Hello and welcome to this guided meditation that will help you to settle into a restful slumber and ease any stress or anxiety you may be carrying.
My name is Jason Stevenson and I invite you to join me in this practice of coming into the body and into your own source of inner peace.
So,
To begin this meditation,
Take a moment to ensure that all end of day activities are taken care of,
Draw your blinds,
Set your alarm if required and then settle into a resting position that will comfortably carry you into sleep.
When you are nestled in,
Close your eyes and let your attention turn towards the breath.
Without changing it in any way,
Simply notice its natural rhythm and flow.
You might observe that your breath naturally begins to soften or deepen on its own.
If so,
Allow these intuitive moments to occur without force and without coercion.
Allow your breath now to be an anchor for your awareness,
Coming back to it with patience and compassion any time you notice the mind has wandered during this practice.
And now before we move into a peaceful visualization to ease anxiety,
Let's take some time to tend to the physical body.
Because when we experience stress and anxiety,
There tends to be a connection,
Even if unconscious,
Between our mental experience and what is present in the body.
By mindfully drawing our attention through each part of our being,
We can dive in deeper into a sense of greater relaxation.
So,
Take a moment to make any adjustments required for comfort,
And then begin by drawing your attention to your feet.
As you hold each body part in your awareness,
Allow them to energetically relax into the space that holds them.
After easing any tension in your feet,
Draw your attention to your ankles,
Inviting the same conscious or unconscious relaxation into this part of your body,
And moving up to the legs,
Your knees,
And your upper legs,
And allow both legs in their entirety to relax completely into the surface beneath you.
Witness and invite release into your tailbone,
Your hips,
And your pelvis.
Then relax your belly,
Your lower back,
And then trace your awareness up the length of your spine until you reach your collarbone.
As you go,
Invite a subtle softening to all the organs and muscles that surround this axis of your body.
And move your attention now to your hands,
Relaxing your hands,
Your wrists,
Your lower arms,
Moving up to your elbows,
Your upper arms,
And your shoulders.
Just allow both arms to surrender completely into the bed or other support beneath you.
Now moving up to your throat,
Just inviting it to soften,
And continue in the same way with the jaw and tongue,
Your cheeks and eyes,
Your eyebrows and your forehead,
And completing this journey at the crown of your head.
Allow your entire body now to relax completely,
Reaffirming this peaceful state of being by silently repeating,
I am relaxed,
I am relaxed.
Notice your breath once again,
And observe the way it effortlessly enters and exits your body,
Time and time again.
Now I invite you to draw your attention to your mind's eye,
This is where your capacity to imagine,
To recall memories,
And to visualize inspired imagery comes to life.
Often the words and images that swirl in this intangible space are dictated by limiting stories,
Beliefs,
And fears that we hold.
And yet,
By drawing our conscious attention to this visionary potential,
We might find ourselves empowered to ease any anxiety,
Stress,
Or fear that we carry.
So to harness this potential,
Take a moment to clear away the canvas that exists in the mind's eye.
Visualize yourself gently and compassionately wiping away any fearful thoughts,
Words,
Or images that hold you back from experiencing peace and tranquility.
And upon this blank canvas,
I invite you to let yourself be transported to another place,
To a warm sandy beach in the tropics,
Overlooking turquoise blue waters that appear to flow into infinity.
Your bare feet are nestled into the sand,
Your spine is straight,
The top of your head reaches up for the sun,
And your heart is wide open.
Take in a long deep breath of this healing ocean air,
And slowly let it all back out.
Another long full breath in to the belly,
Inviting this air to cleanse you,
And then when you're ready,
Slowly release.
One last full deep belly breath in,
And then gently let it go,
Grounding yourself into this tranquil state through the soles of your feet.
Just take a moment to open your senses to this tropical landscape.
What colors,
Textures,
Elements and life forms do your eyes take in?
What sounds filter through your ears here by the ocean?
And what aromas fill you with each inhalation?
What does it feel like to be in this space?
What does the soft sand,
The shining sun and the ocean breeze feel like as they mingle with your body?
Take a moment now to stare out across the turquoise blue waters of this tropical paradise.
Note the way the gentle waves ebb and flow,
Ebb and flow.
And as you watch the movements of water,
You consider its healing and transformative properties.
You consider how adaptable it is,
Shape shifting according to the earthy elements that hold it.
Consider how gracefully and effortlessly it flows in the moment.
Reflect upon its wisdom,
Its intuition,
Its depth and its feminine power.
It is a life force that gives,
That heals,
That sustains and nourishes,
And you recognize all of this in it now.
From where you stand on the warm dry sand,
You begin to make your way towards the place where the water kisses the shore.
You move slowly and steadily,
And if it is soothing for you to do so,
You continue forward until the soft waves brush against your feet.
Go only as far as brings you peace.
Spend a few moments here becoming reacquainted with the water.
As the waves ebb and flow into and out of the shore,
Remember that the ocean is more than just its waves.
Within its depths,
It is quiet,
Steady,
Resilient and peaceful.
Now connect with those properties as they are reflected within you as well.
Silently,
I invite you to repeat.
Like the ocean,
My inner depths are quiet.
Like the ocean,
My inner depths are steady.
Like the ocean,
My inner depths are resilient.
Like the ocean,
My inner depths are peaceful.
Take a moment to silently note your appreciation for this body of water,
And then begin your journey by foot along the shoreline,
Either on the warm dry sand or where the waves meet land.
You walk slowly and with care,
Minding the way your feet fall upon the seemingly infinite grains of sand beneath you.
Your chest is open and your mind is relaxed as your attention is held on the beauty and wonder of this present moment.
You feel grateful for the air that fills you,
For the solid earth beneath you,
For the beauty and blessings of water,
And for the tranquility of this landscape as a whole.
The leaves of nearby palms and other tropical trees shimmer in the light breeze.
Birds flap their wings overhead as they soar through the open sky with ease.
You revel in their agility,
Their freedom,
And their grace.
You walk and walk for what feels like hours.
The sun,
Once high up in the atmosphere,
Has begun its observable descent towards the horizon.
The air is cooler than it was when you first arrived,
But it is warm enough to keep you completely at ease.
Your feet are beginning to grow tired,
And as if by divine timing,
You notice a small bamboo beach hut appears some distance down the shore ahead of you.
As the sun continues to approach the horizon,
You make your way towards that hut,
Continuing to mind your steps as you go.
Finally you arrive at the hut nestled into the sand,
And just a few dozen meters from the water.
Wispy white curtains blow in the wind at its entrance.
A quick hello and a peek inside have you assured that no one is here.
The hut is all yours to enjoy for the rest of the evening.
Before turning in for the night,
You decide to watch the setting sun.
You make yourself comfortable on one of the lounge chairs just outside of the cabin,
Wrapping yourself in a blanket for added warmth.
And then you tune your attention towards the horizon,
Where the amber star is now just inches away from the edge of the world.
You watch as the ball of light sinks away,
Casting its amber glow upon the radiant sky.
Soft,
Thin clouds are stretched through the atmosphere,
Transforming into vibrant hues of orange and pink with the arrival of dusk.
The world is quiet,
Both around you and within.
All you can hear now are the waves that crash gently against the shore.
Soon the sun is gone,
Having left only a trace of its presence.
Its light continues to illuminate the world where you are,
Slowly growing darker over time.
You watch the sky transition through tones of blue,
Orange,
Pink and violet,
Until soon all that is left is a dark,
Denim-blue sky.
Upon this open canvas,
Twinkling stars begin to make themselves known.
Along with the outline of the crescent moon,
They bring magic and mystery to the cosmos you are a part of.
Take a few moments to revel up at these appearances in the night sky,
Letting your breath continue to anchor you in peace and presence.
Your eyes land on the star that calls out to you,
And as they do,
You consider setting an intention of peace for the night and for the day to come.
Take your time to formulate this intention in your mind,
And then whisper it silently to the night sky three times.
Now as the minutes and hours sneak by,
You realise it is time for sleep.
Slowly you make your way into the quaint and cosy bamboo beach hut behind you.
Inside,
It is simple though comfortable,
And along the back wall a four-poster bed is nestled.
Draped with linen curtains and matching bedding,
You are eager to climb into this sanctuary.
You make your final presentations for bed and then climb in,
Allowing your body to sink into the luxurious mattress beneath you.
Your head rests as well,
Easing the mind as it does so.
If there is anything else inside of you that stands in the way of tranquility,
Release it with a sigh on your next out-breath.
Tune in to the quiet space within you,
Considering that you are held,
Supported and nourished by the universe.
Come back to your breath now,
Minding the natural flow of this life force into and out of the body.
And as you ground yourself through the breath's dance,
Allow the visuals of the beach hut to slowly dissipate.
Allow yourself to arrive back in the environment that currently holds you.
With nothing left to do or to envision,
You sense that it is time to let go more completely into a deep and restful slumber.
Good night,
My friend.
Good night.
