Take a slow breath in,
Let it fall out gently,
Imagine yourself at the edge of a quiet woodland.
Tall trees rising around you,
Soft earth beneath your feet,
A warm light resting across your back,
A faint stream whispering somewhere ahead.
Take another breath,
Let your shoulders drop a little,
Let the space around you widen,
Let the day soften its grip.
Begin to walk forward at an easy pace,
Each step steady,
Each breath smooth,
Leave shift under your feet with a quiet sigh.
A breeze moves through the canopy,
It brushes your skin like a slow greeting.
Notice the shapes of the trees as you pass,
Some straight and tall,
Some old and twisting,
Some leaning toward the light,
All of them rooted,
All of them holding their ground without effort.
Let that steadiness settle in you.
The sound of the stream grows clearer,
Follow it.
Let the gentle trickle guide your steps,
Birdsong drifts from branch to branch,
Soft scattered notes,
Little reminders that life hums quietly all around you.
Pause for a breath,
Feel sunlight warming the side of your face,
Feel the air cooling as you walk deeper,
Let your mind loosen its grip,
Let the pace slow even more.
The stream appears between two fallen logs,
Clear water moving over stones,
Light dancing on the surface.
Walk toward it,
Settle beside it,
Let the sound wash through you,
Reach out with one hand,
Touch the cool water,
Hold your fingers there,
Imagine it lifting any heaviness from your body,
Small worries,
Old stories,
Unfinished pieces.
Let them ease out of you,
Let them drift away downstream,
You don't have to chase them,
You don't have to fix them,
Let the current carry them for now.
Take a fuller breath,
Let your chest rise,
Let your chest fall,
Place a hand over your heart,
Feel the gentle rhythm beneath your palm,
Whisper a quiet kindness to yourself,
Something simple,
Something soft,
Let it echo inside you like a warm pulse.
Stay by the stream a little longer,
Listen to the trickle,
Listen to the wind drifting through the branches,
Listen to the small rustles of woodland life around you,
Let the whole forest breathe with you,
Slow,
Steady,
Present.
When you're ready,
Stand again,
Feel your feet firmly on the ground,
Take a step back onto the path,
The sunlight shifts as you move,
The breeze follows,
Bird song rises again,
Calm and familiar.
Begin the gentle walk back,
The forest opening in front of you,
Trees guiding your way,
Light falling in soft pads across the path,
Every step light,
Every breath easy.
As you reach the edge of the woodland,
Pause,
Take one more breath in,
One more breath out,
Carry the warmth of the sunlight with you,
Carry the steadiness of the trees,
Carry the kindness you offered yourself,
Let it come with you into the space you're in now,
Let it stay close as you return.
