Hi and welcome to this mindfulness speech meditation.
Thank you for joining me and well done for looking after yourself and giving yourself this precious time for you,
Just to pause for a moment and recharge.
Before we start please make yourself comfortable either in a seated position or lying down whichever you prefer.
Notice whether you could make yourself just 5% more comfortable.
Ok so let's begin by simply closing your eyes.
Place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest and just feel the rise and fall of your body as you breathe,
Like a wave of air is washing all the way into your body and then all the way back out again.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
Filling up your belly first as if fully inflating a balloon.
Then breathe out through your mouth,
Slowly and steadily,
As if you are exhaling out through a straw,
Letting go of all the air in your body.
Take another deep breath in,
Hold at the top for a count of 1 and let it go again,
Exhaling all the stale air at the very bottom of your lungs.
Take another deep breath in,
Hold for 1 and breathe back out again.
Notice the cool air flowing in through your nostrils and the slightly warmer air flowing back out as you exhale.
Take a deep breath in again,
Pause at the top and slowly let it back out again.
Notice the space you are creating inside your body as it starts to open up and relax.
Another deep breath in again,
Hold at the top and just let it go all the way back out again.
Ok so just let your breath return to its normal rhythm now,
Just observe it without judgement as we begin our visualisation meditation.
It is a warm day,
The sun is shining and you are idly wandering along an old wooden boardwalk through a beautiful forest towards the beach.
You are wearing light,
Loose clothing which flutters against your soft skin in the warm gentle breeze.
The sky is blue with only a few wispy clouds making their way slowly across the sky,
Curling and twisting as they travel.
You stretch out your right hand and touch the long soft grasses that overhang the path as you walk,
Letting them run through your fingers.
They are dry and wispy and move gently in the breeze.
The sun rays are bursting through the trees and the birds are singing.
A butterfly dances across the path in front of you,
Rising and falling before it finally settles on a bright white flower.
It's so quiet and peaceful you can hear your footsteps as your feet lazily shuffle along the wooden planks which are starting to become increasingly sandy as you near the beach.
The trees on either side of you seem to step aside and bow down as you reach the end of the boardwalk and the sun bursts onto your whole body.
You feel its warmth nourish and soothe your whole being and you take a deep breath in and feel grateful for this moment.
You kick off your light,
Loose shoes and step barefoot into the warm white soft sand.
It almost covers your feet,
Surrounding them with its warmth and softness.
The bay is empty apart from three seagulls soaring high above the sea,
Scouring the water far below them.
The sea below them is dark blue,
Yet nearer the shoreline it is a beautiful turquoise.
Small waves roll slowly in,
Then fall over onto the shoreline as they're collapsing after a long journey home.
You spot the silhouette of a fishing boat on the horizon,
Gently tipping forward and backwards on the waves.
You slowly undress,
Leaving just your swimwear on and walk slowly towards the water which is beckoning you.
As you approach the sea,
Your feet sink into the slightly cooler,
Packed sand and a wave of warm sea water washes up and kisses your toes.
A sandcastle stands defiant on the shoreline beside you.
Slowly you make your way into the water until you are waist deep and then you rest the palms of your hands on the surface of the water and just feel the energy moving gently beneath them.
You spot a shoal of small white fish darting about in the shadows and you notice the beautiful patterns of ripples in the white sand under the clear sea.
You can smell the salt of the ocean and you notice the air entering your nostrils is cool and refreshing.
You take a deep breath and then dip into the water,
Feeling the warm,
Salty water pour over your body,
Washing away all your worries.
You take a long,
Grateful sigh of relief.
You lay back and let the water take the weight of your body.
Floating on your back,
Completely weightless,
You gaze up at the sky above you,
Just observing the clouds as they come into sight,
Change in shape and then drift out of your view.
You feel completely supported and held by the ocean.
High above you,
A plane inches slowly across the sky,
Leaving a feathery white trail behind it.
You watch the pattern gradually widen before it disperses altogether.
You close your eyes and feel your body being gently rocked by the sea.
Your ears listen to the pips and squeaks of the vast,
Deep ocean and you are at complete peace.
There is nothing you need to do and nowhere you need to be.
You take a deep breath in,
Feeling your chest rise above the water,
Then exhale with a smile as your body lowers back into the ocean again.
Another deep breath in and then back out again.
You slowly blink your eyes open,
Sink your feet into the soft sand beneath you and gaze back at the shoreline.
The trees are swaying in the breeze and you notice the sandcastle has washed away now.
As you slowly make your way back onto the beach,
The hot,
Dry sand makes your feet tingle with glee.
You lay down on your thick,
Dry towel and close your eyes.
The salt water trickles off your body in the hot sunshine.
You feel your whole body relax and melt into the towel beneath you.
You feel heavy and calm and your mind is as clear and open as the blue sky above you.
You enjoy this moment just for you.
You can hear the waves gently lapping on the shore and feel the gentle breeze across your warm,
Dry skin.
You take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in and exhale with gratitude.
You gradually peel open your eyes and take in all the vibrant colours around you.
You start to wiggle a few fingers and toes and gradually pull yourself up for a big stretch,
Feeling refreshed and completely restored.
Thank you for joining me today and I hope you have a wonderful rest of the day.
Namaste.
