Taking a moment to find a nice,
Comfortable position.
Finding a balance between being relaxed and alert.
If you're sitting in a chair,
On a cushion,
Or on a sofa,
Imagine that there is a string,
An invisible string,
From the top of your head that's pulling you up just ever so slightly towards the ceiling so that your head is centered between your shoulders and so that you're sitting with conviction.
Placing your feet flat on the floor and whether you're sitting or lying down,
Placing the palms of your hands on your thighs or by your sides facing upward.
And from this position you can either lower your gaze or close your eyes.
And now you can begin to connect with your senses so that you can fall into a deeper relaxation,
Become more connected with yourself,
Your surroundings,
And your breath.
Beginning first to notice the sensations of sound.
What do you hear?
What can you hear surrounding you?
Maybe the hum of the AC unit,
Perhaps a TV or a sound blaring in the background,
Or in another room.
Maybe the sound of traffic or a bird chirping or a dog barking.
Can you hear the sound of your own breath?
Focus on it.
Moving your awareness now to the feeling of touch,
The sense of touch.
Can you sense your clothes draped on your body?
What does that feel like?
Is there a wind or a slight breeze caressing you in any way?
Can you sense yourself being pulled towards the earth?
Your bottom hitting the cushion or the floor?
And can you sense and connect to your breath?
Just that natural rise and fall of the chest.
Your body knows exactly what to do.
Don't change anything about it.
Just notice the breath.
And perhaps on the in-breath,
Just say to yourself,
Breathing in.
And on the out-breath,
Breathing out.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
And so feeling calm and secure and at peace,
From this position you can begin a visualization,
A journey to a different place.
A place of peace,
A place of balance,
And a place of complete relaxation.
Imagine that at this moment,
You're actually alert and that you're standing on a beautiful beach.
And it's early morning and the light is hazy and there's a mist that surrounds you.
And the sun is rising slowly on the horizon.
And you can feel the warm orange light on your face and on your body.
You are feeling content and at ease.
And the sand beneath your bare feet is soft and warm.
And a light breeze caresses your face.
And this beach,
This beach is deserted.
You have it all to yourself.
And you have all the time in the world.
So just listen to the relaxing sound of the ocean.
Its waves are breaking gently on the shore.
And begin to walk slowly towards the mist and the water.
And as you arrive to the shore,
You notice that there's a small boat that is waiting for you.
The boat is comfortable and it's steady and it's safe.
And you notice that it's tied to the shore with a strong rope.
And you walk deeper into the edge of the water,
Deeper into the shore.
And you step into the boat,
One leg first and then the other.
It feels right.
And you are feeling completely at peace,
Completely safe,
And completely relaxed.
When you're ready,
You can untie the rope and just let it go.
Relaxing,
Allowing the natural currents of the ocean to guide you away from the beach.
And as you look back,
You see the coastline slowly disappearing,
Getting smaller and smaller until you can no longer see the beach at all.
Your boat drifts smoothly.
It rocks ever so gently in the water.
And this rocking motion relaxes you even more.
The sun is now higher in the sky and its light has gathered strength.
And now the mist that surrounded you is beginning to evaporate.
And you could see the air becoming clearer and clearer.
And you can watch as the sun's rays dissolve all of the mist.
And you can see clearly in all directions.
It's as though a veil has been lifted.
Sparkling ocean water surrounds you on all sides.
And in front of you,
A small island comes into view.
Your boat moves closer and closer to the island,
Gliding slowly and effortlessly through the water.
The island is drenched in sunlight.
It's covered in tropical palm trees that sway gently in the breeze.
And your boat just glides slowly forward and comes to rest on the shore.
And once you've arrived,
You step out of the boat and take a moment to appreciate this place of sublime beauty.
Exotic birds dance from tree to tree.
And brilliantly colored flowers grow in abundance.
The air itself seems to shimmer and vibrate with pure luminous energy.
And you can hear the soothing sound of the wind as it passes through the trees.
In this place,
You are free from all memories of the past.
You are free from all concerns about the future.
You are free from all responsibilities.
This is a place of total peace.
And this is a place that is all yours.
And as you look back at the canopy of trees,
You notice an opening between the palm trees.
In the center of this opening,
There's a narrow path,
A well-trodden narrow path that leads deep into a rich green forest.
Begin your journey into the heart of this forest.
Follow the path as it meanders between columns of ancient trees.
In this forest,
It looks strangely familiar to you,
Like the memory of a pleasant dream,
Or maybe a place that you visited as a child.
So walking deeper into the forest,
You are guided by a force that you trust,
And that makes you feel safe,
Nurtured,
And still.
And you are reaching the very heart of the forest.
And before you is a shimmering pond of crystal clear water,
A pond of perfect stillness.
The pond is round,
And it brims with pure spring water.
Notice that the water is perfectly still,
Like a mirror.
It's free from even the slightest ripple.
You could see the sky reflecting in it.
And you see that there is a ladder with three steps that lead down into the water,
And you decide to bathe in this magical pond.
And as you take the first step down into the pond,
You notice that the wind has eased,
And all the trees have become perfectly motionless.
And as each moment passes,
The world around you becomes more and more calm,
And you yourself become more and more still.
And as you lower yourself onto the second step,
All the birds in the forest become quiet,
And their silence is deep and reverent.
And so you lower yourself onto the third and final step,
And then take a push and glide yourself into the water,
Feeling yourself sliding into a deep state of relaxation in this pond,
Washing your worries away,
Cleansing your mind,
Your body,
And your spirit.
All is still and silent.
The only sound that remains is the sound of waves far off in the distance,
And your mind seems to expand.
You feel timeless and fast,
Empty,
Relaxed.
And for the next few minutes,
You can enjoy this experience of solitude and inner silence.
And when thoughts arise,
Simply let them go and return your awareness to the sound of the waves.
When it's time to return,
You will be guided home.
And when thoughts arise,
Simply let them go and return your awareness to the sound of the waves.
So slowly bringing your awareness back to the pond,
You are deeply relaxed and refreshed.
And now it's time to make your way back home.
So slowly make your way back to the ladder.
And as your foot touches the lowest rung,
Notice how wonderful your body feels.
You feel light and clear.
You feel happy.
And as you step on the second rung,
The sound of birdsong returns.
And now step up to the first rung on the ladder.
And as your foot touches the step,
The breeze returns and the trees begin to sway once again.
Now you begin to follow the path back to your boat.
Wind through on that path,
The well-trodden path,
Looking up at the tree canopy,
Seeing the sky piercing through.
Arriving back to the entrance of the forest.
And you could see there in the distance on the shore,
Your boat is waiting for you exactly where you left it.
Walk to the water's edge and climb into the boat.
You feel relaxed and secure.
And you know that your boat will bring you home safely.
And your journey is effortless and calm,
Like all the future moments in your life,
Effortless and calm.
So relax and allow the current to guide you once again.
You arrive at the beach where you began your journey.
Slowly step out of the boat and onto the sand.
And you are home.
And you can feel yourself sitting or laying on the sand.
And you can feel that your energy has been revitalized and that your spirit is fresh and your mind is clear.
And that you're always looking forward to what's to come.
So bringing yourself back to present moment awareness and your surroundings.
Taking that long,
Slow,
Deep inhale in.
And exhaling out through the mouth.
Wiggling your toes and your fingers.
Adjusting your position and slowly widening your gaze and opening your eyes.
You can feel free to sit in the space for a while and you can be free to just be.
