So why don't we start by just taking a few nice,
Deep breaths.
Get yourself in a comfortable position where you won't be disturbed for a few moments.
And if your eyes are closed already,
Just notice that sensation as you allow your body to settle.
Continuing to be aware of your breath,
No need to change it,
Just noticing it.
As your body begins to relax more and more,
You might notice random thoughts trying to pop into your mind and interrupt.
That's completely normal.
Whenever that happens,
Just bring your attention back to your breath.
Noticing how on the inhale,
There's that slight shift in your clothing.
On the exhale,
How the temperature of the air changes slightly.
Knowing you can move anytime you need to,
To be as comfortable as possible.
Because for this next little while,
No one needs anything from you.
For this next little while,
No one has any expectations or demands.
You can allow yourself to just set aside any tasks,
Any tightness,
Any worries.
Maybe imagining you can just put them in a suitcase by the door.
They're not needed right now.
Bringing your attention back to your breath.
And if you haven't already,
I'd like to invite you to take yourself in your mind's eye.
Using your powerful,
Creative imagination.
Somewhere beautiful.
Take yourself somewhere perhaps you've physically visited in the past,
Or a place you'd like to create in your imagination right now.
That looks and feels and is completely safe.
A place where no one can bother or disturb or harm you.
And you can breathe more easily in this space.
Maybe imagining the temperature of the air just perfect against your skin.
Noticing if there is any sounds in the distance.
If you're somewhere outdoors in nature,
You might hear some birds.
Feel the slight breeze on your skin.
Anything you notice,
Imagine,
See,
Sense simply brings you deeper into the state of relaxation.
And I'd like to invite you to imagine with me now that you have a beautiful,
Calming,
Relaxing,
Healing light shining down on the top of your head.
If you'd like to,
You can assign this light a specific color.
A color that to you represents calm,
Safe,
Relaxed.
And as this colorful light touches down on the top of your head,
It brings even more relaxation.
And that feels so good.
You can imagine it begins to spread across your forehead,
Softening the space between your eyebrows.
Almost like warm honey just beginning to ooze down your face in a calm,
Comforting way.
Relaxing your cheeks,
Your jaw.
Maybe allowing a little extra space between those back molars.
As that wave of relaxation continues to spread down towards the base of your skull.
Any random thoughts that try to interrupt,
Acknowledge them,
Let them go.
Bring your attention back to following along with the sound of my voice.
Allowing your breath to bring you down deeper.
And I wonder what that would be like if you were to imagine on the inhale,
You're breathing in actual molecules of comfort and calm,
Safety and relaxation.
On the exhale,
Maybe even seeing,
Imagining,
Sensing the words,
Let it go.
Whatever that represents to you,
Let it go.
As that healing,
Calming,
Beautiful,
Relaxing light spreads,
It moves down across the sides of your neck,
Softening your throat.
Moving across the tops of each of your shoulders.
And as that relaxation spreads down into each of your arms,
Perhaps you can see or sense,
Feel or imagine it moving all the way down into your wrists,
Your hands,
Your fingertips.
And as that colorful light,
That wave of relaxation spreads down across your chest,
Relaxing your upper back,
Moving down the length of your spine.
Rebalancing that nervous system.
And that feels so good.
Breathing in calm.
Breathing out anything that no longer serves you.
As that relaxation spreads down across your belly,
Relaxing away,
Loosening any tightness in the small of your back,
Spreading across your pelvis and moving down into each hip,
The upper part of your legs.
Imagining the space behind your right knee,
Relaxing your left knee.
And down into each of your calves,
Ankles,
And feet.
Good.
Now,
As you know,
You can go down even deeper.
And the deeper you go,
The better you feel.
And the better you feel,
The deeper you go.
So I'd like to invite you to imagine with me now a beautiful,
Safe,
Soft staircase.
This is your staircase of relaxation.
And in a moment,
I'll simply begin to count backwards from 10 to 1.
With each descending number,
I say,
You can allow yourself to float,
Drift,
Sink,
Move down deeper into relaxation.
Every number,
Every step,
Leaving behind,
Letting go of any old,
Outdated beliefs,
Symptoms,
Sensations,
Tightness,
Doubt.
Anything that no longer serves you,
10.
I wonder what material your staircase is made of.
Nine,
Perhaps it's stone or wood,
Dirt.
Eight,
I wonder what that looks and feels like as you double your level of relaxation.
Seven,
Any random thoughts that try to interrupt,
Acknowledge,
Let them go.
This is your time.
Six,
As you go down deeper into this state of relaxation,
Five,
Halfway down the staircase,
You can notice how good that feels.
For this is your opportunity as your subconscious mind becomes more open and receptive to accept those positive suggestions for your greatest good.
Three,
Deeper and deeper.
You might notice your body feeling pleasantly heavy as though you're safely sinking down to that perfect place of healing and change,
Of deep relaxation.
One,
At the bottom of the staircase,
You can find yourself in your sacred,
Safe space.
This place created in your mind's eye where nothing can harm or disturb you.
If you'd like to,
You can even imagine inviting someone or something into this space with you.
Perhaps an ancestor,
An animal,
A spirit,
Or enjoying the solitude,
And that's just fine.
I wonder in this sacred space,
Your own personal sanctuary,
If you notice or imagine your favorite fragrance in the air,
The temperature of that air just perfect against your skin,
In this peaceful place.
As you drift or float or sink,
You can remember your role as a helper,
A compassionate helper who holds space for others with compassion,
Creativity,
And care.
And yet here in this sacred space,
This space you can return to any time your nervous system needs that reminder.
You can be reminded of something important,
That you must protect your own energy to give from a full well,
To be nourished and balanced and whole.
In your mind's eye,
I invite you to imagine,
See,
Sense,
Feel,
Pretend,
Noticing a smooth stick lying nearby.
If you were to pick it up gently,
You can notice the weight of it in your hand,
The smooth texture.
And you can be transported,
If you're not already there,
To the edge of a shoreline,
Where the sand is soft and wet,
Cool beneath your feet.
The feeling of the air changes slightly,
And I would like to invite you to take a moment to consider anything you had been carrying.
Any emotional weight,
Stress,
Over-responsibility,
Managing,
Fatigue,
Anything that no longer serves you.
Take a moment and use that stick to go ahead and write in the sand.
A word,
A phrase,
A symbol that represents something you'd like to release.
Whatever that is,
No judgment,
Just the opportunity to let it go.
And as you step back,
You can notice a wave beginning to gently roll in,
Washing up over the shoreline,
Effortlessly dissolving the words,
The symbol,
The picture,
Anything you had written,
Carrying them away.
And as they go further and further back into the water,
You can feel yourself lighter and freer and more at peace.
Those old thoughts,
Sensations,
Beliefs,
Frustrations,
Tension,
Tightness washed away till the sand by your feet is smooth and clear.
If you were to look over this body of water,
You can notice as each gentle waves carry away any leftover heaviness,
Anything that is not yours to hold,
Energy from others.
In this place of calm and clarity,
You can be reminded that caring for yourself is a sacred part of helping others.
In this space,
I'd like to invite you before we return to pick out,
To notice,
To imagine,
See,
Or sense one specific object,
An object that will serve as an anchor,
A reminder of your innate ability to return to this place of calm relaxation,
This gentle reminder to care and nurture yourself,
Protecting your energy.
And whatever that object might be,
I wonder if you can imagine shrinking it down until it's a teeny,
Tiny,
Little charm that you would hold in your hand,
Slipping onto an invisible charm bracelet,
If you'd like.
You can even give that wrist a squeeze as you imagine.
You can carry this little charm,
This representation of all you have let go of,
Of caring for yourself,
Protecting your energy.
In a moment,
I'll simply begin to count you back from one to 10.
And at the count of 10,
You'll find yourself back in this time and place,
Bringing with you all of the positive learnings and changes.
One,
Two,
Three,
All of the suggestions we've given your subconscious mind are for your greatest good and will remain with you as long as they're useful to you.
Four,
Five,
Six,
You've let go of anything that no longer serves you.
Anytime you see,
Feel,
Hear,
Touch,
Taste water,
Water as small as a raindrop,
As large as the ocean,
You will be reminded of the importance of caring for yourself,
Protecting your energy and your innate ability to be calm,
Relaxed,
Grounded,
And centered.
Six,
Seven,
Beginning to feel yourself there now,
Becoming aware of the palms of your hands.
Eight,
Noticing the bottom of your feet and imagining a nice refreshing energy flowing from the bottom of those feet all the way up to the top of your head.
At nine,
10,
Coming all the way back,
Eyes open,
Feeling wonderful.
