Grief is a healthy and natural reaction to a major loss.
There are different stages to grief,
And they are not linear.
You may go back and forth from one stage to another.
The stages include denial,
Anger,
Guilt,
Depression,
And lead on to forgiveness,
Acceptance,
And recovery.
The grieving process is essential.
Some people go through the stages quickly.
Some even skip a stage.
It's rather like being on a train trip.
There are stations at which we have to get off,
Until we can travel on the train without needing to get off at any station.
I'd like you to join me today on a train journey through grief.
So just make yourself comfortable,
Either sitting or lying.
Allow those eyes to gently close.
And feel your body settle into the surface that is supporting you.
Let your focus rest on the gentle rhythm of your breath.
A soft breath in,
And a soft breath out.
There's no need to exaggerate.
Just notice.
A gentle breath in,
And a gentle breath out.
With each out-breath,
Allow that body to relax a little bit more.
And more.
Moving deeper and deeper into a place of calm.
In your mind's eye now,
Using your imagination,
I'd like you to picture yourself standing at the top of some stairs that lead down to a railway station.
These stairs may be wooden,
Or concrete,
Or just natural earth stairs.
With each step down now,
Feel a sense of peace and calmness flowing through your feet and into your body.
As you make your way down.
Down those steps to your station.
Look around you as you go,
And notice the surroundings.
Perhaps your station is set in a leafy country area.
Perhaps your station is set in a busy city area.
It doesn't really matter as you go down those steps.
Each step taking you deeper into a place of calmness.
Down the steps.
Until you reach and enter the station gate and stand on the platform.
With this sense of calmness.
Feeling totally at ease.
As you look up the tracks one way and down the tracks the other way,
I'd like you to take a moment,
Please,
To think.
To think of someone or something you'd like to have with you.
To accompany you.
To be your soulmate on this journey.
It may be a family member,
Or a friend.
A person you've lost.
It may be a pet,
Or a precious toy,
Or a gem.
Or perhaps a favourite item of clothing.
Whatever it is,
Bring it to your mind's eye.
Think about it.
Visualise it.
Get a sense of the essence and what is important about it.
And the calmness and security it will bring to you.
Now see yourself standing there on the station with your soul ace.
Just picture it.
Get that sense of comfort,
Security and confidence that it brings to you as you stand there on the station,
Waiting.
Waiting for your train.
Your train may take you by surprise.
It may not be the train you expect.
If you look along the tracks now,
You may see it coming.
Coming closer.
And closer.
There may be other people waiting for the train,
But they will not intrude on your privacy.
This is a special train.
As it pulls to a stop in front of you,
The doors open.
This carriage is yours.
And you can enter the carriage and find a special place to sit.
A place where you can be safe and relaxed,
With the comfort of your soul ace.
You may notice your surroundings.
The colours of the seats or the train.
Or the view from the window as the door closes.
Or you may not.
As the train starts to move,
Sink into the softness of the seat.
Allow the gentle rhythm of the train to move you.
To lull you.
To soothe you.
The gentle rhythm.
Allowing your body to settle into that gentle rhythm of the train.
As it increases speed,
Moving along the tracks,
The landscape through the windows starts to blur.
The colours all running together as the train lets you drift.
Drift.
The movement of that train settling you.
Calming you into a beautiful rhythm.
As if you are entering a safe tunnel.
The train moves.
Stations come and stations go.
People get on and people get off.
Your station will come when it's ready.
When it's ready.
When it's ready.
You may feel the train slowing now.
Gently slowing and easing to a halt.
Your doors opening.
It's time for you to leave the train.
Bring your sole lace with you.
It's quite misty as you step off the train and onto the platform.
A gentle misty fog that wraps you in a warm rosy glove.
That brings you surprising warmth and comfort.
Coraling you.
Guiding you across the platform and out through the gate.
And onto a path deeper into the mist.
Towards a faint distant light.
You can feel the path under your feet.
Perhaps it's gravel.
Perhaps it's grass.
Perhaps it's hard or soft.
Guiding you deeper and deeper into the safe haven of the mist.
Deeper and deeper along the path.
Until the mist clears slightly and there is a faint lightness.
A faint brightness.
As your path opens into a clearing beside a stream.
Here there is a place for you to sit beside that stream.
Watch the water passing by.
Listen to the sound of the water.
That gentle soothing flow of water.
As you sit there with the soft mist enfolding you.
The light shining enough to show you the stream.
I'd like you to feel what is inside you.
What emotion is strongest.
What emotion that is part of your grief is there.
Do not move into it.
Just become aware of it.
You feel safe.
You feel protected because you have your soul ace there with you.
I'd like you to picture yourself now pulling that emotion,
That feeling out and sitting it in the palm of your hand.
And seeing it.
Or feeling it.
Or perhaps just even getting an idea of what it might be.
Of what it might look like.
What shape it might be.
Allowing it to sit there in the palm of your hand.
A shape.
Perhaps a shape of denial.
Of anger.
Or guilt.
Perhaps a shape of depression or blame.
Notice its shape out there away from you.
On your hand.
Notice the size of it.
And the color of it.
And notice how much lighter you feel inside you.
Now that it is sitting there outside of you.
On your hand.
Focus on it now.
I'd like you to gently let it go.
And fall into the stream.
Notice the change.
Notice how the stream takes it from you and converts it into bubbles and light.
And allows it to drift away.
How much lighter you feel.
Notice also how much clearer you see.
That there is color around you.
That the mist has cleared.
You can see the water and the stones and the banks of the stream.
You can see the plants and the sunlight filtering through their leaves.
You can smell the earth and the water and the foliage.
You can hear the whisper of the breeze and the sounds of the birds and insects.
And notice how much lighter your heart feels.
Feel the comfort of your solace all around you.
Supporting you.
Taking some time now to really sit in that wonderful feeling of release.
And now cupping your hands and filling them with the water from the stream of light.
Feeling it cool in the palms of your hands.
Bringing it to your mouth and drinking.
And filling that void within you with a wonderful,
Fresh,
Energized feeling.
Light.
Cool.
Refreshing.
The water of life pouring into you.
Filling you.
Replacing that which you have let go.
Now just for a moment or two to sit there.
And really enjoy the experience of feeling freer.
Of moving one step closer to acceptance and recovery.
Now as the sun breaks fully through the mist and the leaves,
It's time to make your way back to the station.
Feel a lightness in that step.
An awareness of life and vitality all around you.
Making your way back.
Back up the path to the station.
Notice how much brighter the colors of the station are as you step through the gate and back onto the platform.
Waiting.
You may even notice the name of the station.
And perhaps you will recognize it as that which you let go.
Your train is coming now.
It may be a brighter train than before.
It may be a different train than before.
It draws closer and closer.
And stops with the door in front of you.
Step into the train and find your seat.
Your sole ace with you.
Sharing this moment of lightness.
And settling back into that rhythm.
That beautiful rhythm of the train.
With a sense of calmness and hope.
That wonderful feeling that there is a future ahead.
A future that is filled with lightness and brightness.
Drifting now to the rhythm of the train.
Drifting back through the tunnels of the journey.
Back through.
Back.
Back to the station where you started.
As you leave the train.
Thank your sole ace.
Whether it is a person or a pet or an object or something to wear.
And next time you visit they will be waiting to share the journey again.
As you bring yourself back now.
Back to your body.
Feeling your feet.
Your fingers.
Your head.
All of your body.
Stretching slightly.
And remember.
The journey is there for you any time you need to make it.
For there are several stations you may need to still visit.
Before you can fully take the train of recovery.
Go with love.
And all the best for your journey.
Allow those eyes now to open.
And bring yourself back.
