Hi,
Thank you for joining me today,
And for having me lead you through a practice to release some of that stress you've maybe been carrying.
This guided stress release track is a longer version of the original one I recorded with the same name,
So if you find these tracks resonate with you,
But you're maybe short on time,
Please bookmark that one to listen to later.
My name is Susan Guttridge,
I'm a Master Level Counselor and a Certified EMDR Practitioner with Emdrea.
This practice incorporates the bilateral stimulation component of EMDR therapy.
Bilateral stimulation,
Or sometimes just called BLS,
Involves gentle back and forth stimulation like sounds alternating between your right and left ears,
Or tapping gently on the opposite sides of your body.
This alternating pattern helps your nervous system calm and regulate,
And in EMDR resourcing,
We use it to strengthen feelings of safety,
Calm and inner support.
It helps the brain and body better absorb those positive states so that they can be accessed more easily later on when needed.
In today's practice,
I'll be using soft music with a rhythm that alternates back and forth from the right speaker to the left speaker,
So to maximize this alternating sound,
You'll need to listen with earbuds.
No worries though if you don't have a set on hand,
You can also just tap alternating back and forth to create the bilateral stimulation.
I'll explain how.
Cross your arms so that each hand is gently touching the opposite shoulder.
Then,
Tap once with your hand on your right shoulder,
Then once with the other hand on your left shoulder.
And now,
Keep repeating back and forth,
Right shoulder,
Left shoulder.
Just like that.
Alright,
You can let your hands relax down now.
As we go through this practice together,
When you hear the music become a bit louder,
That will be your cue to start gently tapping on your shoulders back and forth.
And when the music quiets back down,
You can also stop tapping.
Alright,
With that introduction out of the way,
Get comfortable.
I hope you have a quiet spot,
One where you can sit or lie down,
And where you won't have anything to do except listen for a bit of time.
If it feels okay,
Let your eyes close.
Take a moment to bring your attention inward.
See if you can notice any points of comfort where your body meets the chair or the bed or the floor.
Can you notice the weight of your body being supported?
And then shift your attention from those parts of your body that are comfortably supported to your breath.
We can use our breath to further separate the space between what you were doing before this and what you're doing now.
As you take a breath in,
Say to yourself,
I am breathing in.
And breathing out,
Say to yourself,
I am breathing out.
Breathing in,
I am breathing in.
And out,
I am breathing out.
Repeat that to yourself for a few more breaths,
Just at your own pace.
Now using your best imagination,
I invite you to think of a place that feels peaceful or relaxing.
It could be a real place,
A place you've actually been,
Or somewhere you've seen in a picture,
Or maybe a place you hope to go to one day.
Your peaceful place could even be imaginary,
Something from a story,
A movie,
Or a game.
If you find it difficult to visualize images in your mind's eye,
That's okay.
Instead,
You can think of a place you've actually been to before that felt calm or pleasant.
Lean on the memory of that place,
What it looked like,
How it felt to be there.
You don't need a clear picture in your mind's eye,
Just even a sense of it will work.
Sometimes people find it helpful to have a picture to look at while connecting with their peaceful place,
Just so that they can more fully embody the feeling of being there.
If that sounds like it would be helpful for you,
Please feel free to pause the recording here to find an image that feels right,
And then come back.
Whatever the peaceful place you choose,
It's just one where you feel at ease,
Calm and peaceful.
Alright,
That explanation aside,
Take a moment now for an image of that peaceful place to form in your mind's eye.
Now let's deepen your connection to that peaceful place by exploring it with your senses.
What's around you in your peaceful place?
What do you hear in your peaceful place?
What soothing sounds are there?
What does the air smell like in your peaceful place?
When you connect with an image of your peaceful place,
What do you feel?
Is it warm?
Is there a breeze on your skin?
Notice where you are in your peaceful place.
Are you sitting,
Walking,
Resting or standing?
Is there something beautiful or comforting nearby,
Like tall trees,
Soft grass,
Water?
Allowing yourself to be there in your mind's eye now,
Inhaling in deeply,
Exhaling out just at a pace that feels right for you.
Letting your body begin to feel what it's like to connect with that peaceful place.
Taking a deep breath in,
Exhaling out.
What is the lighting like in your peaceful place?
Is it slowly brightening with a sunrise?
Or alternatively,
Is the lighting softened by the approaching dusk?
Maybe right now you even notice the light shifting in your imagination as the scene around you unfolds and grows clearer.
Noticing any stillness in your body,
Any softening.
Taking a deep breath in,
Exhaling out.
Enjoying any feelings of calm there in your body now,
Even allowing those to grow stronger.
Connecting once again with your peaceful place in your mind's eye.
The sense of safety you feel there,
You are completely supported.
Deep breath in,
Slow exhale out.
Scan through your body,
Beginning at the top of your head all the way down to the very tips of your toes.
Notice what's there,
What sensations or emotions are present when you rest in this peaceful place,
A place created for you,
By you.
Connecting one more time with that peaceful place image and how you feel in your body when you're there.
Deep breath in,
Slow exhale out,
Letting it all go.
I invite you to choose a word that represents your peaceful place,
A word that when you say it to yourself it will help you remember this place and how you feel in it.
Say that word to yourself now,
Picturing your peaceful place one more time as clearly as you can and how good it feels when you do so.
Invite that word and your peaceful place to become connected.
The word you chose represents your peaceful place,
The peaceful imagery that you give as a gift to yourself,
A reprieve as you need.
And just allow that word and your peaceful place to become connected,
Repeating the words silently in the space of your mind and resting in this feeling of calm and ease.
Inhaling in and exhaling out.
Now in this space of connection with your peaceful place,
Where your body is able to relax and your mind to settle,
Bring to mind a time in your life when you felt strong,
Capable.
That strength could be physical,
Mental or emotional.
It could be a time you overcame something challenging or stood up for yourself or achieved a goal.
Just let that memory rise up now.
Notice what it feels like in your body.
Picture that moment now,
Repeating to yourself,
I am strong.
Inhaling in,
Releasing,
Exhaling out.
Now as you're connected to the sense of safety of your peaceful place and the invigorating sensations of a time you felt strong,
Capable,
Bring to your mind's eye now a time that you felt supported.
This could be a moment of kindness from someone else or simply a time when you didn't feel alone.
Let that memory settle into your body,
Repeating to yourself,
I am supported.
And releasing,
Exhaling out.
As you're connected to a sense of safety within your peaceful place and the invigorating sensations of a time you felt strong and the soothing memory of a time you felt supported,
Now bring to mind a time when you felt proud of yourself.
Maybe there was something you did or handled well or created or chose to do with integrity.
Notice the pride you feel for yourself in that moment.
Let it fill your chest and shoulders.
Repeating to yourself,
I am enough just as I am.
Take a deep breath in.
And when it feels right,
Exhaling out.
Scan through your body from the top of your head all the way down to the tips of your toes,
Just noticing what's there.
What sensations or emotions are present when you allow yourself to connect with these positive memories?
In life,
It's so easy to dismiss these moments.
But here,
We call them forward.
We connect with them.
We allow ourselves to enjoy the benefits of them.
Enjoy any bits of calm that are there in your body now.
Enjoy the depth of your breath.
The rhythmic rise and fall of your chest as you breathe in.
Imagine now a moment in the near future,
Tomorrow or next week,
Where you bring this energy of peacefulness,
Of strength,
Of groundedness into your day.
Picture yourself,
Stepping into your day,
Carrying with you this calm,
These positive feelings,
And these kind words of self.
You don't need to imagine all the details of your day,
Just a general sense of you feeling steady,
Centered,
Grounded,
Connected to your inner strengths and resources.
Imagine yourself walking through your day with this grounded sense of calm.
Just allowing this in.
Giving your body space to respond to that idea.
Your mind to accept the full potential of it,
Because you are capable of picturing this.
You are capable of carrying this feeling with you.
Taking a deep breath in.
And releasing it out.
Picturing yourself in this grounded near future moment.
You might even imagine saying to yourself that word,
The word that cues your peaceful place,
Just repeating it in the quiet of your mind,
To feel yourself re-center,
To anchor back into the present moment.
That is the power of our imagination when we harness it for our wellness.
And breathing in.
Exhaling out.
As we begin to near the end of our time together,
Let's take a moment just to check out how your body is feeling,
What it's holding now.
Start with your awareness at the top of your head and slowly float it downward.
Scanning,
Noticing any sensations there at your face.
Your jaw.
Your neck.
Shoulders.
Seeing if you can let go of any tension you notice.
And then with awareness at your chest.
Drifting awareness to your stomach.
And around to your low back.
And downward to your hips.
All the way down to your feet.
And your toes.
Just noticing.
Enjoying the rhythmic flow of your breath.
Naturally in.
Naturally out.
I so appreciate you taking this time for yourself to re-center.
For noticing the need and the importance of connecting with your inner strength.
Cause.
These feelings live within you.
And you've strengthened them here today.
With your imagination.
Your powers of visualization and your focused attention.
Know that you can return to your peaceful place in your mind's eye anytime you need it.
If you're listening during the day.
And you're ready to return to your routines.
Begin by wiggling your fingers and your toes.
Orienting to the sounds around you.
Gently stretching if that feels good.
And opening your eyes when you're ready.
If you're using this practice to help you ease into sleep.
Allow your body to remain relaxed and still.
Your head perhaps cozy on your pillow.
Your breath slow and deep.
And anchoring into the image of your peaceful place.
Picturing yourself stepping into it.
As you gently drift off into peaceful sleep.
Be well.
