Hi,
This is Chris McDonald,
Licensed Therapist.
Go ahead and get yourself into a comfortable space.
You can sit with your feet on the floor,
Spine straight,
Or if you prefer to sit cross-legged,
Whatever feels good for you in the moment.
Just noticing your shoulders for a moment.
Feel free to gently roll them back or forward,
Whatever feels good for you right now.
Just try to settle into your body.
If you need to make any shifts to get more comfortable,
Do that now.
Feel free to use any pillows or props.
You want this to be a comfortable experience and meditation shouldn't be something to be endured or with pain.
So sitting on the floor is okay or in a chair,
Whatever works for you.
And if you're comfortable,
Gently close your eyes or look at the floor in front of you,
Eyes soft.
Just take a moment just to tune into your breath.
Just notice the air coming in through your nose,
A little bit cooler.
And on the exhale,
A little bit warmer.
So we're not changing the breath,
We're just following it for now.
Just noticing.
And just settling in,
Noticing the ground beneath you or the chair beneath you,
Supporting you,
Holding you up.
Feeling any weight in your arms or hands.
Just make that intention to relax and be present.
You can shake out both your hands and arms if that feels better,
Releasing any stress of the day.
And just allowing your hands to sit either palm up or palm down.
In your mind,
Imagine you're going through a walk in the woods,
Taking your time.
You're by yourself.
You're just noticing the trees above,
Gentle breeze blowing through the trees,
Blowing through your hair across your face.
Just really connecting to where you are.
You can smell the trees and grass,
The fresh air.
Feel the warm sun on your skin.
And it's that perfect temperature,
Not too warm,
Not too cool,
Just right.
Can you feel your feet as they walk on the earth,
Noticing the motion,
Feeling your hip with each step,
Feeling each step on the earth.
Hear the sounds of the squirrels rustling in the leaves,
Hearing the birds float above with their calls,
Seeing the clouds above floating on by.
And as you're walking,
You notice up ahead there's a clearing to the right.
So you decide just to veer off and walk into the clearing.
You notice there's wildflowers and a beautiful space that is just for you.
So notice the space.
What does it look like for you?
This is your safe space.
And it could be something that's outdoor or something indoor.
So what do you see as your space?
If you don't see something now,
Make something up.
Where do you feel most comfortable,
Where you can feel most like yourself?
Be present with what is.
And walk over to your space.
Take it all in.
Notice the feeling of being outside of your space and then gently walking into your space.
What shapes do you see?
Notice the colors,
The objects.
What is present for you in this space?
Take a walk around.
Walk around.
If it's indoor,
Go to different rooms.
If it's outdoor,
Just continue to explore.
Noticing what you hear.
Is there sound or is it stillness and quiet?
Is there music?
Are there voices?
Or maybe a pet or two?
Just see if there's other people there or if you're alone.
Or maybe there are some animals,
If that is your safe place and there is no right or wrong place for you.
And exploring.
Pick up an object in your space.
Notice this object is something that can bring you back to you.
This object is light,
Can ground you.
So notice it in your hand,
How it feels.
And you gently put it up to your heart,
Connecting with it,
Centering.
A part of this space where you can fully be your authentic self.
You can take off all your masks that you put on for everyone in the world.
All the masks around other people,
The roles you play.
So you put this object down and have a seat.
And you're seated in the most comfortable chair.
You lean back,
Kick your feet up,
And the chair is just settling in with you.
You feel the most wonderful breeze if you're outdoors from the wind or indoor fan,
Soothing you,
Calming you.
You notice the most calming colors around you.
And this chair is where you can let go and release.
All that's holding you back from being this core self,
This true you.
And you settle down in the chair a little more,
Noticing your breathing,
Being present with what is.
What is in your heart?
What is in your mind?
What is in your spirit?
Is there a message from your spirit?
Is there something that can help guide you when you're back in the real world?
If there's not,
That's okay.
So maybe it could come to you later in the day.
So you take a nice breath in,
Breathing in,
And you gently take yourself up out of this chair,
Which is so hard to leave.
You put your arms out to your side,
Taking it all in,
Feeling that groundedness,
Centeredness of the space,
The safe place.
Just make a mental note of everything you see here.
How do you want to remember this space?
Just being present with it.
I know that you can always come back to this space at any time,
If you're needing a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
When you're noticing maybe more anxiety or depression feelings coming in,
Or just stress,
This is your place to be you,
To recharge,
To unwind and find that inner peace.
So you take yourself out of the space,
Walking back past the wildflowers on both sides of you,
Looking back over your shoulder one last time at your space,
Engraving it into your mind,
Making a mental bookmark,
Reminding yourself not to forget to come back to this space when you need to.
And you continue walking back through the woods,
Through the trail,
Just noticing your breath is much calmer,
Much smoother since going to your space,
Feeling the relaxation in your shoulders.
And then coming back into your room that you're in now,
Into the present moment,
To tune in for a moment,
Notice how you feel,
What emotion has come up with from this experience.
How is your energy?
Any shifts?
Was there a message from you,
From the spiritual side of you,
From this presence,
Being in this most comfortable,
Safe space?
Just notice yourself,
Mind,
Body,
Spirit.
How are you feeling?
See if you can take this with you the rest of the day,
Gently wiggling your fingers and toes.
When you're ready,
Gently blinking your eyes open.
Just look from right to left,
Nice and slow.
And then left to right,
Bringing in the space you are in and then back to center.
And I hope this was helpful and that you're able to use this meditation whenever you need to.
And remember that you have that calm space inside of you to always retreat to when you need it.
I hope you have a blessed day.
