Namaste and welcome to this guided visualization practice.
For this practice you'll want your body to be as comfortable as possible,
So you can choose to either lie down on your mat or on your bed or sofa.
Wherever you choose to lie or to sit if you prefer to sit,
Make sure that your body is well supported in order that it can relax and let go.
As you begin to place your body into its most comfortable posture,
You may close your eyes if that feels comfortable for you.
If that doesn't feel comfortable then just let the eyelids soften gently so that they're three-quarters closed over the eyes.
If you're lying down let your legs stretch out away from you and allow your ankles to rotate so that your feet are pointing slightly outwards.
This just helps to relax the lower back.
Have your arms lying by your side,
Not touching your body,
With your palms facing up.
And then gently move your head from side to side two or three times to relax the neck and release any stored tension in the neck and shoulders.
And now take a long deep breath in through the nostrils and breathe out through your mouth,
Sighing the breath out.
Take another deep breath in through the nose and feel your chest expanding as it fills with air.
And then again,
Sigh out the breath and notice your body softening.
Repeat this once more in your own time,
Taking a long slow deep breath in and sighing the breath out.
And as you sigh the breath out,
Feel any remaining tension in your body draining away from the body and out and into the space around you.
And now allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm,
Breathing in through the nose and out through the nose.
Feel the weight of your body sinking further down into the floor,
Soft,
Heavy,
Calm and relaxed.
And be aware of how your body feels.
Normally we are so busy doing things and thinking about things that we're not really aware of how our body feels.
And just allow any remaining tension to drain away now as you continue to breathe rhythmically and deeply,
Feeling relaxed and peaceful.
You become aware that you're sitting beside a riverbank.
Your feet are bare and you can feel the grass beneath your feet.
As you look around you,
You see flowers,
Trees and bushes nearby.
You breathe in deeply and smell the grass.
The river is flowing by next to you and you notice the speed of the flow,
Whether it's fast or slow.
And the size of the river and the depth of the water.
The water is crystal clear.
It looks cool and inviting.
As you sit here listening to the water,
You notice other sounds.
Birds singing,
The rustling of leaves,
A bee buzzes past.
You feel a faint breeze brush across your body.
And then a warming sensation as the sun comes out from behind a cloud and the heat from the sunshine travels along your body,
Further relaxing all your muscles from your head to your toes.
You look up at the blue sky overhead and notice a few fluffy summer clouds floating slowly by.
You drift over to the edge of the river and place your feet in the water.
You feel the water on your skin,
Cool and refreshing on this warm summer's day.
You idly move your toes in the water and watch the sun dappling on the water through the leaves of the trees.
Birds singing,
Water flowing coolly over your feet and toes.
And now you take your feet out of the water and lie down in the beautiful sunshine,
Feeling the warmth of the sun as it dries your feet and toes,
Feeling your body relaxing into the soft grass,
Being aware of the sounds around you,
Feeling peaceful,
Relaxed,
Happy.
And as you lie here,
You gently remind yourself,
I am at peace with myself.
I deserve to relax.
I deserve to be happy.
I feel good about who I am today.
I care for myself.
I accept myself.
I am a valuable,
Loved human being.
You become aware that it's time to leave this place and you're not concerned,
As you know that you can return here whenever you want to.
So taking a nice deep breath in and feel your lungs filling up with air.
As you breathe out,
Feel the body relaxed and calm and at peace.
Bring your awareness into your fingers and toes and just begin to wiggle the fingers and toes as you become more aware of your surroundings,
Your body on the mat and the sounds around you.
As you breathe in now,
Raise your arms back over your head and stretch through the body from the tips of the fingers all the way down to the tips of the toes,
Bringing the arms back down beside the body and then moving in whatever way feels good for you.
When you're ready,
Opening the eyes and if you wish,
Bringing your hands to your heart centre,
Palms together,
Becoming aware of your heart centre in the centre of your chest,
Feeling gratitude for your practice.
Thank you for sharing this practice with me.
I hope that you've enjoyed it.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
Peace,
Peace,
Peace.
