Welcome to a place of calm where you can let go,
Restore your energy,
And wash away any lingering stress.
As you settle in,
Feel your body begin to soften into the support beneath you.
Imagine yourself grounding deeply,
Releasing any tension,
As you allow yourself to fully relax.
Let's begin with the soothing breath technique.
After your next gentle breath out,
Start to breathe in a little deeper.
When you exhale your breath,
Let go of all the air.
Take another deep breath in and a long breath out.
On your next breath in,
Inhale gently for a count of 4,
3,
2,
1.
Exhale out 4,
3,
2,
1.
Again same count,
Inhale,
Slowly,
Fill up,
Find a space at the top.
Exhale,
Slow,
Steady,
Smooth,
Until your lungs are empty.
Inhaling for a count of 4.
Exhaling for a count of 4.
On your next inhale,
Find a gentle pause at the top,
Without any tension in your body.
On your exhale,
Find a pause at the bottom of the breath,
Without holding any physical tension.
Try the same technique again,
Gently inhale for a count of 4,
And find a slight pause.
Softly exhale until the breath is all the way out,
And find a soft pause at the bottom.
Repeat this rhythm and feel yourself sink deeper with every cycle.
As you get more comfortable with the soft pause at the top and the bottom,
See if you can relax your body ever so slightly more as you repeat the rhythm of breath.
Keep practicing,
But on your next few rounds,
See if it's possible to lengthen the pause at the top of the breath in,
And lengthen the pause at the bottom of the breath out.
Take two more rounds.
When you're ready,
Gently let go of this breathing technique and return to a smooth,
Natural breath.
Notice as you settle back into normal breathing how you feel after using that breath technique.
With your eyes closed and the palate of your mouth softened,
Start to visualize yourself by the ocean.
You can see the mist rising off the crest of each wave.
Sense the energy and power within each wave,
Moving in rhythm with the tide.
Picture the waves as thoughts,
Each thought rising,
Each thought falling.
Waves as thoughts just passing through.
As thoughts drift into your mind,
Visualize each one as a wave.
Start to zoom out and feel yourself as if you were the vast,
Calm ocean that holds all of the waves.
Picture yourself from a bird's eye view,
Looking down at the waves from high above.
From this point of view,
You see not just the waves,
But the vastness of the ocean beneath.
Imagine your perspective lifting higher,
Rising above the ocean and into the wide-open blue sky.
Visualize birds soaring nearby in flocks.
And you gently look to the side over in the distance,
You see the warm sun setting over the horizon.
Imagine all of the colors of a beautiful sunset.
Soft cotton candy pink,
Sherbet orange,
Deepening purple hues,
Blues.
All blending across the sky,
Casting a glow over the ocean.
Feel the sunset's golden beams reaching out,
Filling you with a sense of warmth,
Radiance,
And serenity.
Next,
Notice how the waves make only the gentlest impact on the ocean's totality.
With each passing wave,
Sense yourself as the entire ocean,
Both peaceful and expansive.
See the waves and feel yourself becoming the whole ocean.
Watch as the ocean swirls gently,
Carrying any last tension or thoughts away.
As the sun dips lower,
Notice the soft ending of the sunset.
See a brief green flash as the sun disappears,
Leaving behind a pastel glow that lingers in the sky.
Sink deeply now into this calm space.
Feel a sense of restoration.
Feel a sense of connection.
And feel profoundly at ease.
Let yourself relax deeper.
If you're feeling a little sleepy,
Allow your feeling of sleepiness to envelop you.
And stay relaxed for as long as you need.
Thanks for listening!
