Creating a calm and peaceful place.
Welcome.
This short practice is here to help you connect with a calm or peaceful place.
A space you can return to whenever you need a sense of safety,
Ease or grounding.
We'll use your imagination and body awareness to create a vivid inner resource,
Something personal to you.
This is not about escaping,
But about building a reliable anchor you can return to,
Both in and outside of therapy.
If you're comfortable,
We'll also use the butterfly hug,
A gentle tapping technique,
To help strengthen this calm experience in your body and in your nervous system.
So let's begin.
You might listen with eyes closed or softly focused,
Whichever feels best for you right now.
Begin by gently noticing your breath.
No need to change it,
Just feel the inhale and the exhale.
Let your shoulders soften as you breathe out.
Allow your jaw to loosen and let your hands rest.
Now I invite you to bring to mind a place,
Real or imagined,
Where you feel calm,
Peaceful or at ease.
It could be a memory of somewhere you've been to or a place your mind creates right now.
Somewhere that feels quiet,
Gentle and safe.
Take your time,
There's no rush.
Begin to explore this place with your senses.
What do you see around you?
What colours,
Light,
Shapes?
What do you hear,
Nearby or in the distance?
Is there a scent in the air?
A texture beneath you?
A temperature you notice?
Let this place become a little more vivid.
Notice how your body responds,
Even slightly,
As you imagine being here.
If you feel a sense of calm,
Comfort or ease.
Let yourself breathe it in and as you breathe out,
Imagine that feeling gently spreading through your body.
If it feels okay,
We'll now add a gentle,
Self-soothing technique called the butterfly hug.
To do this,
Cross your arms lightly over your chest,
So that each hand rests just below your opposite shoulder,
Like a soft hug.
Begin to tap one hand,
Then the other,
Slowly and rhythmically.
Left,
Right,
Left,
Right.
You can do this about 10 times,
As you continue to hold the image or feeling of your peaceful place.
Let each tap help settle the calm a little deeper in your system.
When you're ready,
You can let your arms return to a comfortable resting position.
You might choose a word or an image to help return to this place,
Like calm or stillness or a visual detail you noticed.
Let it be your anchor.
You can come back to this place whenever you need.
And when you're ready,
Begin to return to the room.
Notice your breath again.
Feel the surface beneath you.
Gently wiggle your fingers or move your shoulders.
Take a moment to notice how you feel.
This practice is always here for you,
A place within that you can return to.
Go gently.
