Take a moment now to find a comfortable place to sit.
When we notice what our body and heart are feeling,
It helps us to understand ourselves better.
Quietly to yourself,
Notice what sensations you're feeling in your body.
Carefully notice what emotions you're experiencing,
What feelings are present.
Whatever you're feeling in your body or mind is neither good or bad.
Just notice it.
Imagine yourself in a safe,
Calm place.
It can be a real place,
Some place you have been or an imaginary pretend place.
This place is peaceful and quiet.
Feel a warm and gentle breeze blowing over your entire body.
Starting at your feet and going all the way to your head.
Directly overhead and from beyond the sky,
A warm sun shines down on you.
Let's focus on our breathing.
When we focus on our breathing,
Our brain releases chemicals that naturally calm our body and mind.
Put your hands on your belly.
Take a deep breath and fill it with air.
Now let it slowly and quietly out.
As you breathe air in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Notice with each breath how your body relaxes.
Let's breathe together.
In through your nose,
One,
Two,
Three.
And out through your mouth,
One,
Two,
Three.
In through your nose,
One,
Two,
Three.
Three.
Continue to breathe slowly and let any stress or worries float away.
We will count down as your body and mind calm down.
You're getting relaxed,
Even more relaxed,
Deeply relaxed.
Imagine an orange and yellow sun warming your body.
You're going to be asked to tighten each muscle group one at a time.
This will help your body learn how to relax.
First,
Squeeze your eyes closed as if you're blocking out the bright sun and the sun is shining.
Keep them shut and now relax them back to being just gently closed.
Now lift your shoulders up to your ears as if your shoulders can touch your ears and hold.
Okay,
Now let them relax back down and away from your ears.
Now think about your arms.
Let your strength move into your forearms.
Your upper arm muscles are hard with strength.
Hold that tightness.
Now soften your arms.
Squeeze your hands into a fist.
Hold them tight.
Now release.
Squeeze all the muscles in your tummy by pulling your tummy in and holding your breath in for five seconds.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Now release.
Make all the muscles in your legs tight.
If your legs are straight,
Pretend they are long rays of sunshine.
If your legs are crossed,
Make your leg muscles hard.
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Now release.
The next part of the story will be your imagination.
Wiggle around in your own space until you find the perfect position for relaxing.
If possible,
Lie down or put your head on your desk.
Close your eyes or keep your eyes open.
Either is fine.
Do what feels good and right for you.
Use your imagination to create pictures in your mind as I read.
Just like painting or drawing pictures in art,
You'll be using your mind to create the art of the story.
There will be pauses to give you lots of time to paint pictures in your imagination.
Breathe in and out.
In and out.
You're creating a colorful place in your imagination.
Look around.
See a field with swaying tall grass.
All you can see is bright green all around you.
Gentle breezes are blowing over the field and you notice that your breathing is flowing with each breath of wind.
The sun shines down on you as it glows orange and yellow.
You feel so sleepy,
You lie down in the grass and you breathe in the green and you breathe out the green.
In,
Out.
You notice that the sky above you is bright blue with wispy soft white clouds.
The clouds in your sky can be like the thoughts in your mind.
You see them as they float or drift by and again notice the bright blueness of your sky.
What else do you see in your sky?
Look around the sky in your imagination.
Breathe in the blue of the sky and breathe out the blue.
In and out.
You're still in the grass and very relaxed.
Arms are by your side.
Your hands feel little soft purple flowers among the grass.
You hold a velvety flower in your hand and you gently touch each delicate petal.
The petals feel like soft fur of a puppy's ears.
You breathe in the purple and you breathe out the purple.
In and out.
You lift the purple flower to your nose and breathe in the scent of summer.
Sweet and calm.
The sunshine warms the purple flowers making the flowers smell even stronger and sweeter.
Breathe in the sweetness of the flower and out.
In,
Out.
There's a bright red strawberry patch next to you.
A small flock of birds are snacking on these perfectly ripe berries.
You can't wait to taste the juicy red berries.
When you do,
You taste the sweet red flavors that burst in your mouth.
As you breathe in,
You savor the tasty flavors of your wild strawberries and breathe out.
In and out.
Listen to my voice as we go through all the colors in your colorful place.
Rainbow colors are swirling around your body.
Breathe in green and out.
Breathe in yellow and orange and out.
Purple,
In and out.
Red,
In and out.
The colorful mist flows around your body.
You breathe in the colors of the rainbow and breathe out the colors of the rainbow.
Stay relaxed.
Take a moment now to notice all the colors in your imagination.
I will count back from three to one and then you'll open your eyes.
Try to keep your body and mind quiet and calm as we come to the end.
Three,
You're starting to wake up.
Two,
Begin slowly moving.
Open your eyes if they're closed.
One,
You're wide awake.
You're welcome to wiggle your toes and now your fingers.
If you're lying down or if your head is on your desk,
Gently sit up.
Slowly roll your head in a circle starting with your ear to your shoulder.
Then gently roll your head to the other shoulder.
Stretch both arms up to the sky.
Lean over to one side and then the other,
Stretching your arms as you lean and reach.
Roll your shoulders forward in small circles and then roll your shoulders backwards.
What sensations do you feel in your body?
Do you feel the same or different from when we started the story and why?
What did you see in your colorful place?
What feelings did you have when you visited your colorful place?
What part of the story did you enjoy the most?
Remember you can come visit this place anytime you need to relax.
You have everything you need inside yourself to find calm.
Let's review what we've practiced in this story.
Bring your attention to your body.
Relax from head to toe.
Close your eyes or keep them open if you prefer.
Take a few deep breaths.
Count as you breathe.
Visit your imagination and paint pictures in your mind.
Notice each of your five senses.
Tasting,
Touching,
Hearing,
Smelling and seeing.
Excellent work.
Have a wonderful day.
