Welcome to this guided meditation practice.
In a moment,
You will go through a journey of relaxation in your body and mind.
For the first step of this journey,
Find a comfortable sitting or lying position.
Rest your hands wherever they feel most comfortable for you.
When you are ready,
Gently close your eyes.
Imagine a string coming out from the top of your head.
As the string is pulled,
Allow your body to be shifted into alignment.
Your spine lengthens as your shoulders drop.
Your head moves up as your chin tucks in slightly.
Notice your breath without judgment,
Without trying to change it.
Just place a soft awareness on it.
Whether your breath is relaxed,
Deep and open,
Or tight and constricted,
Your body knows what it needs,
So give yourself permission to breathe as it feels comfortable in this moment.
Now,
Gently let go of that awareness and take a few deep breaths,
Counting to 4 on your inhale,
1,
2,
3,
4,
And release your exhale with a sigh.
Inhale for 1,
2,
3,
4,
And release with a sigh,
Drop the breath,
Inhale,
Exhale.
As you breathe in your own time,
You may notice feelings coming up,
That's ok,
Take this time for yourself.
Allow yourself to feel whatever you need,
Know that you are safe.
Continue to breathe like this on your own for a few moments.
If there are no emotions being stirred,
That's ok too.
Allow your body to slowly sink into deep relaxation.
When you are ready,
Let go of the exercise and allow yourself to return to a comfortable breathing pattern,
Noticing whether it has changed since the start of practice.
Softly bring all that attention to the top of your head.
Slowly scan down your body,
Moving through one muscle at a time,
Starting with your face.
As you scan down your body,
Remind these parts to release any tension that may have built up.
Feel your facial muscles soften,
Your jaw release,
And your tongue relax.
Travel down through your neck,
Feeling those muscles relax as your neck lengthens.
Move into your upper back and shoulder and allow them to drop.
Down through your upper arms,
Your elbows,
Forearms,
And hands.
Return your awareness to your neck as you journey into your chest.
Remember to release any tightness you feel.
If you spend too long in one area,
That's ok.
Gently let go and move on.
Brush past your ribs,
Feeling your muscles let go.
Sense your abdomen,
The middle and the lower back.
Take your awareness through every part of your torso.
In your own time,
Gently move into your pelvis.
Feel the spaces in between expand and relax.
Imagine your glutes softening.
Travel through your upper legs,
Without forgetting your hamstrings,
Into your knees,
Into your calves,
Ankles,
And feet.
And finally,
You arrive at your toes.
Allow yourself to release that awareness and sit in your newfound state of relaxation.
Feel the weight of your body sinking down.
Imagine yourself lying down on the bank of a river.
The sound of the water flowing against the rocks fills the air.
Cool pebbles press against your back.
The sun pulses an easy,
Comfortable heat down onto you.
It melts away any tension.
The edges of your feet lay in the river as its water streams past them.
Slowly sit up by the river.
Allow the colors to burst in your vision.
Trees with green,
Brown,
And yellow leaves.
Pebbles of different shades.
Water is so clear you can see the river abed and the stones that line it.
Take some time to notice your environment.
Gently remind yourself to breathe.
Imagine the pure air entering your body and clearing it out,
Filling it with life.
As you tune into this world around you with your senses and your breath,
Notice the clear,
Flowing water.
Allow your inner child to come out,
The part of you that wants to explore.
Gently begin to stand and walk into the river.
Do not worry,
You can see the bottom,
And it's not very deep.
The water pushes and tugs at your feet with the soft force of the stream.
With each step,
The water climbs higher and higher.
Notice the cool water as it swallows your legs a little more.
Your feet wade through smooth,
Soft stones on the bottom.
Give yourself permission to take your attention away from your daily life and notice the textures you feel on the bottom of your feet.
The different sizes of stones and pebbles,
The smooth surfaces and the rough ones,
Some have a layer of moss that makes them soft and slippery.
Wiggle,
Tense and stretch your toes and breathe.
The sun is still beaming above while the water caresses your legs below.
Walk a little further towards the middle of the river.
As the water level rests below your knees,
Look down.
Water is so pure and clean that you can drink it.
While you notice the different hues of the pebbles,
Green,
Blue and yellow,
Watch out for any small fish darting around.
All living in a balance,
Existing for their purpose in the river.
The tiny fish in the river begin to gather by your feet,
Eating the dead skin they find.
Their mouths gently tickling you,
Cleaning you.
Take a moment to enjoy your presence here.
Remind yourself to breathe.
In your own time,
Slowly make your way back to the riverbank.
The stream of water gives you a little resistance as it continues its course.
When you make it,
Gently take a position you find comfortable by the riverbank.
Fall into a pattern of breathing you find comfortable.
Taking some time in nature has impressive results on your cognition,
Brain activity and mental health.
Exposing ourselves to nature by taking a walk for just 10 minutes can help reduce our stress and anxiety levels.
As you continue on this journey of deep relaxation and meditation,
Try to find some time each day for yourself to walk through a park or anywhere where nature is present.
Softly bring your awareness back to the world around you.
Take in the sounds,
The feeling of contact with the floor or chair,
The sensation of the air.
Wiggle your toes and your fingers,
Sway your head from side to side.
Give your body a gentle stretch.
When you are ready,
Gently open your eyes.
