Find yourself a quiet place to sit.
Turn off your phone,
Dim the lights.
This is your time.
A time for total relaxation and inner stillness.
Take a moment to make sure that you are warm enough and that you are seated comfortably either in an upright position or lying down gently in the center of your bed or a couch.
Wherever you are rest your hands loosely in your lap.
Maybe bring one hand to your heart center,
The other one gently over your belly.
As you begin to close your eyes,
Take a long slow deep breath in.
Hold it for a moment.
Listen for your heartbeat and then slowly exhale allowing any tension to melt away as you gradually relax more and more deeply with each breath.
Take another long slow deep breath in.
Hold it.
Listen for your heartbeat and then exhale.
Empty your lungs completely with your out breath.
Take a third deep breath in taking your time.
Hold it for a moment and then let it go.
Already you are beginning to drift into a state of deep relaxation.
Continue to breathe slowly and gently.
Deeper and deeper relax.
Now bring your awareness to the top of your head,
Your crown.
Sense or imagine a feeling of relaxation beginning to spread down from the top of your scalp.
Let the muscles in your forehead and temples relax.
Allow your eyes to relax.
Let your cheeks and jaw soften letting go of any tension.
Allow this peaceful feeling.
Flow down your neck and deep into the muscles in your shoulders soothing them,
Releasing them.
Breathe.
Allow this peaceful feeling to flow through your arms relaxing and soothing all the way to the tips of your fingers.
As your body relaxes,
Your mind relaxes.
Your thoughts become weightless like wisps of clouds on the breeze.
Now the peaceful sensation flows through your chest and your stomach.
Feel how this area gently rises and falls as you breathe slowly and deeply soothing and relaxing.
Turn your awareness to your back and feel this relaxing sensation flow all the way down your spine.
Now the peaceful feeling flows through your lower body.
Relax your buttocks,
The back of your thighs,
The front of your thighs.
Feel all of these large strong muscles becoming loose and relaxed.
Soothing feelings flow down through your knees and into your calves.
Your ankles relax.
Now your feet relax.
Your entire body is soft,
Calm,
And relaxed.
Deeper and deeper relax.
Now it's time to leave the external world behind and go on an inner journey,
A journey to a place of deep inner stillness.
Imagine you are standing on a white sandy beach.
It's early in the morning and a light hazy mist surrounds you.
The sun is rising slowly.
You can feel the warm orange light on your face and on your body.
Golden rays of sunlight penetrating on your skin filling you up,
Healing you.
You are feeling content,
At ease,
And relaxed.
You feel the sand beneath your feet is so soft and warm.
A light breeze caresses your face.
This beach is deserted.
You have it all to yourself.
You have all the time in the world.
You listen to the relaxing sound of the ocean.
Its waves are breaking gently on the shore.
You begin to walk slowly through the mist towards the water.
A small boat is waiting for you.
The boat is comfortable and steady.
You notice it is tied to the shore with a strong rope.
You walk to the water's edge and deliberately step into the boat.
You are feeling completely at peace,
Completely safe,
And completely relaxed.
And when you are ready,
You untie the rope and you let it go.
As you relax and allow the natural currents of the ocean to guide you away from the beach,
Your boat drifts smoothly,
Rocking ever so gently in the water.
This rocking motion relaxes you even more deeply.
The sun is now higher in the sky.
Its light has gathered strength.
You notice that the mist that surrounds you starts to evaporate.
You can see the air becoming clearer and clearer.
Watching as the sun's rays dissolve all of the mist,
You can now see clearly in all directions.
It's as though a veil has been lifted between you and all that is,
Connecting you to all that is,
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 is covered in tropical palm trees that sway gently in the breeze.
Your boat glides slowly forward and comes to rest on the shore.
You have arrived.
You step out of the boat and take a moment to appreciate this place of sublime beauty and serenity.
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.
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 it is all yours.
You gaze to your left and you notice an opening between the palm trees.
In the center of this opening,
There is a narrow path that leads deep into a rich green forest.
You begin your journey into the heart of the forest following the path as it meanders between columns of ancient trees,
Ancient wisdom.
This forest seems so familiar to you,
Like a memory of a pleasant dream or a place you visited as a child.
Walk deeper into the forest.
You are guided by a force that you trust that makes you feel safe,
Nurtured,
And still.
You have reached the very heart of the forest.
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,
Free from even the slightest ripple.
A ladder with three steps leads down into the water from the sky above.
You take it upon you to bathe in this magical pond and you undress.
You take the first step down into the pond.
You notice that the wind has eased,
All of the trees have become motionless,
And as each moment passes the world around you becomes more and more calm and you yourself become more and more still.
As you lower yourself down deliberately onto the second step,
You notice all of the birds in the forest become quiet.
Their silence is deep and reverent.
Now lowering yourself onto the third and final step,
You glide into the water with ease.
Feel yourself sliding into a deep state of relaxation.
In this pond your thoughts simply melt away.
All is still and silent.
The only sound that remains is the sound of waves far off in the distance.
Your mind seems to expand.
You feel timeless,
Vast,
Empty,
And relaxed.
For the next few minutes enjoy this experience of solitude and inner silence.
When thoughts arise simply let them go and return your awareness to the sound of the waves,
To the sound of my voice.
When it's time to return I will guide you home.
Slowly bringing your awareness back to the pond,
You are deeply relaxed and refreshed.
Now it's time to make your way back home.
Slowly begin to climb the ladder.
As your foot touches the lowest rung,
Notice how wonderful your body feels.
Weightless,
You feel light,
Clear,
And happy.
As you step up to the second rung,
The sound of the bird song returns.
Now deliberately stepping up to the first rung on the ladder,
As your foot touches that step,
The breeze returns and the trees begin to sway again.
You dress yourself and follow the path back to your boat.
You arrive at the entrance to the forest.
Your boat is waiting for you just where you left it.
You walk to the water's edge and climb effortlessly into the boat.
Feeling relaxed and secure,
You know that your boat will bring you home safely.
Your journey is effortless and calm like all of the moments in your life.
Effortless and calm.
Stillness.
You relax and allow the current to guide you as you arrive to the beach.
You step out of the boat and onto the sand,
Feeling the warmth again beneath your feet.
You are home,
Slowly becoming aware of the room that you sit in.
Wiggle your toes and your fingers.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes and come back into the room,
Taking your time to give yourself a few minutes to adjust before you get up.
Perhaps you continue to lay in this space deeper and deeper relaxed.
