Imagine you are in a small boat out in the middle of the ocean.
A powerful wave rises higher and higher until it crashes down all around you,
Causing your little boat to capsize.
You feel the strength,
Power,
And intensity of each new wave threatening to pull you under.
Tune in to your feelings and emotions.
You may be experiencing fear or exhaustion,
Feelings of overwhelm,
Abandonment.
You may be afraid of your own powerlessness.
Perhaps it is fear of the unknown,
Unsure of what lies beneath you in the dark,
Deep ocean waters.
Tune in to your feelings and emotions.
Identify what it is you are most afraid of.
Now that you have identified your greatest fear,
You realize that it is inseparably connected to the ocean waves.
You also realize that how you breathe affects how you respond to those waves.
When your breath becomes shallow and trapped in your throat and in your chest,
Panic fills your body,
Weighing you down,
And the waves get higher and stronger.
But as your breath slows down,
Going deeper and fuller into every cell of your body,
You begin to feel lighter.
With every inhale,
Your whole body expands and warms.
You feel the breath expand into the crown of your head,
Down to your fingertips,
Down to the pelvic floor,
Down to your toes.
Your heart rate slows down.
You've stopped fighting against the water.
With every exhale,
Your body relaxes and surrenders,
Becoming more buoyant and light.
Your body,
Which before felt heavy like lead,
But was pulling you further and further down,
Begins to feel lighter and lighter.
Suddenly another wave comes closer,
Threatening to crash over you.
But this time,
You focus on your breath,
And you turn and swim with the current.
The wave,
Instead of drowning you,
Has picked you up and is carrying you on its back.
The powerful wave on which you ride reaches its greatest peak,
And as it crashes,
You surrender completely,
Trusting,
Knowing it no longer has the power to pull you down.
You and the wave move in harmony and rhythm together as one fluid,
Powerful force.
The stronger the wave becomes,
The stronger you become.
As the wave calms and relaxes,
You calm and relax.
Through your breath and the power of your mind,
You have the capacity to stay atop each wave every time a new one rises.
You know what to expect.
You're prepared.
All fear has completely left you.
You are filled with strength,
Power,
And conviction.
Continue in this pattern,
Using your breath to keep you buoyant and light.
Trust the rhythm of the ocean.
A new wave is coming.
Swim with it.
Move with it.
Let it pick you up and take you higher.
Fill the breeze on your face as you ride atop the wave.
You and the wave move in harmony and rhythm together as one fluid,
Powerful force.
The stronger the wave becomes,
The stronger you become.
As the wave calms and relaxes,
You calm and relax.
Breathe in between the waves.
Rest.
Renew.
Refocus.
Return to your breath.
Another wave is coming.
Swim with it.
Move with it.
Let it pick you up and take you higher.
Fill the breeze on your face as you ride atop the wave.
You and the wave move in harmony and rhythm together as one fluid,
Powerful force.
The stronger the waves become,
The stronger you become.
As the waves calm and relax,
You calm and relax.
Breathe in between the waves.
Rest.
Renew.
Refocus.
Return to your breath.
The storm may carry on like this for some time,
Or it may pass quickly,
But you will always stay atop of the waves.
You are a wave rider.
The waves are not stronger than you.
They are you.
The storm will pass,
And when it does,
When your pain or your fear has abated,
You will find yourself on the shore.
You will stand on solid ground.
You will lie in the warm sand,
Exhausted,
But victorious.
Thank you for watching!
