Guided imagery is a meditation technique that uses positive mental images to influence how you feel and help the mind become less busy.
This type of imagery tunes into various senses,
Sight,
Taste,
Sound,
Smell and sensation and can also be used to assist in relaxation.
It's useful if you're a visual person and you find imagery helpful in helping the mind to switch off.
This is a guided imagery that I've written inspired by the beach at Greystone.
So to begin,
Find the most comfortable seat that you can.
If you're comfortable to close the eyes,
Feel free to do so or otherwise if that makes you feel uncomfortable,
A somewhat more appropriate gaze.
Just take a couple of moments to settle,
A few deep breaths,
Either in and out through the nose or in through the nose and out through the mouth.
To start,
Just reminding yourself of your reasons for meditating today.
Be clear on your motivation for meditating.
Beware expectations.
Commit to meditate diligently and review potential distractions before you start.
And you might begin by setting an intention to allow yourself to set aside this time in meditation just for you,
Time for the mind to become calm and tranquil.
You can start by bringing the focus to the breath,
Just taking time to feel the sensations of the breath moving in and out of the body.
You might use the technique of following the cycle of the breath,
Noticing any changes in the sensations between the in and the out breath and the pauses between the two.
You might consider on the in breath,
Clean fresh sea air filling the lungs and on the out breath,
Allowing the whole body to relax.
New clean fresh sea air entering the body on each inhalation,
The body softening and releasing on each exhalation.
You might imagine now the scene of a white sandy beach.
You've made your way down to the beach at dusk.
You can feel the fine white sand under the soles of your feet in between the toes.
In the distance,
You can hear the sea gently lapping against the sand and the sensations of a gentle breeze on your face.
You might picture yourself walking down to the water's edge and settling yourself down onto the soft white sand.
In the present moment,
It's just you at the beach.
The sun is just beginning to set over the horizon,
The last warm rays in this warm sunny day shining onto your face.
You hear the sound of birds flying overhead,
Long grasses in the nearby santunes just rustle in the gentle evening breeze.
You just sink down further into the soft white sand,
Just lying back to look at the colours in the sky,
Perhaps just a few wispy white clouds overhead.
The sun shimmering on the calm blue sea as it begins to set.
The warmth from the sun begins to seep deep into your whole being.
As you inhale,
Feel the warmth and brightness of the sun just radiating into your whole being.
And on your exhale,
Feeling tension releasing from your whole body as you relax into the soft sand.
Inhaling,
Breathing in clean fresh sea air filling the lungs and exhaling whole body beginning to relax.
Clean,
Fresh sea air entering the body on each inhalation,
Body softening and releasing on each exhalation.
In the distance,
Two horses come into view.
You hear the gentle galloping of the hooves as the horses are ridden along the water's edge.
You decide to stay a while longer,
Resting and relaxing on the sand.
As you rest here,
Continue following the cycle of your own breath,
Taking this opportunity to rest and meditate at the beach as the sun continues to slowly set on the horizon.
The Alaska Feeling well rested,
You decide to paddle into the sea for a walking meditation at the water's edge.
The water feels cool on your feet,
Refreshing and tingling as you walk in the shallows.
Birds swooping down nearby to catch little fish darting around in the water.
Gentle splashing as you walk along the water's edge.
Feel at the serene and peaceful scene of the sand,
The sea,
The birds and the horses in the distance just wash over your whole being.
You might hear your own breath and heart beat slow and steady in the body.
Inhaling clean fresh sea air,
Exhaling fully released and relaxed.
Just noticing the sensations of the breath in the body as you walk gently along at the water's edge.
The sun now almost set,
The sky turning darker,
The gentle breeze still gently blowing against the skin.
Inhaling fresh clean sea air and exhaling whole body release relaxing.
After a short while longer you decide to leave the water's edge and walk back up over the sand dunes,
The long tall grass rustling the soft sand under your feet.
The sky darker now,
You make your way home,
Arriving feeling relaxed and rested.
And as darkness falls perhaps the opportunity to lie down,
Rested,
Relaxed and ready to sleep.
You continue just following the cycle of the breath,
The beautiful scene from the beach still in your mind,
The scene of the sand,
The sea,
The sound of the birds,
The hooves galloping into resistance,
Washing over your whole being.
The sound of the sea is fading more quietly into the background,
Arriving home fully rested and relaxed.
.
