Welcome to this guided journey to a place just for you.
My name is Lauren Archer and I'll be your guide.
If you are listening to this,
There's a good chance you've spent most of your day or most of your week or even most of this season of your life taking care of someone else.
You've been anticipating their needs,
Monitoring and managing,
Planning and preparing,
And holding things together that might otherwise fall apart.
And now,
Somehow you've found a few minutes that belong to you.
Maybe the house is finally quiet.
Maybe you've slipped away to a parked car or a room with the door closed.
Maybe you're tired and depleted in a way that sleep doesn't quite fix,
Where your body is exhausted but your mind is still moving,
Still listening for the next thing that needs your attention.
You have already given so much,
And now,
Right now,
It's your turn to receive.
This session is here to guide you through a gentle process of letting go of the heaviness of what you've been carrying,
Restoring your mind and body to a state of ease,
And replenishing your energy from the inside out.
Research shows that even a single session of guided meditation can reduce cortisol,
The stress hormone that builds up in the body during long seasons of caregiving,
And it can restore a sense of inner calm that can last well beyond our time together today.
Your body already knows how to do this,
So now we're just going to give it permission to relax and receive.
So if you haven't already,
Find a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down.
Wherever you feel most at ease.
Allow your eyes to gently close,
And let's begin.
Take a moment now to let your body settle in and start to relax.
Let's bring your awareness now to your breath,
And just noticing the natural rhythm as you sense the feeling of air moving in and moving out.
Letting your breathing slow just a bit,
And with each breath a little longer and a little deeper.
And with your next inhale,
Let yourself breathe in something you may not have taken in all day.
Space.
Just a little space between you and everything that's been asking for your attention.
And as you exhale now,
Letting any tightness or tension begin to release away from your body.
Feeling yourself unwinding gently and naturally.
Your body knows how to let go,
And as it does,
You can allow there to be more space within you.
And as your breathing gets even deeper now,
You can let each exhale release whatever your body is ready to let go of.
Noticing how good that feels.
Now,
Let's invite your conscious mind to gently scan your body from the inside out.
Relaxing and releasing any tightness or tension as it moves through.
Beginning with your face and head.
Relaxing the small muscles around your forehead and temples.
Softening around your jaw.
Feeling the space between your eyebrows smooth and relaxed.
Relaxing the back of your head and your neck.
Releasing and gently softening now.
Moving down into your neck and shoulder muscles now.
Letting those muscles release just a little more.
As if a weight is lifting and you can feel more lightness and ease.
Softening through your arms and hands.
Hands that have done so much.
Letting them rest now,
Loose and open.
Relaxing through your chest and belly.
Perhaps noticing the way your breath moves a little more freely now.
A little more deeply.
Softening your lower back and down into your hips.
Letting the surface beneath you hold your weight completely.
And continuing down through your legs and feet.
Legs that have carried you through long days.
Letting them be still and heavy now.
Fully supported.
With each breath,
Allowing your body to settle a little more deeply into this moment.
That's right.
And in a moment,
I'm going to count backwards from 10 to 1.
With each number,
You can allow yourself to drift more deeply inward.
Settling into that comfortable,
Focused state of relaxation.
Where your deeper mind becomes quietly open.
And when we reach the number 1,
I'll invite you to sense a place inside that belongs entirely to you.
A beautiful,
Safe,
Inner space.
Your own world inside that's just for you.
A place where you are free to be yourself.
Totally at ease.
Beginning now with the number 10.
Gently drifting deeper inside.
Number 9.
Relaxing and releasing just a little bit more.
Number 8.
Your mind becoming quieter and still.
Number 7.
As you drift deep,
Deeper down.
Number 6.
Letting go of the outside world.
As you allow yourself to receive.
Number 5.
Feeling so good and so relaxed.
Number 4.
Deeper still.
Your mind soft and open.
Number 3.
Your body so comfortable and so at ease.
Number 2.
Almost there now.
Drifting deep inside.
And number 1.
All the way down.
Deep,
Comfortable,
And relaxed.
Whatever level of relaxation you are experiencing right now is just fine.
From this deep inner space,
You may sense that you're entering a safe inner world.
A beautiful place inside with a natural garden here that's all your own.
Right here,
Right now,
You have this whole space to yourself.
And it feels safe,
Peaceful,
And serene.
You may notice how the air is clean and clear.
And you can breathe easily here.
And the temperature is just right.
You can feel comfortable and at ease.
And there's a place here for you to sit or lie down in a way that feels so safe and welcoming.
And as your inner world comes into form,
You may notice the quality of light here.
Sensing whether it's morning or afternoon or a gentle golden dusk.
Feeling the warmth of sunlight on your skin and sensing a soft,
Gentle breeze.
Perhaps even noticing the faint scent of the soil and the green plants here.
Or hearing the songs of birds chirping in the distance.
And as you rest here,
You can feel seen,
Held,
And supported.
As if every molecule of air contains nourishment.
As if this garden somehow knows you,
Like it's a part of you.
And it remembers who you are beneath everything you do.
And as you settle deeper into this beautiful inner world,
You may become aware of a great tree before you.
A beautiful tree.
Tall,
Strong,
And kind.
It's lived here a long time.
It's trunk is open.
It's trunk is stable and steady.
It's roots reach deep into the dark,
Rich earth.
And it's branches spread wide above.
Creating shelter.
Offering shade.
And reaching toward the light.
And somehow,
You recognize yourself as being like this tree.
Aware of all the ways it has given of itself.
Offering shade and shelter.
Steadiness and support.
Fruit and rootedness.
Season after season.
Without being asked.
This tree has held its ground through wind and weight.
And endured seasons of storms and hard times just like you.
And yet,
This tree still gets to receive.
It's part of this life-giving garden just like you.
And just like the tree's branches and leaves that reach upward toward the sky and open up to receive the warm life-giving rays of sunlight,
You may notice how good it feels to open your heart and allow yourself to receive goodness and warmth.
Loving kindness and generosity.
Gratitude and appreciation.
Absorbing these good feelings fully and deeply.
Letting every cell,
Every fiber of your being be nourished and nurtured by the warmth of this life-giving energy.
You can notice how good it feels to let your heart open wide and allow the warmth of these good feelings to fill you up from the inside.
And just like the tree's roots that reach deep down through layers of rich dark soil to absorb the life-giving nutrients and nourishment from the earth,
You may notice that within you,
You have your own sense of rootedness.
And you can draw from an inner source of goodness and steadiness.
Letting this energy move through you and replenish your vitality.
Everything you need is available to you.
And you can draw from this deep inner wellspring of goodness whenever you like.
It's always here.
And just like the tree branches can grow heavy with weight over time,
From debris that may have gotten stuck or lodged between the leaves,
Or from the weight of all that they've been holding,
You may notice now that there's a beautiful breeze beginning to blow through.
A strong wind swaying the branches,
Allowing the heaviness to naturally release.
Just as the tree gladly lets go of what is ripe and ready to fall away,
You may be ready to release some of the heaviness you've been carrying emotionally or energetically.
Ready to let go of the debris from other people's energies.
And right here,
You can allow this cleansing wind to sweep away any tension or stress,
Any uncomfortable emotions,
Any worries or fears.
Noticing how good it feels to allow the wind to carry it all away.
And letting yourself breathe a sigh of relief.
Feeling yourself releasing on each exhale whatever your body and your heart are ready to let go of.
And just like the tree is cleansed and replenished by the life-giving rains as they gently wash over its leaves and branches,
Pouring down around the bark and soaking all the way down around its roots and into the earth,
You can allow the life-giving energy of water to replenish and revitalize every part of you that has been feeling dry or parched,
Thirsty or tired.
Sensing yourself now being filled back up,
Hydrated and nourished,
And rejuvenated and refreshed.
Feeling life energy flowing in you and through you naturally and easily.
And as you rest here,
Nourished and refreshed,
You may sense a deep inner truth arising within you.
A knowingness that you can absorb deep inside.
You are good.
You are valuable.
You are worthy and deserving.
You are kind,
Caring and capable.
You are intelligent and you make good decisions.
It is safe for you to rest and refresh.
It is healthy to take time just for yourself.
It's okay to stop when you need to stop,
To ask for help,
And to set kind and firm boundaries.
You are enough.
You give enough and you do enough.
The love and care you offer others returns to you in invisible ways.
No matter what's going on around you,
You can still feel goodness and love.
And joy inside.
The more you let yourself feel good inside,
The more your body and mind naturally repair,
Restore and revitalize your energy.
You can keep these good feelings alive within you,
And they grow stronger and stronger each and every day.
From now on,
In the days and weeks to come,
You can keep this inner garden alive within you.
And as you move through your days,
You may sense that you carry yourself with a little more ease,
A little more space.
You may find yourself walking a bit taller,
Smiling a bit wider,
And feeling more uplifted and confident within.
Tonight and every night,
As you settle into sleep,
Your body and mind can feel nourished and supported,
Ready to release the day and drift into a deep,
Restful,
Restorative sleep.
And as tomorrow morning arrives,
You may notice that something is a little different.
You remember,
Like a deep,
Quiet knowing inside,
That the love and care you give to others is also here for you.
That the steadiness that you offer others lives inside of you,
Too,
And it's yours to draw from.
And you remember that you are worthy of the same care that you give so freely to everyone else.
And somehow,
Someway,
You remember to take small moments throughout the day where you can breathe and feel yourself and choose to let yourself be nourished and restored.
Perhaps a favorite meal eaten slowly and savored.
Or a moment outside in the air.
Or a soothing bath,
A refreshing shower,
Letting the water re-energize you.
Or even listening to a song you love played just for the joy of it.
These are the earth and wind and water and sunlight.
These moments are what keep you rooted,
Open,
And alive to your own life.
And they're always available.
And so,
Our time here is drawing gently to a close.
In a moment,
I'll count from one to ten.
And as I do,
You can let your mind come back slowly to this room,
Bringing with you the ease you found here.
The image of your garden and the tree.
The steadiness of your own roots.
And the warmth of your heart,
Open and nourished.
So beginning now with the number one,
Beginning to return slowly and gently.
Number two,
Coming back little by little.
Number three,
Remembering everything that was helpful here today.
Number four,
Your body feeling more present and more alive.
Number five,
Feeling rested,
Settled,
And restored.
Number six,
Breathing a little more fully now.
Number seven,
Sensing the room around you becoming present once again.
Number eight,
Feeling the surface beneath you,
Grounded and supported.
Number nine,
Almost fully back now,
Alert and at ease.
And number ten,
Coming all the way back,
Feeling wonderful.
Take a moment,
And when you're ready,
You can let your eyes open again.
And know that your inner garden is always here.
And you can return as often as you like.
In just a few minutes,
Or in a full relaxing session.
It all belongs to you,
And you belong to yourself.
And if you found this program nourishing,
And you'd like one created just for you,
I invite you to connect with me here.
This has been Lauren Archer,
Supporting your journey to return to calm,
Clarity,
And inner balance.
Thank you.
