Hi,
I'm Sally.
I hope this session can help you feel calm and bring a little brightness during these difficult times.
When so many aspects of our lives are being challenged,
It is easy to become overwhelmed and get lost in the suffering that the pandemic has brought.
Maybe we are grieving or worried about our health.
Maybe we are lonely and anxious,
Overworked or without a job.
And although at times we are physically isolated,
Don't forget we are not alone and we do have resources within ourselves to help us to adjust to our ever-changing world.
Experiencing challenges in our lives is normal,
Although not usually on this scale.
In order for us to survive,
Our brains are programmed to adapt to changes in our environment and that is what we need to do now.
Adapt.
One way to tap into our strengths and keep us moving forward is to focus on gratitude.
Gratitude for what we do have around us rather than what we don't.
And an appreciation of the people we care about and those who care for us.
You may ask,
Is it okay to feel gratitude and seek peace for ourselves in the midst of such suffering?
I suggest it is,
Because gratitude can help us feel connected and useful again.
Gratitude can help us smile and see glimmers of light.
It can improve our mood and strengthen our ability to deal with stress and pain.
Appreciating what we do have,
Being able to smile and show kindness to others does make the world of difference.
So in this session,
I will help you create a safe place for yourself and explore some of the things you are grateful for.
Let's continue now with some deep breathing.
Get yourself comfortable and then take a slow deep breath in.
And if you haven't already done so,
Close your eyes as you breathe out.
Breathe in.
And out.
In your own time,
Breathe in and relax as you breathe out.
Release any tightness anywhere in your body.
Allow your shoulders to sink.
Relax your jaw.
Your forehead.
Your arms and legs.
Your fingers and toes.
And notice the way your body is supporting you here as you rest.
Think about the ways your body enables you to move.
Working for you every moment you live and breathe.
Take a moment to appreciate your own body.
Your overall health and ability to heal.
Feel gratitude for your body sensations.
Being able to touch,
Taste,
Hear and see.
Feel warm appreciation flow through you.
Begin to feel a crinkle of a smile on your lips and in your eyes.
And remind yourself,
Your body needs looking after as it looks after you.
Your whole body is relaxed now and you are feeling calm.
With your eyes closed,
Maybe you can see colours and shapes on the screens behind your lids.
While you softly focus on the shifting shapes and colours,
Imagine yourself gently moving forward.
Perhaps along a passageway or a path that's leading you to a beautiful place,
Somewhere tranquil and safe.
You open a gate and your mind takes you to your real or imagined special place.
Take a moment now to experience it fully.
What can you hear and smell?
And how do you feel as you wander and find a place to settle?
This is your special place,
Your sanctuary and oasis of calm.
During difficult times it is even more important to focus on the good.
So while you lie or sit here,
I want you to scan through your day so far and bring to mind something that made you smile.
It could be something you saw or read.
If you went out,
A situation.
If not,
A memory or a joke.
And don't worry,
It's okay to smile.
Happiness,
Even for a moment,
Is like an antidote to the fear and gloom.
It helps us keep level headed,
Enables us to engage in the world and make better decisions.
Take a moment to think of the things that have recently made you smile and remember them in as much detail as you can.
That's right.
It's good to share those moments and make others smile too.
So let's continue now and open our hearts to others.
Anything is possible in this special place of yours.
So let's see who you would like to join you for a while.
You can invite someone to whom you are thankful,
From your past or your present.
Picture them now coming into view,
Smiling and then sitting,
Sharing a moment and talk.
Thank them for what they have done or do for you.
Tell them how you are grateful.
Listen and share warm smiles.
And after they have gone,
Take a moment,
Relaxing in your special place and gazing up at the sky or out of the window,
Depending where you are.
Appreciating the world we live in,
Its nature and life.
What do you see,
Hear and smell?
We can appreciate the world around us at any time in your day.
And times like this ground us and help us to connect to the world around us.
I find being close to nature reminds me of the seasons and how like our lives they change and go through phases.
I look at the old oaks in the forest and I feel humbled by their age and ability to still be supporting life in their branches.
Nature reminds me to appreciate what life I have,
Here and now.
At the moment our lives are restricted,
Which is hard as we are independent and naturally social.
So when we are physically alone we still have a basic need to connect and feel our lives matter.
Being kind to others,
Whether someone we know or a stranger is well known to improve our sense of worth and give meaning to our life.
So while you are here,
Take a moment to imagine yourself doing something kind for someone else.
Someone who has helped you in your past or present.
See yourself like an actor picking up the phone or writing an email or text.
Tell them how they have helped you and ask about them.
Picture them smiling,
Appreciating the gift of your time.
Moving forward,
Taking a few minutes every day to express your thanks is easy to do and so rewarding for you and the person you thank.
Maybe this can be a new habit,
It's worth a try.
When we feel overwhelmed by the scale of the pandemic,
Acknowledge the hurt around us and then append it with a positive thought.
Think about what you can do in some small way and make a difference.
Be kind,
Reach out to someone who is suffering.
Be positive,
Find stories of survival and even look for ways that the pandemic has brought about positive changes for some.
And focus on the things we can control,
What news we read and when and do things that we enjoy.
Most of us have had to make major changes to our routine and who we spend it with.
So take a moment to think about some of the good things that you have spent time doing.
Maybe you have slowed down,
Stopped to appreciate the simple things like the food we eat and the friendships we have.
Maybe you are learning more about yourself,
Exploring life in a different way.
Maybe you have new plans for your future with this experience in mind.
Take a moment appreciating your abilities and gifts that are personal to you.
Appreciate what we learn and those that teach us and see yourself growing.
It's okay to look forward and make plans,
Although as always plans can change.
Nothing in life is certain,
It never has been.
So without wishing your life away with phrases like I'll be happy when,
Use gratitude to help you see the glimmers of light in the present moment.
And thank yourself for taking this time.
You are worthy,
You are resilient and human.
Say thank you to your mind,
Its flexibility and creativity.
Feel appreciation for all that is around you and notice how gratitude makes the world of difference.
It's time for me to leave you now with your own thoughts and peace.
You can stay resting here for longer or gently start to become aware of your body moving with your breath.
Slowly moving and taking a deep breath in and out.
Feeling at peace with yourself and feeling the warmth of gratitude and an inkling of what you can achieve.
Thank you.
