uncertainty of things.
I am falling in love with the uncertainty
of things.
As I breathe in,
I invite a loving awareness of the messiness inside.
As I breathe
in,
I invite a loving awareness of the messiness inside.
As I breathe out,
I choose to let it all
be.
As I breathe out,
I choose to let it all be.
As I breathe out,
I choose to let it all be.
Now,
Let yourself experience the richness of this feeling of safety,
Of love and belonging.
Allow the peace you feel in this moment to flow to any areas of your mind,
Body or soul that call out for healing.
Hey there.
Hey there.
It's time to leave soon.
But,
Before you go,
Reach down with your hand and just sitting on the sandy bed below you,
You'll find a little pebble.
That's it,
You've got it.
Gently turn it over with your fingers,
Feel the silky texture and weight in your hand.
A humble,
Grey pebble with a hint of lilac and blue,
Wet and glimmering.
Take it with you when you leave and anytime you wish to return to the
place,
Just close your eyes and bring the pebble to mind.
You'll find your way here.
It's a long walk back,
But hey,
We don't need to worry about that.
With your pebble,
You can float to wherever you need to be.
Just begin to feel yourself gently lifting from the water.
Droplets falling away from your body,
Taking the last of your worries with them.
Drifting up,
Up,
Up and away now.
Floating high above the forest below.
Through the cleansing,
Inspiring air.
Taking what you need from your visit and leaving the rest behind.
Feeling the sensations in your body.
Start to wriggle your toes gently.
Curl your fingers and thumbs in slightly.
Start to feel the flow of aliveness in your body.
The flow of energy through your body.
From top to the bottom.
Noticing any sounds around you.
Arriving back wherever you need to be.
Opening your eyes when you feel ready.
I hope you'll come again to another place,
Another time.
I'll see you there.
