Hello,
This is Catherine Cook-Coutone,
Author of Embodiment and the Treatment of Eating Disorders,
The Body as a Resource in Recovery.
I'll be reading from script 10.
2,
Guided Imagery for the Body as a Sanctuary During Triggers.
Begin by finding a comfortable seat or lying down position.
You might want to journal after.
If so,
Have your journal and a pen or pencil handy.
If you want to pause here,
Go ahead and go get your journal and your pen.
Make sure you are able to relax and feel supported where you are seated or lying down.
When you are ready,
You can soften your gaze or close your eyes.
Begin by breathing deep,
Relaxing breaths.
If it feels right for you,
You can slowly extend your exhales by breathing in for one,
Two,
Three,
And four,
And breathing out for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And five.
Take some time to breathe and center here.
Consider that you could be completely relaxed,
Letting your tensions go and becoming increasingly present and open.
Now allow yourself to listen to my voice and free your imagination to explore.
Consider saying to yourself,
I am relaxed and my imagination is open.
It can be so relaxing to imagine beautiful and empowering things.
Breathe here and consider reminding yourself one more time.
I am relaxed and my imagination is open.
It can be so relaxing to imagine beautiful and empowering things.
Now imagine yourself walking on a path.
It is a clear and beautiful day.
It is not too warm and not too cold and there's a slight breeze.
You are headed to a house nestled in the trees just up the path.
This house is your sanctuary.
It was built for you.
It is a peaceful place,
Quiet,
Surrounded by nature,
And completely safe.
As you walk,
You see your sanctuary.
What does it look like?
Imagine it.
It is exactly what you'd hoped for.
It was built in exactly the style you love,
The type of home that helps you feel relaxed and welcomed.
Imagine the shape of the house,
The windows,
The doors.
Are there gardens or landscaping?
What do they look like?
How close to the house are the trees?
What kind of trees are they?
Is there a pond or a pool?
Breathe here and imagine all of the details of the outside of your home.
You have finally arrived at your sanctuary.
You approach the front door and open it,
Revealing the inside of your home.
What do you see?
You are so happy.
As you look,
You see it has been decorated exactly how you love a home to be decorated.
You look and see a dining room,
A sitting room,
Kitchen,
A nook.
You walk upstairs and there is a beautiful room for sleeping and another room in which you can relax,
Meditate,
Exercise,
Or do yoga if you'd like.
Take a moment and imagine all of the rooms,
The dining room,
A sitting room,
Your kitchen,
Maybe a kitchen nook.
What are the stairs like?
Are there stairs?
Maybe you have an elevator up to your top floor.
What is the sleeping room like?
The furniture,
The decor.
What does your practice and meditation room look like?
Now you're in your relaxation room and you sit or lie down.
You decide.
You know what's right.
You know what is best for you.
You are in the sanctuary upstairs in this lovely room in which you are completely safe.
If you'd like,
You can pause and open the window in your sanctuary so you can feel the air and see the trees.
Or maybe you see the beaches as you relax in your sanctuary.
Your body feels completely safe and relaxed.
You are loved and accepted here.
This place was built for you with everything you need.
Now imagine yourself there in your room and bring your awareness to your body.
Your body in this place is also a sanctuary.
Your body is here for you,
Strong,
Breathing,
Heart beating.
Your body is able to relax here and be completely accepted exactly as it is.
This house was made for you and your body.
There's nothing you must earn or achieve.
It was made for you exactly as you are.
You notice how safe and loved your body feels in this place.
You allow yourself to completely drop into your body.
With your body as a sanctuary,
You feel your toes,
Your legs,
Your sitting bones,
Belly,
Your chest,
Shoulders,
Arms,
Hands,
Neck,
Your head,
Your breath,
And your beautiful heartbeat.
You are here in the sanctuary of a house,
In the sanctuary of your room,
In the sanctuary of your body,
Completely accepted and loved exactly as you are.
You let go any thoughts of not being enough or not being right or somehow being broken or not enough.
You realize here in your sanctuary of your beautiful home and your beautiful body that these discouraging ideas and thoughts have no place.
They do not belong here.
You are accepted,
Loved,
And uniquely valued exactly as you are.
As if you could press the record button of your memory systems,
Record the body sensations of love,
Acceptance,
And inherent worth.
Record your breath and your heartbeat.
Record the room,
The house,
The setting,
Your pathway here.
Remember it all in case you need it when you head back into your daily life activities.
This is your resource,
Your sanctuary.
As you are present here in your body,
In your sanctuary,
Consider that this is a resource for you.
If you are triggered or upset,
It's here.
You can ground your feet into the earth below you,
Take several deep,
Relaxing breaths,
And find your way back here,
Here to your sanctuary.
You are completely safe here,
Loved,
And deeply valued.
You have this beautiful sanctuary of a home built and decorated exactly how you need and want it to be.
Turn your awareness away from the trigger,
The stressor,
And find the body sensations,
The breath,
The heartbeat you recorded in your sanctuary.
This is your inner resource that you can take with you anywhere.
You can call on your sanctuary and the feelings of safety and security in your body whenever you need them.
Here in this safe place,
You can simply notice the trigger,
The craving,
The reactions as they arise and pass as all things do.
You can breathe as you watch.
Breathing in,
I know I am breathing in.
Breathing out,
I know I am breathing out.
When you are ready to come back,
Bring your awareness to your breath.
Breathe several cycles of relaxing breaths,
Extending the exhale,
Breathing in for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And out for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And five.
Breathing in for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And out for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And five.
If you want more time here,
Simply press the pause button and keep breathing.
When you are ready,
You can bring your gaze to an anchor on something in the room and then slowly broaden your gaze.
Take a moment to offer gratitude to your sanctuary,
The sanctuary of your body,
The sanctuary of your breath and heartbeat.
If you'd like to journal,
Consider writing a bit about your sanctuary or maybe even drawing it in your journal.
Write about your body and your experience.
Thank you so much for practicing.
