Sanctuary

Sanctuary is the sacred space where I feel safe enough to experience what is. It is the place deep inside myself where Spirit surrounds me with a world that is just the way I need it to be. To the extent that I can learn to allow it, everything here is perfect - for me. The colors, the sounds, all the sensations are just the way I love them. The pace is just right. I am not overwhelmed. The more I return to my Sanctuary, the more I rediscover the security in trusting the flow of life.

Transcript

Just for now,

Tell yourself that it's okay to let yourself be here.

Nothing else you need to be doing.

No place else that you need to be.

No problems that you need to solve.

Just for now,

See if you can allow yourself to just be.

You can do that by simply noticing whatever comes into your awareness.

Just let it be there.

What's it like if you give yourself permission simply to observe whatever is moving through your awareness?

Just for now,

You don't have to try and change any of your thoughts.

You don't have to try to make anything better.

Just for now,

You can simply notice whatever's there.

You don't have to try to stop things from getting worse.

Just for now,

You can let it be enough to simply be aware.

So if you hear sounds from outside,

If you notice thoughts going through your mind,

If you notice sensations such as the quality of the air on your skin,

Whatever you notice,

Simply let it be there.

The sound of my voice,

The sound of the music in the background.

Thoughts about experiences from the past,

Whether it's five minutes or five years ago.

Whatever comes into your awareness,

Just for now,

Notice it and let it be there.

And then let it go.

Not holding on to it,

Letting it go and seeing what comes next.

Maybe thoughts about the future,

Later today,

After the meditation is over.

Tomorrow,

Next week.

Hopes and dreams.

Whatever it is,

Just let it be there.

And then let it go.

Just for now,

Your only challenge is to let yourself be aware.

Be present in this moment,

Noticing what it is that's flowing through the moment for you.

Whatever it is,

Just let it be there.

And then let it go.

And at some point,

However it happens for you,

Allow the awareness of your breath,

The rhythm of your breath,

To be part of what you're noticing.

Perhaps as soon as you're noticing something new coming into your awareness,

You can let yourself breathe in.

And as you're breathing out,

Let that awareness go and see what comes next.

So in some simple way,

Just as your breath comes and goes,

So it is with whatever else flows through your awareness.

It comes and it goes.

However it happens for you is just fine.

Whatever is happening is just what you need.

There's nothing to get right or wrong about how you're doing this.

Simply breathing and being aware,

However it's happening,

Is just fine.

If your awareness wanders away from your breath,

You can simply bring it back.

Come back to noticing the flow of air into your body and the flow of air out of your body.

Just for now,

You're giving your yes to the movement of the air as you're breathing in.

Not working at it,

But simply allowing that soft,

Natural movement,

The inflow,

Letting it happen.

And then,

At the point when your body naturally shifts to letting go,

Saying yes to that.

Not pushing or working at making the air get out,

Just softly allowing the release that happens ever so naturally.

And every time you notice that your mind has wandered away from your breath,

Just release whatever is in your awareness the next time you're breathing out.

Let it go and then follow the breath as it enters once again.

Maybe you can choose to believe that as you're breathing in,

You're receiving whatever it is that you need right now.

That in some way it's more than just oxygen that you're breathing in.

It's spirit,

Energy,

The life force of the universe flowing into you,

Nurturing you,

Giving life to you.

Magically,

Spiritually,

Every time you're breathing in,

Just for this moment,

New life is flowing into your body.

And each time you're breathing out,

It's not just carbon dioxide you're releasing,

But whatever toxins are in your body,

Whatever tension is in your body,

Whatever it is that you don't need in your whole being right now,

Just release it as you breathe out.

Just for now,

You're letting go of any discomfort,

Any fear or anxiety.

As soon as you notice it,

You release it as you breathe out.

You can do this again and again.

As soon as other thoughts or sounds from outside take you away from your breath,

Let it all go on the next exhale.

Releasing your hold on anything and everything,

Releasing your expectations about how this meditation should be.

Just for now,

Breathing in,

Allowing things to be as they are.

Just for now,

Breathing out and letting it all go.

You're allowing yourself to believe in whatever way you can,

But the way things are happening right now is just the way you need them to be.

The whole universe is conspiring for your sake right at this moment,

Just to support you.

Little by little now,

As you're allowing your awareness to ride the wave of your breath,

Perhaps you can begin to let your breath carry you a little deeper inside yourself.

Perhaps you can know that you're safe enough to not need to be monitoring the world outside your body.

Just for now,

You can trust yourself and let yourself settle deeper and deeper inside.

With each breath,

You're softening a little deeper,

Trusting this natural rhythm,

Steady and dependable as the waves on the shore.

The wave washes softly in,

Carrying you deeper inside.

The wave washes softly out,

Settling you deeper inside.

With each breath,

A little deeper,

Deeper and deeper into the softness.

However you're experiencing this is just fine.

At some point,

However it happens for you,

Perhaps you can allow this rhythmic flow of spirit within you to carry you so deeply inside that you go beyond yourself to some sacred place.

Some place where you can feel completely safe.

Let it be a place in the natural world that you've visited recently or long ago.

Or maybe a place that you've just heard about.

Or a place that is just created by your imagination working with spirit right now.

Wherever this happens for you is just fine.

It may happen quickly or little by little.

Maybe you just start to get a sense of yourself being present in a safe space where you can trust everything around you.

And as you feel that trust settling and growing,

Maybe you begin to get a sense of your surroundings.

It could be the colors.

You can begin to let what you see become vivid.

It could be sounds.

You can let the sounds be clear and distinct.

It could be the positions of objects and life forms around you.

If you're on a hillside or in a valley or on a mountain top or the seashore or in a forest.

Wherever it is.

Let yourself feel the way that your feet or whatever part of your body is making contact with the earth.

When you feel safe,

It's natural to be openly curious about your surroundings.

To let yourself see the colors clearly.

However that happens for you in your imagination is just fine.

Whether the colors are vivid or you're just kind of imagining what they might be like.

Whether the sounds are clear or you're just imagining what they might be like.

The sounds of life around you.

Whether it's the movement of the breeze or the sounds of animals or birds,

Other people.

However it's happening is really okay for you.

The one thing you can be sure of is this is a place where you're safe.

It's a place that has been and is being created just for you to know deeply what it feels like to be at home in the world.

To have a place where you belong.

To have a place where everything around you supports you.

It all exists for your well-being.

And whenever you notice that something has distracted you from being present in your safe place,

Just let it go.

Focus on the next exhale of your breath.

Letting go whether it's sounds from outside or thoughts about other times or places.

Just let it go and come back to focusing your awareness on your surroundings and on what it feels like to be really safe.

Perhaps you begin to notice in some way there in your safe place how the energy from the world around you flows into your being.

Not only the sights and the sounds,

But in some way the life force itself.

You notice how there is life all around you and how this life nourishes you.

Little by little you feel more alive,

More aware.

You become aware of the life force stirring within you.

Maybe you notice your body feeling like moving if it hasn't already.

Maybe you feel like walking or dancing or just sitting and relaxing.

Swimming,

Flying,

Whatever your body feels like doing,

You can imagine yourself,

Feel yourself,

See yourself doing it.

There are no limits in this sacred place that you're in right now.

However you need it to be,

You can allow it to be that way.

You can make whatever changes you want.

You simply let spirit join you in making this place just what you need it to be in order to feel completely safe.

And at some point,

If it's okay with you,

Someone will come to join you there.

Someone with whom you can continue to feel completely safe.

Perhaps someone with whom you can feel even safer.

Maybe you can see this other approaching slowly from a distance.

This could be a human being,

Someone you already know or have known or only heard about,

Someone still living or already dead.

It could be a spiritual being,

An angel,

Or some other representative of the divine.

It could be an animal.

Let it be someone with whom you can feel clearly connected and completely safe.

Let this meeting happen in whatever way feels natural and safe to you.

Allow yourselves to become aware of each other,

To greet each other.

Let the interaction between you flow as naturally as your connection with your surroundings.

You can let in with ease whatever comes from the other.

You can notice what happens inside you.

And you can express yourself without fears or doubts.

You may have questions for your companion,

And if so,

You can ask them now.

Your trustworthy other may respond with words or images or actions.

When your questions are finished,

Or if you have no questions,

It may be that your companion takes the initiative to show or tell you something,

Or to make further changes that help you to feel even safer in this sacred place.

However it's happening for you is just fine.

Keep choosing to believe that what's happening is just what you need.

This is how it is to feel safe.

You just know that everything's there to support you.

And at some point before too long,

You'll be ready to let this time in your safe place be enough for now.

Check with yourself and your companion to see if there is anything else that needs to happen to complete the experience for you.

And now before you leave,

Let yourself notice clearly how you're feeling.

What's it like for you?

What's the energy like in your body?

How does your breath move when you feel completely safe?

And when you're ready,

Take a little time to say goodbye to your companion and to your safe place.

Let yourself find whatever symbolic gestures or words seem appropriate.

Let yourself know that you can return to this place anytime you choose.

And at some point,

Tune into how you're feeling and the flow of your breath.

As you breathe out,

Let go of the images of your safe place.

And as you breathe in,

Begin to become aware of your body,

Your position in space.

Let yourself gently follow the rhythm of your breath,

Allowing your awareness to return with clarity to what's happening inside your body at this moment.

Notice how you're feeling,

How your breath is moving.

And as you become more and more aware of your surroundings,

Let yourself stay connected with the way you're feeling right now.

And let the movement back into the flow of your life be gentle and easygoing.

Let yourself move with a little more safety back into your life.

And as you breathe in,

Let go of the images of your safe place.

Reviews

Awesome👏

What a beautiful experience. I felt so safe. Will return to this. Thank you ❤️

Many thanks for this calming and soothing meditation. 🌻🙏

Very relaxing and calming — a peaceful, measured pace for getting into my body in this present moment and then into the feeling of safety. Thank you!

Thank you for the loving staycation within my own heart peacefully 🙌
To allow freedom in being still
Releasing anything - everything, over to the universe in the knowing all is where it should be
Namaste 🙏🏼

I feel a deep appreciation for this meditation experience today.
During this time of turmoil in my country and throughout the world, with a global pandemic and heart-rending social upheaval, this gentle and loving guidance into my inner sanctuary was beautiful and comforting.
As a sweet surprise, when I entered, I found I was not alone. I was joined by many loving souls. It was a profound experience of shared compassion and understanding.
With heartfelt gratitude, Thank You for this healing meditation.

Beautiful guidance! Thank you!

🌿✨💜✨🌿 Thank you. Xxx

Something amazing happened when I first started this meditation. It allowed me to release something within me. As I thought of my experience the next day, an exceptional poem was born. I still return to that sanctuary in my thoughts occasionally. Thank you.

Just what I needed today 💜

This is so relaxing! It's easy to follow by allowing things to come into my awareness and letting them go. Great voice, too.

Very good, soothing, comforting...beautiful voice.Thank you !

Beautiful..Thank you.

Really enjoyed this. Will come back to after a hard day.

thankss youuuuu :)))

Very comforting

Beautiful, thank you 🙏

Thanks so much for this inner voyage! It made me feel so much energy, peace and safety.

Amazing! Thank you.

I'm aware of the safe feeling moreso now, thank you