Welcome to this BAM or Burnout Meditation.
Just right here,
Right now,
I want you to start by taking a moment to check in with your body.
Begin to relax and soften any unnecessary tension in your belly and shoulders.
Find a posture now that feels both relaxed and alert.
Maybe sitting in your chair,
On a cushion on the floor,
Or laying down,
Relaxed and alert.
Now,
Close your eyes or look downward and rest your hands gently in your lap or by your sides in an effortless way.
Take a few moments now to scan your awareness through the sensations of your body and wherever possible,
Soften and release these obvious areas of physical tension.
Notice where you may be holding it,
In your brow,
Your jaw,
Or lower back.
Allow the stress to flow out of you with each breath.
Breathing in deep,
Holding,
And then releasing out through the mouth.
Do this now three times.
Breathing in,
Holding,
Releasing out through the mouth.
Breathing in,
Holding,
Releasing out through the mouth.
Breathing in,
Holding,
Releasing out through the mouth.
Surrender to the comfortable space that surrounds you.
Once you've released as much as possible,
Start to bring yourself now to one of your favourite places in your mind's eye.
This could be a place where you've been before or one that is entirely built in your imagination.
Wherever this place of peace is for you,
Take some time now to imagine it as completely as possible all around you.
Once you have this special place in your mind,
Bring yourself into the picture,
Imagining that you are in this beautiful place.
Put yourself right there in the middle.
Take a walk around and look at the surroundings.
Whereas before you were just looking like a scene from a painting at a distance,
Now you are in the scene.
You are living it.
Be there right now.
What do you see around you?
Perhaps you envision a slowly swaying bridge over a babbling brook that takes you away from the noise.
The path guides you to a silent forest grove with cool shade and towering ancient trees.
The leaves fall around you and as you sit under the shade,
You watch the orange sun turn to twilight.
Feel the bark of the tree,
Noticing where it is smooth and rough.
Find yourself admiring the way it remains deeply rooted,
No matter what unfolds around it.
Maybe you find yourself envisioning a nearly empty white sand beach where the ocean waves gently lap the shore.
You look out and you see how the blue water seems to stretch endlessly.
You can feel the soft sand beneath your feet as the waves rush to meet your toes.
Notice how the ebb and flow of the water mimics your own deep breathing.
Enjoy this moment.
Capture every sensation.
It is yours.
Remember that this special place is always here for you,
No matter what is going on in the outside world.
You can come back whenever you wish.
You need not be afraid to lose it,
For it is always with you.
The peace you feel right now,
At this moment,
In your body,
Is yours to call on anytime that you wish.
Capture this feeling and remember the way that you can always return.
When you're ready,
Slowly let the scene dissolve back into your mind.
Allow yourself to begin to come back to that comfortable,
Quiet place that was there before you imagined this special place.
As you come back to this space,
Notice how your breathing has slowed and the tension in your body has softened.
Feel this relaxation now as deeply as possible.
Wiggle your toes and your fingers.
Stretch your arms up and out if needed.
Roll your head from left to right,
And then right to left.
And when you're ready,
And only when you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes and come back to this moment,
This time,
And this reality.
Before you move now,
Take a moment to note how relaxed you feel right now,
And then slowly,
Attentively,
Remember that you can bring this calm and relaxation with you now throughout the rest of your day.
