Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed,
Sit or lie down and allow the surface beneath you to support your full body and carry your weight.
Take a moment to get yourself in a position that feels truly comfortable and relaxed and then close your eyes.
Breathe in slowly through your nose and sigh the breath out through your mouth.
Again,
Inhale ease,
Exhale the effort of the day.
Another time,
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
Breathing in calm and exhale out through your mouth,
Breathing out what no longer serves you.
One final time,
Inhale through your nose,
Filling your belly and chest and then exhale fully through your mouth,
Releasing,
Softening,
Arriving.
Allow your breath to settle into its natural rhythm.
Notice the gentle rise and fall like a slow tide.
With every exhale,
Your muscles loosen a little bit more,
Your brow smooths,
Your jaw relaxes,
Your shoulders drop away from your ears.
Let gravity hold you.
There is nothing you have to carry right now.
Bring awareness to the points where your body meets the surface that is supporting you,
The soles of your feet,
Upper legs and buttocks or your hips,
Back,
Shoulder blades.
Feel that contact as steady,
Reliable support.
You are allowed to rest.
Imagine the air around you growing quieter,
Like a room with soft curtains.
Thoughts may still move at the edges,
However,
Your centre is becoming still.
Now picture a warm,
Golden light resting at the crown of your head.
With each breath out,
It travels a little further,
Over your scalp,
Across the forehead,
Around the eyes.
It smooths the space behind your eyes,
Untangles the tiny muscles around your mouth and softens your throat.
Let the light pour across your collarbones and into your shoulders.
Feel the weight slip from them,
As if set down for a while.
The light continues to flow down both arms to your hands and into each and every finger.
With the next inhale,
Invite that warmth into your chest.
Your heart space feels roomier,
Like a window opened to fresh air.
Rest and breathe here for a moment.
Inhale calm,
Exhale release.
Let the light travel further now and drift through the ribs and belly,
Easing any tightness.
It moves through your back,
Softening the places that hold you upright.
It travels through the hips,
Thighs,
Knees,
Calves,
Ankles,
Feet.
Each part receives the same message.
You can soften now.
Now,
Bring gentle attention to the space behind your forehead,
The mind's inner room.
If it feels crowded,
That's okay,
You are simply noticing.
Imagine each thought as a feather falling into a wide lake.
It lands,
Sends a small ripple,
And then the water becomes still again.
Another thought arrives,
Another ripple,
And stillness returns.
You don't need to chase or fix anything,
The lake knows how to settle itself.
If a thought clings,
Greet it kindly by whispering,
Thank you,
You can rest now.
Notice how that simple kindness changes its shape,
The edges soften,
The urgency fades.
What once felt sharp or heavy begins to dissolve,
Almost as if it exhales.
Many thoughts only want your reassurance,
The reminder that they are seen and safe to settle.
As each thought settles,
You begin to see the stillness that was always beneath them,
A quiet lake,
Revealed as the ripples fade.
Beneath the flow of thoughts,
There is space,
Quiet,
Steady,
Open.
Your awareness rests there,
Like a boat held safely by a soft mooring.
Place one or both hands where it feels most comforting,
Over your heart centre,
Or gently resting on your stomach.
Feel the warmth of your own touch.
Take a moment to let your breath become slightly slower and slightly deeper without forcing it.
If words help,
Whisper inwardly,
It's safe to be here.
I can take my time.
My breath leads me home.
Now,
Around your body,
Imagine a soft blue cocoon of light.
It doesn't shut the world out,
It simply invites peace within.
The edges of this cocoon are absorbent to calm and closed to overwhelm.
Inside,
Your nervous system learns a gentler rhythm.
Breathe in,
Breathe out,
Like the sea smoothing the shore.
Notice the difference between alertness and anxiety.
Your senses can stay awake while your body stays soft.
You are allowed to think clearly and feel safe.
From this steadiness,
See your mind as a friendly instrument.
You can choose the volume.
Turn the dial a little lower now,
Just enough that the quiet becomes audible.
And whisper inwardly to yourself,
I am safe in this moment.
I am supported by life.
Peace is near,
I meet it here.
As the music continues,
A gentle subliminal layer begins beneath your awareness.
Words that you will not hear with your ears,
However,
Your subconscious will receive it,
Absorb it and understand it with ease.
Simply rest while the calm deepens of its own accord.
The body remembers how to settle.
The mind learns a kinder pace.
When you're ready to come back,
Turn your focus to your breath once again,
Its quiet reliability.
Feel and sense the chair,
Floor or bed beneath you,
Supporting you,
Holding you.
Feel the air on your skin and the sounds gently and slowly returning to the room.
Begin to bring movement back into your body,
First by wiggling your fingers and wriggling your toes.
Perhaps roll your shoulders,
Circle your wrists or ankles if that feels good.
Take one steady breath in through your nose.
And as you breathe out through your mouth,
Stretch your arms and legs away from you as you do.
Now that your body has been reawakened and you are back in the present moment,
Open your eyes softly.
Carry this steadiness with you.
Peace isn't far away,
It lives here,
Returning each time you do.
