The Healing Forest Guide

This is a guided meditation practice that will take you on a journey into the healing forest. The practice begins with pranayama (breathwork) to encourage slow, deep breaths to engage and unlock the healing benefits of the parasympathetic nervous system - our relax, rest, digest state. Then begins the journey into the healing forest with an expansive, nurturing and rich visualisation, leading to a place of contemplation. The practice concludes with space for deep insights and journalling.

Transcript

Welcome to your guided meditation practice,

A Journey Into The Forest.

Choosing your meditative position now,

Choosing to either lie down,

Ensuring that you remain on the edge of sleep.

If you're lying down allow the whole body to be supported,

The arms resting to the side of the body and the palms turned up towards the ceiling.

Allow the feet to fall out,

Allowing your whole body to relax.

Alternatively you may choose to sit in a chair with the feet uncrossed,

Soles of the feet flat onto the earth,

Spine supported as you need,

Spine long,

Chin in,

Crown of head to the ceiling.

Alternatively you may choose to sit in a comfortable cross-legged position,

Also of your choice.

The knees can be supported or simply allow them to fall down to be held by the earth.

You may wish to sit on a block or a cushion or pillow to elevate and tilt the pelvis forwards.

The elbows fall into the side waist and the back of the hands can be placed onto your onto your thighs or knees with a mudra of your choice if you wish.

Otherwise simply allow the fingers to unfurl and allow the palms to be open.

The spine is nice and long,

The chin is in and the crown of the head reaches up towards the ceiling.

The last rib is drawn in to elongate the spine even further.

The shoulders have fallen away from the ears.

Ensure that you have all that you need to support yourself for the duration of time,

Making any final adjustments to ensure that you are comfortable.

Consciously allow the events of the day to stay outside of this space just for now.

Allow any events that are still to come to also remain outside of this space.

This is your time,

May you will be undisturbed.

No one needs anything from you.

There is nothing that you need to give other than to simply be.

This is your final invitation to adjust the body as you need.

If you're lying down feel free to place a bolster under the knees or bend the knees.

And as always in your practice,

If at any time you feel you need to move,

Honour what the body is asking.

Adjust as you need and when you need.

We will begin today with Samavritti Pranayama where we will inhale to a count of four.

We will hold the breath to a count of four.

Exhale for four before we breathe again for four.

Pausing at each round,

Observe how you're breathing today and how your breathing may be influenced by your current state of emotions.

Notice where the breath is travelling to.

As you can start to feel the belly expand in order to receive the breath into the lungs.

And as you exhale the belly moves back towards the spine.

Fully releasing.

Find a rhythm with your breath.

Focusing on allowing slow deep breaths to travel in and out.

There is no rush,

There is no hurry.

This is your time.

As you settle now into your chosen meditative position we will begin Samavritti Pranayama.

Exhale fully and completely.

Before you inhale two three four hold the breath three four.

Exhale two three four wait to breathe three four.

Inhale two three four hold two three four.

Exhale two three four wait two three four.

Inhale two three four hold two three four.

Exhale two three four wait two three four.

Inhale two three four hold two three four.

Exhale two three four wait two three four.

Inhale two three four hold two three four.

Exhale two three four wait two three four.

Inhale two three four hold two three four.

Exhale two three four wait two three four.

Inhale two three four hold two three four.

Exhale two three four wait two three four.

Inhale two three four hold two three four.

Exhale two three four wait two three four.

Inhale two three four hold two three four.

Exhale two three four wait two three four.

Inhale hold exhale wait inhale hold exhale wait inhale hold exhale wait inhale hold exhale wait inhale hold exhale wait inhale hold exhale inhale hold exhale wait inhale hold exhale wait inhale hold exhale wait inhale hold exhale inhale as you begin now to rebalance the breath in and out through the nose noticing the subtle changes from Samavrti Pranayama.

Notice how the mind has followed the journey of the breath and a deep sense of stillness begins.

Allow a natural rhythm to return to your breath.

Feel the breath effortlessly move through the whole body making that conscious decision to breathe deeply into the body all the way down into the pelvic bowl and exhaling that breath all the way out of the body up and out through the central channel.

A rhythm now of your breath guides you deeper and deeper and deeper.

Begin now to imagine in your mind's eye as you move into the space of the Chidakash,

The dark space that is behind the closed eyes yet becomes the canvas of your imagination.

As you breathe deeply in your mind's eye you start to feel your body is now placed in the center of a forest.

The autumn leaves crackling underneath the body and the softness of the leaves that are still warm from the sun.

The earth holds you for a while.

You start to see yourself reach out into the soil with your bare hands feeling into the earth,

Into Gaia again.

You wonder for a moment the last time that you allowed yourself to just be in the center of a forest on your own on your own in stillness reconnecting again as you begin to look up at the tall trees swaying side to side.

Each tree gently moving and being supported by the other.

You begin now to see yourself in your mind's eye starting to stand and with your bare feet you can feel the warmth of the soil beneath,

The crinkly sound of the leaves underfoot knowing that your feet are safe in this space.

You start to follow a path that has already been carved out into the earth and you make your way along this path reaching your hands out to touch the trees as you walk past feeling the different textures of the bark on the pads of your fingers wondering how old these majestic trees are.

As you continue on the path you notice white butterflies dancing around you welcoming you into this space of nature.

You can start to see the rays of the sun shining through the tops of the trees gently creating dance-like figurines on the earth as the rays dance across the ground.

There is something wonderful and freeing about being in the forest.

The air is fresh,

It is cool as it enters into the nose and into the body.

The density of trees that are dappled all the way through as far as the eyes can see.

The different shades,

Textures,

Colors,

Heights,

Yet none of them are judged,

They are simply accepted just as they are.

You ponder for a moment about the acceptance of your own self and how this is currently being mirrored back at you at this time.

The aspects of the self that are being invited to be welcomed in just as they are.

You allow all qualities of who you are to be welcomed in,

No judgment,

Simple acceptance of all that is just as it is.

You breathe deeply as if to absorb this teaching all the way in,

Giving thanks for the first lesson within the forest.

And as you continue on your path,

You can start to hear the sound of water trickling close by.

You become aware or have a sense that a gentle flowing stream is close.

You allow this vibration of sound to now be your guide as you follow the sounds of the water,

These sounds becoming more audible as you keep walking,

As if your path is guiding you to this space.

You can now start to see white light dancing on the surface of the water.

And as you look to the side,

You can see where this stream now is as it courses through the forest.

And you make your way to the water's edge.

You notice that trees and branches are outstretched to support you on your walk.

And you reach for branches to steady the footing as you make your way to the edge of the stream.

Once you reach its edge,

You see yourself sitting comfortably in this space.

The body does not feel any pain,

Any injury.

Your body is so free to just sit as it wishes to.

As you look up and down the stream,

You can notice all the different shapes of the rocks.

Some feel quite sharp,

Some are light in colour,

Some are dark.

And then as you look deeper into the shallow stream,

You can see how the rocks that once were sharp have now been buffered by the water flowing past.

They are now manifesting as smooth pebbles.

You observe for a moment the intelligence of nature,

The intelligence of these rocks now pebbles and what they have endured to now be at peace,

Smooth and resting at the base of the stream.

It is the very presence of these rocks and pebbles that is creating the sound as the water jumps over each one,

Trickling down,

The water with its own intelligence,

Knowing exactly where it needs to go.

It does not need to be told,

It just follows what it feels and moves in the direction that it is called.

You too contemplate for a moment the challenges that have smoothed the edges within yourself,

How each experience,

A great teaching,

Has arrived in your life,

Has softened and opened the heart and allowed yourself to be more of who you are despite these challenges.

You observe that you are not the only one who experiences the rough and tumble of sharp edges,

But that the more you withstand the moving energy around you,

The stronger you become,

The more self-sustained you become.

You give thanks for these teachings however they may have appeared,

Recognising that each one has contributed to who you are right now at this point in the journey of your life.

Just like the rocks and pebbles that surround you,

Each living out its own lifetime just as it is meant to,

You give thanks for the stream and what she has taught you.

Resilience,

Endurance,

Strength,

Perhaps qualities that you may have forgotten that you had,

Perhaps didn't trust were there.

The stream is acknowledging the path that you have walked and who you are right now.

You give thanks to the stream and in your mind's eye you start to see yourself standing again,

Following the line along the stream,

Where the earth meets the water and the water meets the earth.

You notice all of the herbs that are lining both sides of the stream,

Wild herbs planted by nature growing in the environment that allows them to thrive as the gentle wind passes,

The smells of fennel,

Lavender start to move across your face.

So fresh this smell and enlivening to your senses as you continue to walk down the stream feeling so much freer just to being in this space.

You start to notice up ahead there is a large boulder placed right in the middle of the stream.

You start to make your way to it,

Continuing to observe the sounds,

The smells,

The sensations of the forest,

The healing energy that it has already brought you.

As you make your way to the boulder,

You gently walk into the stream.

The water is shallow yet it is cold.

As you step in,

You see yourself pulling yourself up onto the boulder to sit at its centre.

The large rock is cool underneath your body,

Your legs dangling off the edge,

Reminding you of when you were little,

Inquisitive.

Nothing needed to be perfect then,

Everything was exactly as it needed to be,

Just as this moment is for you now.

You observe,

You sit on the large rock,

How the water continues to stream on past,

The deeply restorative sounds of the water as it trickles by,

Noticing how it moves in its own direction irrespective of what is in its path.

It has a journey to follow and it will follow it no matter what is in its way.

Gently now you see yourself reach into the stream.

With your right hand you reach down,

You clasp a pebble in your right hand and you then move to the left side and take your hand into the stream and feel the coolness as you grab a pebble in your left hand,

Holding both of them now with clenched fists as the water drips off,

Cooling the knees and the legs.

You bring your attention first to the pebble that is held in your right hand.

This pebble is this pebble is symbolic of anything that you wish to release,

Anything you wish to just simply drop,

Anything that you're ready to let go of and you see yourself now placing your closed hand across the heart and as the right hand sits here,

Allow the wisdom and intelligence of your heart space to choose what that may be.

You begin to have imagery,

Awareness,

Understanding of what is coming forwards and others that are coming forwards that may not have been in your conscious awareness.

As you hold the pebble in your right hand across the heart,

Know and trust that whatever needs to be poured into this pebble,

Whatever it is at this stage in the journey of your life that needs to be released will be placed here into this pebble.

You take a few moments to contemplate what you would like to let go of that is conscious,

That has come forward,

That is now making itself known and you simply place them in.

No need to drop into story,

Just simply let them all come to the surface and see themselves be imbued into this pebble.

Take your time breathing through.

Begin now to release the right hand back onto the lap.

In your mind's eye you can see yourself draw your right arm all the way back,

Taking a nice deep breath in and as you exhale you see yourself throw the pebble back into the stream,

Taking with it everything that you had placed in the centre of the pebble.

As you see it drop into the water and fall to the base,

You contemplate for a moment what arose for you,

What was placed into the pebble,

What was asking to be released.

There's a lightness now,

There is a sense of trust,

Trust in what arose,

Trust in what was ready to be released.

You bring your awareness now to the pebble in your left hand and just as with the right you place the left hand the front of the heart centre.

The pebble in the left hand is symbolic of all that you are ready to receive into your life that is for the highest good of yourself and all.

You begin to start to visualise in that Chid Akash,

The space behind the eyes,

What you're ready to bring in,

What you may have already been working on for some time.

As you align yourself into that energy and slipstream of manifestation,

These come to you much more quickly,

Almost come in one after the other,

After the other,

After the other.

They show themselves in the imagery of the Chid Akash.

Allow yourself a few moments to place into this pebble all that you are ready to bring into your life and trusting in the heart's intelligence to know what you are ready for even if the mind is not.

Gently now in your mind's eyes you take a breath in,

See yourself draw that pebble back in the left hand and as you exhale launching that pebble back into the stream again.

You watch it drop almost as if the stream becomes your wishing well and you contemplate for a moment what has arisen to the surface,

What has already reached you and what you are ready to receive.

You allow yourself to sit on the large rock with eyes closed,

Allowing yourself to experience your experience of what you have released and what you are now open to welcoming in.

You allow the sounds of nature around you to hold space for you while you are in retreat in this space,

A melodic,

Hypnotic sound of the water flowing past.

You feel as if you could stay in this space forever.

Allow yourself some time to be like a sponge and absorb the energy that is around you and now within you as you recognize that you are not separate from this forest and that the forest is not separate from you.

Allow yourself the absorption of peace and tranquility.

You are safe here to fully embrace the stillness,

Allow the peace to travel through every breath,

Allowing the sounds of the forest to be your mantra.

Begin now to prepare to leave the large rock and the stream.

As you look around you give thanks for being held here during this time.

You see yourself now stepping off of the rock back into the stream,

Flicking the feet through the water as you step back onto dry land.

The deep feeling of peace,

Of faith,

Of trust moves through you.

It is as if you have received some sense of assurance that everything is exactly as it needs to be and everything will unfold exactly as it is meant to and that you will be guided along the way as always.

You recognize in this forest that you are never alone,

That this essence of nature is always within you.

It is why you are drawn to this space today to return back to nature again.

Breathing in and breathing out you start to walk back up the side of the stream and again the branches are extended as a support as if these trees knew that you would pick this exact spot to walk to the water's edge.

You find yourself now back on the path again and you start to make your way back to where you were originally found.

The sounds of the stream becoming even more distant with every walking pace,

Every footstep bringing you back to your original place.

Begin now to reach out for the trees again,

The branches,

The trunks of the trees,

The softness,

The layers,

The deep root system of the trees.

Move far down into the earth and out to reach one another.

You can see ahead where you first started this journey and you make your way to that space.

The setting sun continues to dance through the trees,

This time a red light starting to shine through as the sun prepares to leave the day just for a short while.

Breathing in and breathing out you are inhaling the energy of this forest all the way in and recognizing as you breathe the reciprocal relationship that you have with the trees.

Every time the trees exhale you inhale and every time you exhale the trees inhale.

They are the foundations of our lungs,

They are the lungs of the earth and of Gaia.

You begin now you begin now to find your way back starting to see yourself again sitting down on the forest floor almost as if the leaves have carved out the shape of your pelvis.

As you return to the space there is an inner voice of wisdom that is trying to find you.

In your mind's eye you see your eyes close in the forest as you attune your vibration to this intelligence that is within.

You allow yourself to be open to receive it in whichever way it is now arriving.

You welcome it in,

The wisdom that is within.

You create the space,

The safe space to allow it to come forwards,

Your own innate intelligence,

That subtle wisdom that is ever present within you now has the space to reveal itself.

Allow yourself this time to welcome it in and to let it move forwards.

You acknowledge the wisdom that has come forwards and see yourself bowing the head in recognition to having received it.

You give thanks for the forest,

For the stream,

For this energy that has restored and rejuvenated your being,

That has brought you back home to yourself again,

That yearning to return to truth.

As you prepare to leave it you give thanks again.

As you see yourself draw your palms in prayer position in front of your heart and bowing to the forest that is around you.

As you now leave the space giving thanks one last time for the opportunity to retreat here for a while,

To go inwards and to rebalance.

Feel the breath start to deepen and feel your awareness come back into the space that is around you.

As the breath deepens you start to move the body as you come back into your bones and into your skin and then knowing that a part of you left this physical space for a while you come back into your body as if your body is your clothing,

You adjust allowing it fit again.

Extend the arms up overhead as the fingers interlace,

Spine is nice and long,

Deep healing now moves through your whole cellular body,

A deep peace encases itself around every cell,

Every tissue,

Every organ,

Every muscle,

Every gland.

If you're lying down on the floor roll to your favoured side,

Left side is therapeutic for low blood pressure,

Right is for high.

Making your way up gently and slowly into a seated position again and having returned to a physical seat draw the palms in prayer position at the heart centre.

As you hold the prayer here hold it securely,

Trust and know that where it is meant to arrive and land that it will,

That it will be received.

Begin now to rub the hands together as you start to feel warmth in the palms of your hands.

Begin now to feel the sensation of placing one hand at a time over each eye and gently now blinking the eyes open.

Allow the eyes to open quarter of the way,

Allow the eyes to open halfway and now allow the eyes to open all the way as the eyes adjust back to the light.

Begin now to feel free to journal or write down some of the reflections of your experiences from this meditation practice,

What arrived for you,

What came to your practice.

Knowing that you can return to this space in nature at any time,

Your meditation practice is now complete.

Aum.