Inner Stillness Journey

Welcome to today's guided mindfulness meditation.

Taking a moment to sit or lie down,

Getting yourself as comfortable as possible.

And as you close down your eyes making any final adjustments,

Just taking a moment to acknowledge yourself for showing up today for your meditation practice.

Realizing that this is you time.

Time for total relaxation and inner stillness.

Take a long,

Slow,

Deep breath in.

Hold it for a moment.

And then slowly exhale.

Allowing any tension to melt away as you gradually relax more and more deeply with each breath.

Take another long,

Slow,

Deep breath in.

Hold it in.

And then exhale.

Emptying your lungs completely with your out-breath.

Take a third deep breath in.

Take your time.

Hold it for a moment.

And then let it go.

Already you are beginning to drift into a state of deep relaxation.

Continue to breathe slowly and gently.

Relax.

Now bring your awareness to the top of your head.

Sense or imagine a feeling of relaxation beginning to spread down from the top of your head.

As this feeling begins at the top of your scalp,

Let the muscles in your forehead and temples relax.

Allow your eyes to relax.

Let your cheeks and jaw soften and let go of all the tension.

Now this peaceful feeling flows down your neck,

Deep into the muscles of your shoulders.

Allowing them to feel soothed and released.

Breathe.

Allow this peaceful feeling to flow through your arms.

Relaxing and soothing all the way to the tips of your fingers.

As your body relaxes,

Your mind relaxes.

Your thoughts become weightless like wisps of clouds on the breeze.

Now the peaceful sensation flows down through your chest to your stomach.

Feel how this area gently rises and falls as you breathe.

Slowly and deeply soothing and relaxing.

Turn your attention to your back and feel this relaxing sensation flow all the way down your spine.

Now the peaceful feeling flows through your lower body.

Relaxing your glutes,

The back of your thighs,

The front of your thighs.

Feel all these large strong muscles becoming loose and relaxed.

Saving feelings flow down through your knees and into your calves.

Your ankles relax.

Now your feet relax.

Your entire body is soft,

Calm and relaxed.

Now it's time to leave the external world behind and go on an inner journey.

A journey to a place of deep inner stillness.

Imagine that you're standing on a white sandy beach.

It's early in the morning and a light hazy mist surrounds you.

The sun is rising slowly and you can feel the warm orange light on your face and your body.

And you're feeling content,

At ease,

Relaxed.

The sand beneath your bare feet is soft and warm.

A light breeze caresses your face.

This beach is deserted.

You have it all to yourself and you have all the time in the world.

Listen to the relaxing sound of the ocean.

Its waves are breaking gently on the shore.

Begin to walk slowly through the mist towards the water.

A small boat is waiting for you.

The boat is comfortable and steady.

Notice that it is tied to the shore with a strong rope.

Walk to the water's edge and step into the boat.

Feel your feeling completely at peace,

Completely safe and completely relaxed.

When you are ready,

Untie the rope and let it go.

Relax and allow the natural currents of the ocean to guide you away from the beach.

Your boat drifts smoothly.

It rocks ever so gently in the water.

This rocking motion relaxes you even more deeply.

The sun is now higher in the sky and its light has gathered strength.

Notice that the mist that surrounds you is beginning to evaporate.

You can see the air becoming clearer and clearer.

Watch on as the sun's rays dissolve all of the mist.

Now you can see clearly in all directions.

It's as though a veil has been lifted.

Sparkling ocean water surrounds you on all sides.

In front of you,

A small island comes into view.

Your boat moves closer and closer to the island.

It's gliding slowly and effortlessly through the water.

The island is drenched in sunlight.

It is covered in tropical palms that sway gently in the breeze.

Your boat glides slowly forward and comes to rest on the shore.

You have arrived.

Step out of the boat and take a moment to appreciate this place of sublime beauty.

Exotic birds dance from tree to tree and brilliantly colored flowers grow in abundance.

The air itself here seems to shimmer and vibrate with pure luminous energy.

You can hear the soothing sound of the wind as it passes through the trees.

In this place,

You are free from all the memories of the past.

You are free from all the concerns about the future.

You are free from all responsibilities.

This is a place of total peace and it is all yours.

You notice an opening between the palm trees.

In the center of this opening,

There appears a narrow path that leads deep into a rich green forest.

Begin your journey into the heart of the forest,

Following the path as it meanders between columns of ancient trees.

This forest seems familiar to you,

Like the memory of a pleasant dream or a place you visited as a child.

Walk deeper into the forest.

You are guided by a force that you trust.

This force makes you feel safe,

Nurtured and still.

You reach the very heart of the forest.

Before you is a shimmering pond of crystal clear water,

A pond of perfect stillness.

The pond is round and brims with pure spring water.

Notice that the water is perfectly still,

Like a mirror,

Free from even the slightest ripple.

A ladder with three steps leads down into the water.

You decide to bathe in this magical pond and you undress.

As you take the first step down into the pond,

You notice that the wind has eased.

All the trees have become motionless.

As each moment passes,

The world around you becomes more and more calm,

And you yourself becoming more and more still.

As you lower yourself onto the second step,

All the birds in the forest become quiet.

Their silence is deep and reverent.

Now lower yourself onto the third and final step and glide into the water.

Feel yourself sliding into a deep state of relaxation.

In this pond,

Your thoughts simply melt away.

All is still and all is silent.

The only sound that remains is the sound of the waves far off in the distance.

Your mind seems to expand.

You feel timeless,

Vast,

Empty,

Relaxed.

For the next few minutes,

Enjoy this experience of solitude and inner silence.

When thoughts arise,

Simply let them go and return your awareness to the sound of the waves.

When it's time to return,

I will guide you home.

Thank you.

Slowly bring your awareness back to the pond.

You are deeply relaxed and refreshed.

And now it's time to make your way back home.

Slowly begin to climb the ladder.

As your foot touches the lowest rung,

Notice how wonderful your body feels.

You feel light,

Clear and happy.

And as you step up to the second rung,

The sounds of the birdsong return.

Now step up to the first rung.

As your foot touches the step,

The breeze returns and the trees begin to sway again.

Trace yourself and follow the path back to your boat.

You arrive back at the entrance to the forest and your boat is waiting for you,

Just as you left it.

As you walk to the water's edge,

Climb into the boat.

You feel relaxed and secure.

You know that your boat will bring you home safely.

Your journey is effortless and calm,

Like all of the moments in your life.

Relax and allow the current to guide you.

You arrive at the beach.

Step out of the boat and onto the sand.

You are home.

Gently becoming aware of the room in which you sit or lie.

Bringing some subtle movements into your wrists,

Fingers,

Your toes.

Perhaps even inviting in a light stretch.

Taking a moment to acknowledge yourself for showing up for today's practice.

As you open your eyes,

Ready to return to the day,

Energised and revitalised.

As you close your eyes,

Ready to Bianca.

You