In this meditation,
I'm going to guide you through a visualization for total body-mind relaxation,
Emotional tranquility,
And mental stillness.
Find a quiet place for your practice and do what you can to prevent distractions.
Be seated in any meditative posture and allow yourself to be comfortable.
Activate your abdomen and back to maintain a relaxed,
Upright spine.
Place your hands on your knees or in a mudra of your choosing.
Slightly draw in your chin and rest your gaze upon the space just ahead of you.
If you prefer,
Now is the time to gently close your eyes and mouth.
Let's start by deeply breathing in through the nose and out through the nose.
Rest your attention on the breathing cycle.
It will be your anchor throughout this meditation.
If thoughts arise,
Acknowledge them and let them go.
Simply return to the breath.
Allow each inhalation and exhalation to bring you clear presence and awareness of your senses.
Give yourself permission to relax,
Unwind,
And allow the natural state of being open and positive to fill the space.
Breathe in relaxation,
Breathe out tension,
Breathe in love,
And breathe out courage.
Imagine that you are standing on a white,
Beautiful,
Sandy beach.
It's early in the morning and a light,
Hazy mist surrounds you.
The sun is rising slowly.
You can feel the warm orange light on your face and your body.
You are feeling content,
At ease,
And relaxed.
The sand beneath your bare feet is soft and warm.
A light breeze caresses your face.
This beach is deserted.
You have it all to yourself and you have all the time in the world.
Listen to the relaxing sound of the ocean.
Its waves are breaking gently on the shore.
And you can hear the seagulls flying overhead.
Begin to walk slowly through the mist towards the water.
A small boat is waiting for you in the water.
The boat is comfortable and steady.
Notice that it is tied to the shore with a strong rope.
Walk to the water's edge and step into the boat.
You are feeling completely at peace,
Completely safe,
And completely relaxed.
When you are ready,
Untie the rope and let it.
And allow the natural currents of the ocean to guide you away from the beach.
Your boat drifts smoothly.
It rocks ever so gently in the water.
This rocking motion relaxes you even more deeply.
The sun is now higher in the sky.
Its light has gathered strength.
Notice that the mist that surrounds you is beginning to evaporate.
You can see the air becoming clearer and clearer now.
Watch as the sun's rays dissolve all of the mist.
Now you can see clearly in all directions.
It's as though a veil has been lifted.
Nothing but sparkling ocean water surrounds you on all sides.
And in front of you,
A small island comes into view.
Your boat moves closer and closer to the island.
Gliding slowly and effortlessly through the water.
You can see from the distance that the island is drenched in sunlight.
It's covered in tropical palm trees that sway gently in the breeze.
Your boat glides slowly forward and comes to rest on the shore.
You have arrived.
You step out of the boat and take a moment to appreciate this place of sublime beauty.
Exotic birds dance from tree to tree,
And brilliantly colored flowers grow in abundance.
Even the air itself seems to be extraordinary as it shimmers and vibrates with pure luminous energy.
You can hear the soothing sound of the wind as it passes through the trees.
In this place,
You are free from all memories of the past.
You are free from all concerns about the future.
You are free from all responsibilities.
This is a place of complete peace,
And the moment is all yours.
You notice an opening between the palm trees.
In the center of this opening,
There is a narrow path that leads deep,
Deep into the rich,
Green forest.
Begin your journey into the heart of the forest.
Follow the path as it meanders between columns of ancient trees.
This forest seems familiar,
Like the memory of a pleasant dream,
Or a place you visited as a child.
Walk deeper into the forest.
You are guided by a force that you trust,
And that makes you feel safe,
Nurtured,
And still.
The energy of the nature,
Of the trees,
Of the soft sand beneath your feet,
And the sunlight,
They all give you this incredible feeling.
Your body feels awake,
Alive.
Your mind feels clear and relaxed.
You're just feeling amazing to be on this island,
And you just feel extraordinary in this moment.
Before you is a shimmering pond of crystal clear water,
A pond of perfect stillness,
And you realize you have reached the very heart of the forest.
The pond is round,
And it brims with pure spring water.
Notice that the water is perfectly still,
Like a mirror,
Free from even the slightest ripple.
A ladder with three steps leads down into the water.
You decide to bathe in this magical pond,
And you undress yourself.
As you take the first step down into the pond,
You notice that the wind has eased.
All the trees have become motionless.
As each moment passes,
The world around you becomes more and more calm,
And you yourself become more and more still.
As you lower yourself onto the second step,
All the birds in the forest become quiet.
Their silence is deep and reverent.
Now lower yourself onto the third and final step,
And just glide into the water.
The water is warm and clean,
And it seems to be having a healing effect on your body and skin.
Feel yourself sliding into a deep,
Deep state of relaxation.
In this pond,
Your thoughts simply melt away.
All concepts and emotions related to life outside of the island simply do not matter and lose all significance.
All is still and silent now.
The only sound that remains is the sound of waves far off in the distance.
Your mind seems to expand.
You feel timeless.
For the next few minutes,
Simply enjoy this experience of solitude and inner silence.
When thoughts arise,
Simply let them go and return your awareness to the sound of the waves and the sensation of breathing calmly in this state.
