So I'd like to invite you to get settled.
Make some last minute movements to feel more comfortable with your posture,
Whether you're sitting down or lying down.
And tonight we're going to start the meditation with your eyes open.
So with your eyes open right now,
I invite you to orient yourself with your surroundings.
Maybe looking around,
Looking around the wall,
Ceiling.
If you're in your bedroom,
Looking at your bed.
Maybe looking at side tables.
Looking at the light in your room.
And having a sight or a intention of curiosity,
Simply be curious with your surroundings.
And then now I invite you to gently close your eyes.
Or you can also just have soft eyes,
Simply looking down at the ground.
With no intention of actually looking at anything or focusing at anything.
And I invite you to bring your awareness to your sense of hearing.
Perhaps listening to the sound of my voice.
Listening to the sounds around you.
Allowing them to be just as they are.
They're all part of the experience.
All part of this practice.
Maybe listen for the farthest sounds from you.
Not attaching to any sound.
Simply allowing the sounds to come and go as they may.
And now listening to the sounds that are closest to you.
Can you hear the sound of your breath?
Simply noticing the sounds that come and go.
And allowing them to pause.
Allowing them to calm.
Allowing them to go without attaching to any of them.
And then now I invite you to start to notice the touch points with your support.
If you are lying down,
Feeling the touch points between your back body and your bed.
If you are sitting down,
Feeling your back body with the back of your chair.
Feeling your sitting bones on the chair.
Feeling your feet on the floor.
And now I invite you to notice the feeling between your skin and the clothes that you are wearing.
Can you feel all the areas where your clothes touch your skin?
Feeling the areas where clothes touch your skin in your upper body.
Maybe in the arms,
Through the sleeve.
Through the back.
Feeling the touch points of your clothes on your belly,
Your thighs,
Your legs.
And now letting that go and bringing your awareness to your breath.
Simply noticing your inhale and your exhale.
Where do you notice your breath?
Do you notice your breath with the air that's coming in and out of your nose?
Or do you notice your breath in the rise and fall of your chest or the rise and fall of your belly?
Your breath with the sound the air makes.
In this moment,
You begin to connect with your inner world of thought and feeling.
Simply your external world will fade from your awareness,
At least for the next couple of minutes during this meditation.
For the next few minutes,
Give yourself permission to enjoy this relaxing experience.
You are free from all your responsibilities this time.
So put aside any thoughts of past or concerns that may be waiting for you.
If you find that your mind wander during this meditation,
Simply bring your awareness back to the sound of my voice and I will guide you to a place of deep relaxation to inner stillness.
Remember that you are always in control.
If you wish to stop at any time,
You can do so by simply opening your eyes.
Now take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in and then release that breath.
Feel yourself relaxing.
Again take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in and then let that breath go.
Take another deep breath in and exhale completely.
Notice how calming it is to breathe this way.
Notice the feelings of relaxation that are beginning to spread throughout your whole body.
Continue to breathe slowly,
Deeply,
And gently.
With each breath you take,
Your thoughts become lighter.
You may sense the feeling of spaciousness opening up inside you.
Relax better.
Allow the gentle movement of your breath to guide you into an even more relaxing space.
In and out and deeper you go.
In and out,
Allow your mind to gradually slow down all by itself.
In and out.
You are now in a state of relaxation and it's time to enjoy the guided journey to an inner place of serenity and bliss.
As I speak,
Just allow images to form in your mind naturally in your own time.
If mental pictures don't come easily to you,
Then simply sense your imagined surroundings rather than seeing them.
Let go of all your expectations and allow yourself to experience this guided journey in whatever way comes naturally to you.
Imagine that you are standing in a beautiful grassy field.
You can feel the warmth of the sun on your face and body.
You can feel the lush green grass soft beneath your bare feet.
You can hear the sounds of nature around you.
You're very much at home in this peaceful place.
You have all the time in the world.
You feel safe and happy here.
Take a moment to appreciate your surroundings.
You notice a large tree growing nearby.
Begin to walk forward that tree.
Take your time.
Be in the moment and experience each step.
As you walk,
Feel yourself flipping even more deeply into a state of total relaxation.
Now you stand beneath the tree,
Its strong branches and broad leaves,
And right over your head.
Notice that the tree is covered in delicious fruit of many shapes,
Sizes,
And colors.
This is no ordinary tree.
Its fruit contains special power.
Reach up and take a piece of fruit from the tree.
Study it for a moment.
Notice the color,
The texture,
The weight of it in your hand.
And now take a bite.
As the fruit slides down your throat and into your stomach,
Something wonderful begins to happen.
A feeling of happiness begins to glow deep inside you.
The sensation begins in your stomach and then it spreads to your chest and your heart.
Let go of thinking and concentrate on feeling.
Nurture this sensation of happiness and love.
Feel yourself gently glowing with it.
Take another bite of the fruit now.
Taste it.
Favor it.
Now the wonderful feeling intensifies a little more.
Feel yourself gently radiating this pleasant sensation of love and happiness.
Now take a third bite of the fruit.
Take as much as you want.
Relax and allow yourself to swell up with this delightful feeling.
Don't try.
Just let it rise effortlessly within you.
Allow it to increase as much as you like.
Stay with this peaceful feeling and enjoy this time of peaceful meditation.
And now it's time to leave this wonderful tree.
Thank the tree and the fruit for the gift that it brought you today.
Remember that you can come back at any time if you need that moment of blissful feeling.
I invite you now to begin to notice again the sound of my voice.
Taking a deep breath in and allowing yourself to come back to your body.
Making tiny movements with your hands and feet.
And then when you're ready,
Gently opening your eyes.
