Get as comfortable as you can be in a seated position.
Let your hands just rest loosely in your lap.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath in.
Hold it in for just a moment and then let it go completely.
Take another deep breath in and hold it too for just a moment.
As you exhale completely,
Imagine all of the worries of the day being released and a sensation of relaxation beginning to fill your body.
Feel your forehead,
Your eyes,
Your cheeks,
And your jaw soften.
Take another deep breath in and hold it for a moment.
As you begin to exhale,
Intentionally let the shoulders fall away from your ears,
Allowing this relaxing feeling to expand down your back and into your legs and into your feet.
Hold it as if the breath fuels the constant flow of relaxation from your head all the way down to your toes.
When you feel completely relaxed in your body,
Continue to breathe softly and slowly as we begin to go on a journey in our minds.
Picture the view from the back porch of a cabin,
Deep in the woods at the base of a beautiful tall mountain.
Imagine that you are on vacation and you have left all of your worldly cares and concerns at home.
You can smell the aroma of your coffee in your hands as you gaze around,
Enjoying the peace and the serenity that surrounds you.
Taking in the warm morning sun on your face,
You sit in your comfortable chair and you take a deep breath in,
Taking in the smell of the forest trees.
You can see the fog gently rolling across the mountain,
The sun evaporating,
The morning dew,
The birds are singing loudly.
You finish your coffee and then slowly rise from your chair and walk down the steps leading into the yard.
There is a path at the edge of the yard that leads into a denser part of the forest.
The trees are so thick that you can't see very far down the path and you decide you want to walk further into the forest.
As you enter the path,
You feel a cool breeze gently caress your face.
You follow the path as it curves around a large old tree with flowering vines stringing through them that form a beautiful canopy above you and it stretches in every direction.
You hear a noise in the distance and you turn your attention to the right where you see two small deer.
They stop and gaze back at you as if they have no fear of you.
You stand watching each other for a moment.
Then they turn to continue on their journey,
Disappearing behind some small shrubs.
You walk further through the woods and in the distance you can hear the sound of rushing water.
You leave the path and you walk towards the direction of the water and as you near the water the canopy of the forest disappears and you can see the soft blue sky,
Not a cloud in sight.
The edge of the river is surrounded by rocks.
You notice some dragonflies flutter across the surface of the water.
The morning sun feels warm so you decide to sit on a rock and dip your feet into the freshwater.
It feels cool on your feet.
You reach out with your hand to touch the water and cup a handful to drop onto your shoulders so that it soothes your skin from the heat of the sun.
Looking across the water you see the sunlight reflect.
Without thinking,
You take a few steps forward and find a space to stand inside the water as it flows gently around you.
You take a small sip of the water from your cupped hand.
It tastes clean and pure,
Refreshing after your short walk through the forest.
You notice a few frogs jumping into the water and a turtle basking in the sun on some rocks on the opposite side of the river.
Its shell shines in the bright sun.
Being present here with such beauty fills your heart with joy and gratitude and you are overcome by the feelings of peace and serenity as you sit and continue to look around you at the glorious view,
Enjoying every single moment.
When you look up,
You see an eagle soars above you and circles around.
As you step out of the water and back into the warm sun,
You notice a flower-covered bush with beautiful butterflies surrounding it.
This is such a magical place.
You stay and you enjoy the moment for everything it is.
And then,
When it is time,
You head back towards the cabin.
You walk back in the direction of the path,
Back into the cool forest,
Covered with the canopy high above you.
You notice the chipmunks and the squirrels running up and down the trees,
Running playfully.
You walk down the winding path until you leave the woods and slowly walk up the stairs to the porch,
Sitting once more where you began the day,
In this big,
Comfortable chair.
But now you feel a little bit more at peace,
A little more joy and appreciation for this magical earth and all of her creatures.
Remember that you can return to a place of peace anytime you want by simply closing your eyes and saying,
I choose peace rather than this.
Take one last deep breath,
And as you begin to exhale,
Wiggling your fingers and your toes,
And then when you feel ready,
Opening your eyes.
I appreciate you taking this journey with Mother Earth with me.
Thank you.
