Welcome to this safe space meditation.
Find a position where you can be still for the next few minutes.
Let your eyes close or let your gaze soften and drop toward the floor.
Take a breath in.
And let it go a little slower than it came in.
And again,
Breathing in.
And slowly breathing out.
Sometimes life gets loud.
Stress builds up.
Things feel overwhelming.
And what we need more than anything is somewhere to step away to,
Even just for a few minutes.
A place that feels completely safe.
Completely calm.
That belongs only to you.
Today we're going to create that place.
Or return to it if you've already found it.
This meditation is for you whether you're here for the very first time or whether you've visited this place many times before.
If this is your first time,
We're going to build your safe space together,
Step by step.
There's nothing to get right.
Whatever arrives first is usually the answer.
And if you're returning,
You don't need to build anything this time.
Instead,
You can simply revisit each part of your place and get to know it a little better than you did before.
Notice something you missed last time or let a detail become a little more vivid,
A little more real.
Either way,
Let's begin.
So start by noticing,
Where are you?
Your safe place can be anywhere you want it to be.
A spot in nature,
A room in a beautifully imagined cottage,
Or somewhere real that already exists in your life.
It doesn't need to make sense to anyone but you.
It only needs to feel safe.
Notice what's beneath you supporting your weight.
Seeing it for the first time.
Or simply noticing it again.
The ground.
A floor.
Water,
A soft chair,
A bed,
Warm sand.
Maybe leaves.
Let the edges of this place start to form or come back into focus.
Are you inside with walls around you?
Or outside with space stretching out on every side.
Now,
What's the atmosphere like today?
Notice what's happening outside or around you.
Perhaps it's a bright,
Clear day and the sun is warm on your skin.
Perhaps it's raining and you're somewhere dry and snug,
Listening to it fall against the window or the roof above you.
Perhaps there's a storm somewhere in the distance,
Thunder rolling,
Rain against the glass,
And you're safe and sheltered,
Watching it from somewhere warm.
Let whatever feels right today arrive,
Even if it's different from last time.
Notice the light that comes with it.
Is it bright,
Soft,
Golden,
Silvery,
Dim?
Is it sunlight,
Firelight,
Candlelight or moonlight?
Let it fall somewhere,
On the floor,
On your skin or on the surface in front of you.
Now let a sound arrive or let a familiar one return.
Maybe there's near silence,
Just a stillness in the air.
Maybe there's something that belongs here today.
Rain against a window,
Waves rolling in and pulling back.
Wind moving through leaves.
A fire crackling gently.
Birdsong somewhere close or far away.
Is there a scent?
Let it come on its own.
Don't reach for it.
Salt air,
Rain on stone,
Coffee,
Pine,
Clean linen.
Wood smoke.
Notice the temperature.
Is the air warm against your skin or cool?
Is there a breeze or is everything still?
Take a little more time here.
Let the details settle in,
One by one.
Without rushing.
Or if you know this place well.
Let yourself notice something new in it today.
There's nowhere else to be.
This place is not going anywhere.
Have a look around you.
You are there now.
You are safe.
Enjoy this space,
It is just for you.
Notice the colors around you.
Notice if there's anything moving,
A curtain shifting.
Water rippling.
A bird passing overhead.
Or if everything is completely still.
And just take a moment to feel it.
You're here.
This place belongs to you and to no one else.
No one can enter unless you invite them in.
Now that you're here,
Ask yourself,
What would you like to do this time?
If you're somewhere cozy.
Maybe indoors.
In a room,
You know.
Perhaps there's a chair by a window or one near a fire with something to read close by.
Or nothing to do at all except sit and let the warmth reach you.
If you're near water,
Maybe you'd like to lie back and feel the sand beneath you.
Listening to the waves arrive and pull away,
Arrive and pull away again.
If you're in nature,
Perhaps there's a tree nearby.
You could lean your back against it and feel something steady moving up from the ground through the trunk.
Beautiful energy into you.
And if you're somewhere green and open.
Maybe you notice,
For the first time,
Something that was always there.
A hammock under a tree in bloom.
A bench you hadn't seen before.
Something inviting you to stay a little longer.
There's no right answer.
Let whatever feels true arrive and settle into it.
Stay here for a few more breaths.
There's nothing required of you.
Whatever was allowed.
Whatever was too much can stay outside a little longer.
In a moment,
We will be coming out of your safe space.
But before you go,
Choose one image from today's visit.
Like a photograph you can carry with you in your mind's eye.
It might be the whole scene or just one small part of it.
This becomes your anchor.
The next time life feels loud or overwhelming,
You can call that image to mind and step straight back into this feeling,
Even for just a few seconds.
With time and with practice,
This will come more and more easily.
I'll leave you now to choose your image.
Come back to this meditation as often as you need to,
Once a day,
Several times a day,
Whenever the noise of things gets to be too much.
Each time you visit,
You'll know this place a little better and it will feel a little more like home.
And over time,
You may find you need to listen less and less.
Not because the place stops mattering,
But because it becomes anchored in your heart and mind and becomes a part of you.
Eventually,
You'll be able to step into this safe space in an instant,
Wherever you are,
With nothing more than a single breath.
A beautiful,
Safe place to instantly find your centre and your calm again.
Whenever you're ready,
Gently bring your attention back to the room around you.
Take a gentle breath in.
Gently start to move your body.
And open your eyes.
Thank you for being here.
You're welcome back anytime.
