Hi,
This is Hayley and I'm grateful that you're here making time for yourself.
Today's journey is all about creating a calming,
Safe space that you can return to whenever you need a sense of sanctuary and safety.
Find a position that feels comfortable.
And gently let your eyes close or soften your gaze downwards take a moment to notice how you're arriving here today and name how you're feeling,
Either silently in your mind or you can whisper it to yourself.
Let's settle the breath.
So breathe in gently through the nose,
And as you breathe out,
Let the exhale be longer and slower than the inhale.
You might like to breathe in for a count of 4 and out for a count of 6 This longer exhale is a signal to your body that it's safe to soften.
And with each breath you can allow that signal to travel further through you down through your shoulders,
Down through your chest and into your belly and when you're ready you can resume your natural breathing pattern now i invite you to imagine yourself standing at the beginning of a path that's leading into a forest and this forest feels entirely safe in whatever way that means for you today and as you start walking into the forest,
Notice whether you are barefoot or you're wearing shoes whatever feels good for you notice the ground perhaps it's soft a little bit grassy.
Or maybe it's a firmer,
Earthy path,
With leaves crunching underfoot.
As you walk,
Notice the trees around you the branches reaching overhead and the light filtering down through the leaves in soft,
Dappled patches.
Moving gently in the wind.
And notice the colors.
The deep beautiful green of the leaves the warm brown of the bark and flecks of golden light where the sun finds its way through the canopy Now tune in to what you can hear.
The sounds of this forest.
You can hear birdsong overhead.
The soft rustle of leaves and that sound of being cocooned by the trees,
That dampened sense notice the smell of the forest an earthy scent of soil and leaves and the fresh moss and damp bark.
You feel calm,
Relaxed as you walk through this forest the temperature of the air against your skin feels cool in the shade and you notice how your body feels feeling at ease and not rushing As you continue along the path,
You begin to notice the trees thinning slightly ahead of you,
And a soft light growing brighter through the gaps in the branches.
And as the trees open out You see a river in front of you.
Stretching to your left and to your right The water is clear and calm,
And it catches the light as it shimmers.
The riverbanks are soft and green scattered with long grass and a few wildflowers and the air feels warmer here,
Touched by open sunlight and the sound of the water is inviting and calming.
You walk down towards the bank.
Towards the water's edge.
And you notice how it feels to stand here The ground is softer and cooler,
Maybe a little bit damp.
And the air feels clear and cleansing.
You notice a small rowing boat up ahead.
Imagine it in any way you like It rests gently on the water,
Rising and falling,
Tethered to a post on the bank.
And you approach the boat knowing that this boat is entirely yours for this journey it's safe and stable and perfect for you.
So you step into the boat and once you're settled,
You reach across and untie the boat's rope from the post.
Maybe there are oars,
Maybe not,
But right now you don't need to use them.
You feel the boat begin to drift into the center of the river As you float down the river,
You know that there's nothing you need to do to stay afloat.
Because the water is doing all of the work.
Allow yourself to be carried along the shimmering water.
The sun feels warm on your skin.
And the air feels cool and fresh this is your safe space it belongs only to you and it will always be here exactly as you need it.
There is no urgency.
Nowhere to get to.
You can rest completely as you're floating down the river you take a few more gentle breaths in and out,
Allowing yourself to sink a little bit further into this feeling of safety and allowing your body to soften a little bit more.
If thoughts drift in,
You don't need to push them away they can just float past you like leaves on the surface of the water drifting alongside your boat and then moving on downstream and out of sight So stay with this,
Watching your thoughts come and go like leaves floating downstream.
You stay here for a while,
Floating.
Breathing.
And resting in safety you now notice the boat beginning to slow drifting gently towards the soft bend in the bank ahead of you as the boat rests against the bank,
You notice how you feel having rested here on the water you tie the rope to a post and step carefully out of the boat feeling the soft grass beneath your feet once more.
You look behind you at the river for one final time,
Knowing that it will be here whenever you need it,
Ready to carry you again.
And you make your way up a path back up to the riverbank.
As you breathe in you feel a deep sense of relaxation and safety.
And gratitude.
For the journey that you've just taken begin now to bring your awareness gently back to the room around you noticing the temperature of the air on your skin tuning in to any sounds noticing any points of contact.
On the chair or the floor.
Gently start to move your fingers and toes and if it feels right roll your shoulders or stretch in any way that feels good and when you feel ready gently open your eyes knowing that you can return to this sense of safety this safe place whenever you need a moment
