Guided Meditation for Sweet Dreams,
The Forest Grove.
Please find a comfortable position to rest in for this guided meditation.
You may like to prepare for sleep at night or simply to take a little rest.
Today we're going to explore a forested grove in our imaginations.
Take a moment to settle into your comfortable position.
Take a few deep breaths to let go of your day and make a commitment to enter into this meditation practice.
Relax your shoulders.
Relax your jaw.
Feel your belly soften into the rhythm of your breath.
Allow your legs to become heavy.
Your eyes are soft,
Eyelids resting closed.
After a few moments you begin to notice a change in the air.
It smells sweet and fresh with a hint of pine,
Wood and earth.
You feel the earth soft and forgiving beneath you.
And there is something solid right behind you.
You discover that you are sitting beneath a tree,
Leaning back against its sturdy trunk.
The earth below you is soft,
Covered in pine needles and multicolored leaves.
Some of them are huge,
Bright red maple leaves,
Bigger than your hand.
They're elegant leaf tips extending out in a ruby red color.
There are other leaves here too,
Some smaller,
Almost heart shaped yellow leaves that smell faintly of brown sugar and many more.
Eventually you turn to face the tree that you were leaning against.
It is a huge old growth cedar tree.
It's slightly reddish tinged bark,
Grooved and painted with bright green moss here and there.
Looking up,
The tree seems to go on forever.
Strong,
Thick branches supporting soft looking leaves.
You take a tendril in your hand and the tree seems to offer it to you,
Letting you take the cedar leaf in your hand.
You press your fingers into it,
Feeling its strong texture and hold it close to your face.
It smells spicy and medicinal,
Calming your mind,
Helping your body feel more present and connected to the earth below you.
You decide to explore this forest,
Rich with trees,
Moss,
Ferns and undergrowth.
The air is cool,
But you can feel the warm sun dappling through the tree leaves on your skin.
There are old growth Douglas fir trees,
Heavy with cones,
High above their long fat trunks.
Sitka spruce tower with their bluish green needles.
There is a cluster of skinny,
Fragrant cottonwood trees along your way.
You continue to explore this forest of your imagination,
Full of strong old trees.
Perhaps some trees you know,
Trees you've never seen before,
Trees with roots as deep in the earth as they are tall in the sky.
You feel completely safe in this community of growing trees.
The air is fresh and healthy.
You can feel everything that's not here and now releasing you,
Letting go into the earth below you.
There is an energy in this forest,
A nourishing,
Calming,
Grounding feeling that infuses you.
You feel secure in this space,
Knowing just who you are,
Just what you need.
You are completely safe in your own beautiful forest.
After some time,
You come across another tree.
Something about it feels special to you.
Observe this tree in your mind.
Notice if it looks familiar to you.
Its size and shape,
Its leaves or flowers.
You put your hands on the trunk of this tree and you can feel a connection to this tree and the earth below it.
Observe the texture of this beautiful being and feel its energy beneath your hands.
Perhaps this special tree has a message for you.
You close your eyes and listen closely to hear what the tree might have to say.
Listen for words,
But also for images,
Thoughts,
Memories,
Or even simply silence.
Take some time to be with your tree.
When you're ready,
You sit down in the soft earth beneath your special tree to rest.
You close your eyes again,
Leaning back against the reassuring trunk behind you.
You will rest as long as you like.
And whenever you're ready to open your eyes,
You will be back in your world again,
Refreshed,
Rested.
The tree's message safe in your heart,
Ready for the rest of your day.
