Welcome,
I recommend that the calm place for this meditation is a real place that you've been in your recent adult life.
It could be a calm room,
A place in a park that you like,
Just a physical place that you've been and felt calm.
If you can't find a place that is recent,
Go ahead and find an imaginary place.
If you've done this meditation before and it worked well for you,
Go back to the place you've used before to strengthen your connection to that place.
And this time,
See if you can notice even more details.
So I invite you to settle in,
To close your eyes if you wish or rest them,
And in your mind,
Start to paint this calm place and all of its details and let it welcome you back into it.
You might notice yourself walking towards it or stepping into it and as you do,
This place welcomes you back,
Wrapping you up in it.
Take a breath,
Noticing that you've arrived.
There's nothing to do here,
Only to be and to notice.
Starting to look around,
What do you see?
What details can you find up close?
What view do you have further away,
Perhaps on the horizon?
What can you hear?
Again,
If you listen closely,
What's the closest sound to you?
And what is the furthest away?
What about the sounds in between?
How do these sounds anchor you in space in relation to the wind or the waves or the birds?
Just notice that.
And what about what the air smells like?
Does the smell change depending on which way the wind blows?
What does the air feel like on your skin?
What do you feel under your feet?
Is there a specific taste to this place?
And if thoughts come in,
That's okay.
That's exactly what thoughts are meant to do.
Just return to being in this place,
Seeing what you notice here.
Good work.
Continue to notice even more if you can,
In more vivid details.
And then I'll invite you to notice you.
Since you came into this calm place,
Has anything shifted for you?
Anything at all?
That might be that your face relaxed a little,
Or it might be that you sense that you're in a slightly different mood.
You might notice that your thoughts are different.
Maybe breathing has changed.
It doesn't matter how small these shifts are.
What matters is that you are noticing them.
See if you can turn on a truly curious part of your mind.
Scanning the body to notice any subtle shifts or changes.
If they're pleasant,
Fully notice and enjoy them.
Nothing to do.
Just let yourself notice and enjoy.
The more you notice and enjoy,
The more you amplify the positive effect of this place.
And that's exactly what we're here to do.
To create an anchor in your mind to this calm place.
And while you're noticing the shifts that this calm place offers you,
See if there is a word or phrase that summarizes for you.
What good does this calm place give you?
It could be a sense of peace,
A sense of aliveness,
A place to breathe,
Kindness,
Perspective.
Take a moment to settle on whatever that word or phrase is for you right now.
If you're not sure,
Just go with the first thing that came to mind.
Now that you've got your word or phrase,
Imagine an object or symbol that represents the good that this calm place gives you.
That could be something from nature,
An animal,
A stone,
A figurine,
Some familiar object.
Don't think too hard about your symbol.
Just go with whatever comes first.
This is your symbol to help you anchor into this place.
Now I'll invite you to gather everything that this calm place has given you.
Any good feelings or changes.
Anything that you want to take with you,
Gather it up now.
Your word or phrase,
Your symbol,
Scoop it up or let it come to you.
Take it all for yourself and carry it with you into your day.
And please remember that all of this good that you take for yourself is also good that you share with the world today.
So I want to thank you for doing this.
The more you visit this place,
The stronger this connection is made,
The stronger and faster the sense of calm will be.
If this was your first or twentieth practice,
Remember that every time you remember your word or phrase or your symbol or you bring yourself back to the sights and sounds of this place,
You're strengthening the calm place in you,
Installing it as a calm place in your nervous system.
We all need a calm place to come home to,
To remember what it's like to operate from a sense of peace.
Take one last look around and thank the calm place for being here.
Make sure to thank yourself for being here,
For putting in the effort.
As you feel ready,
Begin to shift out of this place,
Saying goodbye for now.
Let it say goodbye to you.
And when you're ready,
Give your body some movement,
Open your eyes and come back to this room.
Great work.
Remember that you created this place.
You created the calm feelings.
They're yours and they're here for you.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
