Good morning,
Good afternoon,
Good evening,
Good night.
Welcome again to another time out journey.
That time we take for ourselves to find some space,
Some peace and stillness so that we can move on more easily in our day or night.
So make yourself comfortable,
Settle back.
And as usual let's take a deep breath in and a long slow breath out.
Remember to visualize or count to four on in and seven on out.
Once again a deep breath in and a long slow breath out.
And one more time,
This time letting those eyes close.
A deep breath in and a long slow breath out.
Imagine,
Imagine there on the screen of your mind you are standing in front of some double doors just like the doors of a lift.
There's a button to one side and as you press it the doors open to reveal a wide set of steps that lead into a garden.
Each step you take down makes you feel more and more relaxed.
One step at a time down towards the garden.
When you reach the bottom step just stand there for a moment and look out into the garden.
There is a vast expanse of lawn in front of us,
Beautiful green grass and there at the far edge a tall strong mature tree.
Notice its size,
Its shape,
Its color.
See its trunk,
Its branches,
Its leaves.
Let's walk now across the soft green grass towards the tree.
You'll find there a soft rug spread out underneath it.
Touch the tree,
The trunk.
Feel its strength.
Does it have a soft trunk or is it covered in rough bark?
Notice the colors,
The shapes,
The textures.
Feel it.
Feel its strength and stability.
Lie down now on the rug underneath the tree and gaze up into its branches.
The filtered sunlight creates beautiful patterns,
Touches you on the face.
The gentle breeze moves the leaves and creates a rustle,
Changing the patterns and shapes.
Really look at the leaves,
The color of them,
The size of them,
The shape.
It is summertime so the tree is in full bloom.
It may have flowers or it may just be its beautiful color greens.
As you lie there in this most beautiful place,
Get a sense of peace,
Of stillness that filters down with the sunlight.
And as you watch,
The leaves gently,
Subtly change color into beautiful autumn tones.
Perhaps orange,
Perhaps yellows,
Perhaps reds and ambers.
And then as they change,
They gently form.
One at a time,
Watch them drift down and form a beautiful carpet around you,
Snug on your rug.
And the season changes from autumn to winter,
But you are warm in your rug,
Safe under the tree.
Notice the beauty of the tree in the branches,
How the trunk is wide and strong and it becomes lighter and lighter and more flexible the higher it grows.
There may be a light covering of snow depending on where you are,
Which sparkles and glistens and sits softly on the branches.
And now as you watch,
New buds start to form and swell and burst into flower or leaf as the spring arrives.
So too life,
It travels in seasons,
The spring of new life,
The summers,
The autumns,
The winters,
The cycle goes and comes and goes.
And each time,
Just like on a new day,
We can start afresh with new hope,
With new clarity,
With new wisdom.
Just like this period of time out,
Preparing ourselves,
Relaxing ourselves,
Ready to start again.
And as the tree comes into full spring leaf,
Feel the earth start to warm beneath you and let yourself drift,
Drift in peace and stillness,
A new hope as you bring yourself back,
Ready to continue your day or night.
Thank you for joining with me on these time out sessions.
Take care,
Be safe,
Be relaxed.
