In this relaxing by-the-sea meditation,
Your breath and your imagination will work in harmony,
Offering your body,
Mind,
And spirit a stress-and-worry-free sanctuary for the next few minutes,
Allowing any stress and worry to fade away for a little while,
Starting with a few deep cleansing breaths.
With each inhale and exhale,
An invitation,
Letting the breath be your guide to dissolving any worries and stress as it moves through your lungs and diaphragm,
Front and back body,
Encouraging you to settle into a comfortable and supportive position,
Keeping the breath As your companion,
Imagine sitting on a beach on a slightly hazy day.
The beach has a soft and blurry quality,
Which seeps into your body,
Gradually beginning to melt away worries and stress,
Like sand between your toes,
In this beach setting.
The sea before you at low tide,
Tidal pools scattered here and there,
Slowly evaporating,
The sun overhead a hazy shadow,
Ospreys above in search of a possible snack,
Seagulls calling,
The salty smells of low tide,
A breeze caresses your bare skin,
Releasing more deeply any tension or stress,
Letting it seep into the sand below you,
Dripping off your body,
Granule by granule,
Loosening tight muscles in your jaw,
Neck,
Shoulders,
Arms and hands,
Front and back torso,
Pelvis,
Legs and feet,
Into the sandy moist ground that holds you,
Letting unwanted thoughts and worries drift and evaporate into the tidal pools nearby,
An egret standing in one of the tidal pools captures your attention,
Notice how still it stands,
On one leg,
Perched,
Grounded,
Steady and present,
All with ease,
Imagine being the egret as you embody their relaxing,
Calm,
All-observing presence,
With stillness in the peaceful landscape of the beach,
All around you,
Grounding yourself in the present moment,
With nowhere to go,
Like the egret,
Watching the birds overhead gracefully dancing in the breeze,
The bulbous silhouette of the sun hanging in the sky,
The ebb and flow of the sea before you,
The hazy warmth that surrounds you like a quilt,
The salty scent that transports you to memories of long ago,
The still and calm egret,
Taking all of this in,
And feeling a deep sense of relief,
Release and relaxation in your body,
Mind and spirit,
A deep sense of calmness and contentment in this moment,
And so here you are,
Resting by the sea for the next few minutes,
In a state of complete relaxation,
With this breath in,
And this breath out,
And more,
And more,
With blessings and gratitude for listening,
Barbara.
