Sit or lie down in a comfortable position,
And gently close your eyes.
Place one hand on your abdomen just below your ribs,
And one hand on your chest below your collarbone,
And take a breath.
Notice how your upper and lower hands move,
And now inhale slowly and deeply through your nose into the bottom of your lungs.
You should feel the lower hand rise more than the upper hand.
Then exhale slowly through your nose or mouth,
Exhaling all the air in your lungs.
Continue to breathe long abdominal breaths,
Keeping your breath smooth,
Regular,
And comfortable.
Inhale and exhale.
Find your own comfortable pace and rhythm.
Notice your breath and its regular rhythm,
And notice any tension that may be in your body,
And release the muscles holding any tension.
Allow them to be loose and heavy.
Notice your body becoming heavier as it rests.
You are now ready to allow your mind to picture a winding,
Gently sloping path.
Imagine this path in your mind.
You decide to walk down the path,
Knowing that it will lead you to your desired destination.
You are heading to the beach.
Your feet are bare so you can feel the texture of the smooth,
White sand against your skin.
As you walk down the path,
The heat from the beaming sun has warmed the sand,
And this warmth is slowly spreading from your feet to the rest of your body,
Flowing from your feet to your legs through to your torso and arms.
Now your whole body is feeling warm and relaxed as you continue walking down this path.
The path is leading you to a pleasant,
Soothing,
And safe place,
A place that is warm and inviting,
Your little patch of the world that brings you peace and calm,
Your special beach.
As you walk down the path,
You breathe in the salty air.
It fills your senses.
As you breathe it in through your nose,
You can almost taste it.
You start to hear the gentle waves of the ocean as you move closer to your destination,
And you are savoring the scenery in your mind's eye,
Knowing that your eyes will be taking it all in as soon as you come to the end of the path.
Notice your feelings of anticipation as you come closer to this place,
And now you start to see glimpses of your special beach and the path nears its end.
Notice how much your feet start to sink more into the sand.
Notice how warm it is as you touch the sand,
And as the sun touches your skin,
You have arrived on your special beach.
Start taking in the beauty of your surroundings.
You are noticing the colors in your natural surroundings,
The blues and the greens and the yellows.
What other colors are you noticing?
You notice the light and the shadows,
And you decide to sit and savor the experience of being in a place that brings you peace and calm.
Where do you decide to sit?
In the sun or in the shade?
It feels good to sit and relax.
You notice how satisfied you are to be in this place.
Feel the warmth of the sunlight and the light,
Cool breeze on your skin.
This light in this place is comforting and healing for you.
It provides you with energy and strength.
Notice your breathing becoming deep,
Slow,
And regular.
Notice tension in your body dissipate.
This is a place that is safe,
A place with warm memories,
And a place where you are free to enjoy your environment and fully and completely relax.
Your senses are alive and you are fully present in this moment of peace and calm.
Notice how you feel safe and secure,
Peaceful and calm.
Notice how your body feels when you have these feelings.
These are feelings that you can access any time you notice worry or tension in your mind and body.
Remember how this feels.
You are experiencing joy and contentment,
And you feel secure,
Strong,
And confident.
You can bring to mind your experiences in this place any time you want.
Noticing the sights,
Sounds,
Smells,
And feelings that this place brings to you.
In this way,
You can know that these positive feelings are always within you.
Remind yourself of them during challenging times.
You are filled with light and warmth and peace and calm.
You are now ready to go toward the path that led you to this special place.
Slowly and steadily begin to walk back up this path to your current environment.
You feel strong and capable as you walk back down the path,
Approaching your life with peace and calm,
A sense of security,
And a renewed sense of confidence and energy.
Notice your slow,
Steady breathing,
And in five seconds you will be ready to continue your day.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
When you are ready,
Gently open your eyes,
Wiggle your fingers and toes,
Stretch your body,
And resume your day.
