Hi friend,
I'm Christina,
And today I'd like to invite you to join me for a guided visualization exercise.
Today's practice is called Anchoring in the Storm,
And this practice is designed to help you connect with your inner strength,
Stability,
And sense of meaning,
Even in the midst of emotional overwhelm.
Together we'll use imagery,
Breath,
And value-based intention to guide you through the storm and into a calm and steady presence.
Begin by finding a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down.
Allow your hands to rest gently beside you or in your lap.
Soften your shoulders,
Relax the muscles of your face,
And when you're ready,
Close your eyes or soften your gaze down towards the floor.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
And exhale slowly out of the mouth.
Again inhale deeply,
And exhale fully.
One more inhale,
And exhale.
Now let's shift to our breathing taking place in and out through the nose.
Allow your body to begin to settle.
Let your shoulders soften,
Relax your jaw.
Give yourself permission to arrive and be present for this exercise.
And if today you're feeling anxious or your body doesn't quite feel ready to settle yet,
Just know that you're still seen and welcome,
And I'd like you to continue practicing with me,
Even if it feels a little bit difficult.
Continue to breathe in and out,
In and out.
Now,
Imagine that you're standing at the edge of the sea.
A storm is building.
The sky is dark and angry,
And the waves are crashing against the rocks beneath you.
As you exhale,
The wind begins to swirl,
And it feels uncomfortable.
This storm represents emotional chaos,
Stress,
Or uncertainty that you may be feeling.
If there's a particular emotional experience that's taking place for you right now in your life,
I want you to bring that to mind and allow this storm to represent that.
As you visualize this storm,
I invite you to bring sound,
Taste,
Smell into it.
Make it as realistic as possible.
You hear the crashing of the waves,
You feel the buffeting of the storm,
You smell the briny salt of the ocean.
Now,
I want you to imagine that you're holding a strong,
Heavy anchor in your hands.
Look down at the anchor and notice everything it represents for you.
This anchor,
It represents your core values,
Your deep truths,
The parts of you that are unshakeable even when everything else feels uncertain.
Ask yourself,
What does this anchor symbolize for me?
Maybe it's inner peace,
Compassion,
Faith,
Family,
Love,
Doing the right thing.
Or maybe today,
It's simply being present.
Let the concept of what this anchor symbolized to you come naturally.
Feel the strength and the connection with this anchor as you hold it.
Now,
When you're ready,
Start to lower the anchor into the water beneath you.
Allow it to slowly sink down to the ocean floor.
As it sinks,
Feel yourself becoming more rooted,
Grounded,
And centered.
With each exhale,
I invite you to send your energy down the chain that connects to this anchor.
Each time you exhale,
The anchor lowers,
Deepens,
Becomes more securely connected with the ground.
Once your anchor feels settled and strong on the ocean floor,
I want you to imagine that as you inhale,
You're breathing up the chain from the ocean floor,
Drawing in strength and certainty from your anchor,
From these values that they represent.
As you inhale and exhale,
Imagine breathing up the chain,
Drawing in strength,
And as you exhale,
Breathe down the chain,
Reinforcing the connection,
Securing yourself even more deeply.
Inhale,
Draw strength,
Meaning,
And calm into your body.
Exhale,
Feel the anchor settle you more firmly with each breath.
Now,
Once you feel strongly anchored and secure,
Allow your attention to turn towards the storm.
The storm now is going to begin to respond to you.
As you breathe,
Taking in the strength from your anchor,
As you exhale,
You notice that the winds begin to soften.
The next time you inhale,
A bit of sunlight begins to break through the clouds.
As you exhale,
The waves begin to grow a bit smaller.
As you inhale,
You notice that the storm is beginning to calm as your anchor holds you steady.
As you exhale,
The clouds slowly begin to break,
Allowing more warm and golden sunlight in.
As the ocean calms and the sunlight begins to bathe you in its glow,
You feel peace.
You feel steady.
With each inhale,
Let that sunlight glow just a little bit brighter,
And with each exhale,
The storm softens just a little bit more.
You are secure.
You are safe.
You are anchored.
You are calm in the midst of the storm.
Take a moment to just bask and bathe in the golden light,
The clear sky,
The calm sea,
And the strength and steadiness of your connection with your anchor.
Take a deep breath in through the nose,
And exhale.
Allow the visualization to begin to dissolve,
Coming back to yourself.
Remember that this anchor is always there because it represents the deepest,
Truest parts of yourself.
And this anchor,
This connection,
This strong chain will allow you to weather any emotional storm.
Whether that emotional storm is grief or anger or resentment or sorrow,
Your anchor is always there.
And when you breathe into it,
When you connect with it,
You can weather any storm.
When you're ready,
Breathe into your body.
Exhale all the way.
Begin to bring your awareness back into the present moment,
Taking your time.
When you feel ready,
You can begin to softly blink the eyes open.
Carry this sense of groundedness,
Of connection to your anchor with you into whatever comes next within your day.
Thank you so much for joining me for this practice.
I look forward to practicing again with you soon.
Namaste.
