Drift, Sensory Travel | Načiks (Tofino), B.C.

Hello and thank you so much for being here.

Today I went to sit outside.

I live in a place that is very beautiful but rains a lot.

And so spring is coming around now and there wasn't a cloud in the sky today.

And so I went outside to watch the sunset and think of some ideas and some things that I'd like to share.

And I didn't really write too much down because it was so beautiful.

And even though it rains a lot,

This place is really special and it can be a sensory overload but in the most beautiful way.

And so I thought maybe we could do a series,

A little series together.

And just a collection of visualizing meditations and kind of a sensory travel.

So you can have a moment to travel to a different place and maybe imagine different sensations and see different things in your imagination.

And I think we'll call it drift.

So welcome to drift,

A sensory series here on Insight Timer.

This first installment and practice we'll do together is based off a place called Tofino.

It's on the west coast of British Columbia in Canada.

It's a really beautiful spot that is very raw.

And I am beyond grateful to live right next to the ocean.

And so just a few steps from my house,

You can go sit and there's a little dock and the channel comes in there.

So we are out on the open ocean,

Face out onto the Pacific Ocean.

But where I live is just kind of tucked around the corner and there's a little harbor.

And I have a little bench that I love to sit on out there.

And so if you want to come sit with me,

We'll do a little guided visualization practice to bring yourself to have a sensory travel here to Tofino on the wild west coast.

So if you'd like,

Take a moment to sit and close your eyes.

And if you're sitting on this concrete bench next to the ocean with me,

You might notice that it feels cold underneath your seat and on your back.

Even though it's spring,

There's definitely still a chill in the air.

You still need a down jacket in the evening.

And so as we sit down on this bench together,

Just take it all in.

A bit of the scene to picture or visualize in your head is an area where there is a lot of tidal movement.

So sometimes the water is moving quite fast when the tide is changing outside.

And there's a few small docks that run just in front of my house.

And so you get to see all the boat traffic coming and going.

And there is kids that live offshore.

And so they take a boat every day to school and get dropped off on the dock in front of my house.

So it's a fun place to watch and observe and notice and feel.

And so you might see these two floating docks.

They're nothing fancy.

They're a little wobbly when you walk on them.

There's a lovely floatplane company,

A small family run business that operates on one of the docks.

So there's usually two really beautiful,

Small floatplanes floating beside the boats on the water.

And there's lots of family boats.

There's a few small boats that belong to people who maybe live offshore and travel back and forth.

And in the background,

You see an island that has beautiful mountains filled with evergreen trees on it.

And there's many little small islets in front of this bigger island with the mountains on it.

And everything is really vivid and alive all the time.

Even when the water is calm and it's not stormy,

Things are vibrant.

And as we sit here and take it in as the sun is going down behind the mountains on this rare day when there is no clouds,

Which is always a treat.

The sky is beginning to light up in a beautiful orange that fades into a pale pink,

A salmon color.

In the background,

We hear an aluminum work boat that is humming right on by in the distance.

And after it passes by and the wake of the boat comes near the dock,

You hear all the boats that are on the dock starting to rock back and forth and little splashes in the water.

In the houses around this area,

You can hear,

Because of the sun and the spring,

That people are beginning to gather.

And so you hear people gathering and laughing in the background,

Which always reminds me of summer coming.

There's a couple who works in Tofino,

But they live offshore and they walk by us to go get into their kayaks to paddle home.

And I really admire people here.

They are filled with hope and adventure and strive for a future together.

People who love to color outside of the lines and try new things and don't mind getting soaking wet from the rain.

And we sit here and watch the couple paddle off on their way home for the evening.

Even though it's a beautiful day,

It is still windy.

And so a few gusts of wind go by and I feel a little shiver.

But the beauty of this evening keeps me outside.

This feeling of spring arriving and maybe feeling that something inside me is beginning to wake up.

And breathing in here,

You can feel,

Even if you couldn't see,

You can feel the ocean is near.

You can almost taste the salt and the humidity in your mouth.

And as you breathe in and breathe out,

You can feel that cold,

Fresh air and the scent of the ocean just below you.

Maybe hear the sound of the water lapping on the dock.

The layers of the mountains in front of us are all different shades of deep blue as the sun is gone down below the horizon now.

And as we sit here and take in all there is to take in.

And for me,

It's in these moments of seeing the power of nature and the beauty around us.

That reminds me that everything feels okay.

Everything feels really special in those moments.

And as my eyes are still fixed on the scene in front of me,

I hear some birds that have gone overhead.

And when I look up,

It is a row of geese coming home.

Not flying in their usual V shape,

But a long snaking line.

It's always a special moment to hear the geese returning back knowing that brighter,

Warmer,

Longer days are ahead.

And if you haven't already,

Close your eyes now and come into your breath.

Allow your inhale to fill your whole torso.

And as you exhale,

Can you allow the breath to flow out like a wave?

Inhale,

Breathing in the salt,

The humidity.

And exhale,

Allowing the warmth to flow out.

And as you exhale,

Can you allow the warm air to leave your lungs?

Feel your breath move through your body at your own pace,

Your own rhythm.

And as you breathe here,

Can you share the same wonder that we get in nature for these two beautiful bodies of your lungs?

The same wonderment of this body that takes care of you,

Nourishes you,

Allows you to enjoy and explore these wild spaces around us.

And as you breathe,

Can you allow yourself to soften on your exhale?

Can you allow yourself to yield?

Can you feel the wind blow across your face?

And feel the cool bench underneath your seat?

Can you hear the geese crying out above you overhead?

And the lapping of the water on the shore.

Something I love to do with people in person,

But there's no reason we can't visualize it here.

Let's walk down to the shore together.

The shore is a bit rocky here,

Actually.

So let's walk on to the slightly wobbly dock.

It's really,

Really fun because you can feel that you are on the ocean when you're on this little dock.

Roll up your sleeves a little bit and dip your hands into the water,

Cup your hands and bring the water,

The very cold water up towards your face.

And if you have an intention,

Or something you want to take with you for the rest of the day,

The rest of the evening,

Can you speak it into the water in your hands?

You can say it in your head,

Or maybe you say it out loud.

And once you've done that,

Gently releasing the water back into the ocean.

Letting that go and be dispersed.

And then see if you can breathe that intention into your whole body now.

Can you allow yourself to really feel that sinking into the tissue and the waters of your own body?

Let's take three full breaths together to wind down and follow your own breath,

Your own pace.

You might see if you can make your exhale a little bit longer than your inhale.

This lets your nervous system know it's okay to settle,

It's okay to soften.

Thank you so much for sitting with me.

And I do feel very privileged all the time to live in this wild place.

Know that it doesn't need to be so extravagant for you to connect with nature.

So you might have a little tree on your walk home from work.

Maybe there's just a patch of grass somewhere where you can put your feet on the ground.

Or maybe you notice the roots of a tree coming up through the sidewalk.

Showing the resilience,

The strength of nature.

And maybe for the next few days,

You might find some bit of nature to connect with,

To say hello to,

To get to know.

And begin to cultivate this relationship with the world around you.

Thank you so much for slowing down with me.

I hope you have a beautiful rest of your day.