This is a very unique meditation called Active Imagination that can put you in touch with your unconscious and all its wisdom,
Guidance and compassion.
Anxiety is just a symptom of what's going on in a deeper level.
We need a way to begin to understand its root and what it's actually made of as a way to have a deeper understanding and help cope with the feelings of anxiety.
Often with anxiety there's an unconscious underlying fear manifesting in the physical world as anxiety because it's got no other way of expressing itself and being heard and it wants to be loved and healed.
By nature because it's in the unconscious it means that we're not consciously aware of it in our daily mind.
Nonetheless it still has a powerful impact on us,
How we feel and how we perceive the world.
To begin to transform what's in the unconscious we need to let it arise into consciousness and to integrate it into your life in a healthy way.
Now the unconscious speaks in a different language.
Just like in dreams the images that we see can be strange and unexpected,
Communicating to us in an archetypal language.
So the meaning of the images you see are not always obvious and instead have a deeper archetypal meaning.
Another way that we can access the unconscious is through active imagination founded and developed by psychotherapist Carl Jung.
It's a unique creative and explorative process that is quite different to meditation but bridges the conscious and the unconscious mind,
Which Jung said gives us a deeper understanding of ourselves and our life.
You enter into a deep state of relaxation,
A dreamlike state,
Where you allow images to spontaneously come up and form.
So let's give that a little try now.
Take a little time to find yourself a quiet enough place to be and create an atmosphere where you can deeply relax.
You're welcome to press pause until you've sorted your environment out.
If you can put some headphones on so that you can listen to my voice and the sounds much more closely.
If you want you can draw the curtains,
Lie down somewhere super comfortable,
Gently close your eyes and gradually allow yourself to deeply relax.
As you rest there you can let go of the outside world for now.
Let go of any worries or expectations.
Allowing yourself to be present in your body,
In the present moment,
You are safe here.
See if you can allow your heart to be open and enjoy the exploration.
To guide you gently into relaxation,
Bring your awareness away from the outside world into your breath and notice the feelings and sensations of it in your body.
The sensations of the air coming in and out of your nostrils and throat.
The feelings and sensations of your lungs,
Ribs and abdomen rising and falling as you breathe.
Notice the soothing rhythm of your breath coming in and out.
When you breathe in there's a sense of gathering and when you breathe out there's a sense of really releasing and letting go.
Let your body follow the out breath all the way down,
Feeling your body relax each time and kind of melt down into the ground.
Noticing how the ground really supports you,
How it seems to hold you as you relax.
Letting yourself really trust that ground and let your whole body deeply relax into it.
Let the healing sound soothe you and comfort you and let them gently carry you away to another world.
As you relax there imagine you're in a place in beautiful nature,
Somewhere you'd like to begin digging.
Could be anywhere,
A forest,
A mountain,
The beach.
Whatever comes up is just fine.
You don't need to try and create something or mold it in any way.
Really let yourself be there.
Notice the surroundings,
The temperature,
The smells,
The sounds and the feeling of it.
Let yourself be curious and enjoy it.
Begin to notice the shovel you have for digging.
Become aware of its size and shape,
Its color and what it's made of.
Gradually start digging into the ground.
Notice how the earth is.
Is it hard and brittle?
Soft and moist?
Notice its smell,
Color and texture.
So keep digging until your hole easily becomes much bigger and you notice you've dug down to a door that leads to an underground tunnel.
Allow yourself to be curious about the door.
Whatever it's made of,
Its size and shape and where does it lead to?
A chaperone arrives beside you.
Someone to guide you on your journey and be there with you.
It could be a shepherd,
An angel,
Any kind of wise being,
Whatever comes up really.
He or she greets you kindly,
Smiles and invites you to go with them through the door.
You enter it and it opens out into another world entirely.
Whatever spontaneously arises,
Let it just be like that.
No expectations,
No judgments,
No alterations.
Take a little time to notice your surroundings.
What does it smell like?
What are the colors and shapes you see?
Can you hear any sounds or maybe feel the temperature or a sense of touch?
Maybe the feeling of the ground below your feet or the sound of your footsteps as you walk.
As a chaperone begins to guide you through,
Let yourself be curious of what's there and let it lead you to whatever arises.
If you come across another being,
You could ask them a question and see what happens.
See if you can learn something from them.
If a person from your real life comes up,
You could kindly ask them to change appearance to what represents an energy in you as opposed to the outer person.
I'll leave you a couple minutes now to explore.
Take your time,
Let yourself be present and curious and let yourself enjoy it.
Try to listen to any messages that may be there for you,
That your unconscious wants to express.
If at any point you feel overwhelmed,
You can ask your guide for support and to be there beside you.
You are safe.
This is your world and your imagination.
Chaperone reappears beside you and begins to guide you back to the door.
Before you leave,
He or she gives you a gift to help you with your anxiety.
You thank the guide,
Smile and gradually make your way out of the door and back into the nature that you were originally digging in.
Once back in the place of nature,
You could have a seat somewhere and rest there for a little while,
Allowing everything to process and integrate.
Allow whatever you noticed to touch your heart.
Thank the nature around you,
Thank yourself and give love to yourself.
And slowly,
Gently,
Begin to wiggle your toes and fingers.
And have a deep nourishing stretch.
Come back to noticing your soothing breath.
Come back into your body and into the room around you.
It's a really good idea to express what you experienced and felt in as much detail as you can in a journal.
Or you could draw something if you feel drawn to,
Or even express it in movement.
It's up to you.
You're welcome to come back to this practice many times,
Getting to know what message it's wanting to bring you,
Getting to know your archetypal language.
And then every time you do it,
You can compare how it might have changed.
If you come into contact with something uncomfortable,
As much as you can,
See if you can allow it to be there.
And hold yourself with as much love and compassion as you need.
If not much came up,
Or maybe you fell asleep,
That's okay.
You're welcome to come back to it,
Or it might be that it unfolds for you in time.
Jung believed that the psyche is a self-regulating system,
And that in times of distress,
The psyche will create a symbol to guide you through the situation,
Which could help change your perspective on it,
And guide you to become unstuck.
You don't need to do anything about it,
Just let it become conscious and allow it to gently integrate into your life.
You can take some time to reflect on what the images may mean for you,
And allow them to guide you and support you on your journey.
This practice is from my course,
Transforming Fear and Anxiety.
If you found value in it,
And would like support in finding a healthier way to be with anxiety in your life,
Transforming your life,
Then you're welcome to have a look at the course.
Thank you,
And hopefully see you there.
