Hi,
My name is Elizabeth Kush and I'm a therapist and life coach for women in midlife.
Today we're going to do a visualization.
I know a lot of us have been at home and not seen a whole lot of different faces or places because of the pandemic and so I thought doing a little visualization might be a nice change of scenery even if it's just in your mind.
And I'm going to do the vis- vis- oh,
I have a hard time saying that word.
Visualization for being at the beach because that is my favorite place to be and the place I feel the most grounded and myself and at ease.
But if that doesn't resonate with you,
You can imagine another place along with my prompts and make your own special place where you feel safe and calm and at ease.
So put yourself in a comfortable place,
Sitting,
Lying down,
Sitting on a cushion,
Wherever you feel relaxed yet alert.
And closing your eyes if that feels comfortable,
Taking a few slow deep breaths.
Another one.
Inhaling deeply and exhaling.
One last slow deep breath in,
Filling your lungs and your belly and exhaling all the air out.
And now imagine that you are at the beach or at the ocean,
At the shore,
Depending on where you live,
What you call it.
Your feet are bare.
The sun is warm but not hot.
There's a gentle breeze in the air.
And you're walking in the sand,
Feeling the warmth of the sand beneath your toes and your feet.
Feeling the sand beneath your feet shift and move as your foot makes imprints in the sand.
And as you're walking,
Just notice what you are seeing.
Notice the colors,
The color of the ocean.
Is it dark green or turquoise or brown?
Depending on where you are or where you know the ocean,
It may look different from how I see it when I go to the ocean.
Notice the different shades as the sun lights on the surface of the water.
And the ripples as the waves come in and out.
And maybe there are birds or seagulls,
Which are also birds,
But maybe there are birds that are there at the ocean with you or other people.
And if the beach has a lot of other people,
Just noticing as they come and go into your attention as you're walking down the beach.
Maybe noticing the colors of umbrellas or towels or bathing suits.
And now we're going to imagine that we're going to sit on the sand and just noticing the warmth of the sand beneath your legs and your rear.
And we're going to sit facing the ocean and just watch the waves as they come and go.
And take a deep breath and notice are there smells of the ocean and the sand and the sun hitting the sand?
Can you smell the air,
The sea air?
What sounds do you hear?
Maybe the seagulls laughing.
Maybe the waves crashing as they hit the shore and retreat going back out into the ocean.
Maybe you hear children laughing or adults yelling at children or adults laughing and talking.
You might hear a lifeguard whistle.
And just allow all the sounds to come and go in and out of your awareness without focusing on the water.
And just allow the sounds to come and go in and out of your awareness without focusing too much on any one sound,
But just allowing the sounds to wash over you.
And maybe you can feel the sun as it warms the top of your head and your shoulders and your back and your legs.
And maybe you can feel the water coming in and out of your ears.
And your legs.
And if your thoughts and worries pull you away,
Just bring your attention back to this visualization.
Just like the waves come and go,
Just allow your thoughts to come and go as well.
And just noticing what's around you here in this moment at the beach.
Maybe there are seashells.
Maybe there are pelicans flying by or boats out on the water fishing.
Maybe you can see children playing in the waves in front of you.
And just allowing yourself to be here in this moment.
Maybe you have a cool drink by your side and a good book on the towel or blanket beneath you.
And if you're sitting on a blanket,
If you imagine that you're sitting on a blanket or a towel,
Just noticing the patterns of whatever that is,
Whatever the material is,
And just noticing the patterns of what you're sitting on.
And just being aware of the patterns of what you're sitting on.
Are there colors?
Is it soft?
And now imagine that you're just lying down with the sun warming your skin,
And you're just sitting on the towel,
And you're just sitting on the blanket.
And now imagine that you're just lying down with the sun warming your skin.
You're totally safe here in this moment.
You can hear the waves coming and going as they hit the shore and the tide pulls them back out again.
And the sound of the waves is like rocking you into a gentle,
Calm state where you can feel totally relaxed and at ease.
And now bring your attention back to your breath,
Noticing as it comes and goes,
Just like waves on the ocean as you breathe in and out.
Know that worries and thoughts and good times and bad times are like your breath and like the ocean.
They come and they go.
And we can just be in this moment,
Allowing whatever it is to be here with it,
Knowing that this too will shift and change,
Just like the ocean as it comes and it goes,
As it comes in and it goes out.
Now take one last long deep breath in exhaling out.
You can open your eyes and gently move your body,
Bringing yourself back to wherever you are.
Well,
I hope that little trip to the beach helped you feel more calm and relaxed or wherever it is you decided to go with that visualization.
I know that it can be hard without changes of scenery or changes in our lifestyle these days,
But I am hopeful and know that this too will shift,
This too will pass,
And we will be able to live our lives with a greater sense of normalcy.
Thank you for spending this time with me today and I hope that you'll use this beach walk visualization to help you feel less stuck and more energized and present.
Have a great day.
