Hi,
Thanks for joining me on this guided visualization for sleep.
Research shows that spending time by the ocean is excellent for your wellbeing.
Gazing at the sea changes the frequency of our brainwaves which puts us in a calm,
Meditative state.
And the sound of the waves activates the parasympathetic nervous system which promotes relaxation.
The air from the waves also delivers negative ions or atoms with a net negative electrical charge.
These negative ions increase oxygen flow to the brain which helps with concentration and energy.
So,
A visit to the beach can give you a boost,
Kind of like a cup of coffee does,
Without all the jitters.
Conversely,
Researchers have also found that spending time by the ocean supports sleep so you can keep the increased energy rolling with a good night's rest.
And lastly,
The natural feeling of the sand under your bare feet is grounding.
Nothing happens when your body has the chance to electrically reconnect with the earth.
According to studies,
Being barefoot in the sand can help restore your body's natural defense systems,
Relieve certain types of pain and inflammation and also helps ease stress,
Fatigue and depression.
Since being by the beach has so many natural benefits,
I'll attempt to bring you the next best thing with a guided visualization to a remote desert island.
Before we begin,
Please find a place where you feel comfortable and can rest.
Close your eyes.
Listen to the sound of the ocean.
Feel a wave of relaxation flow into the muscles in your face.
Release all the tension in your forehead.
Allow the tightness to melt away from your eyes.
Drop your shoulders as low as possible to ease any stress from your neck.
Relax your upper and lower arms.
Then move down to your fingers.
Relax your chest and fill your lungs with air.
Release.
Then move down to your hips and knees.
Then finish at your ankles and feet.
You're alone on a deserted beach.
The hard packed sand is warm under the soles of your bare feet.
Away to your left you see a stark landscape of jagged mountains whose slopes are densely shrouded with large cacti and yucca trees.
An eagle lazily glides on a thermal breeze above the peaks.
There isn't a cloud in the bright blue sky.
The air carries a faint scent of sage and bare rocks mixed in with the salty smell of the sea.
Your gaze shifts to the sea.
Gentle aquamarine waves glide slowly over the flat sands.
And in the distance,
A small island right offshore in the middle of the bay.
As you walk along the shoreline,
A group of pelicans flies by you.
One of them breaks away and dives into the water.
It returns to the surface with a fish in its peak and you watch.
It tossed the fish into the pouch of its throat.
A small yellow painted rowing boat is moored on the beach.
As you get near to it,
An idea surfaces that you might borrow the boat and row over to the little island.
You push the boat out from the beach into the shallow water,
Where you hop easily on board and begin rowing.
As the boat heads out into the water,
A refreshing breeze gently brushes against your face.
The gentle pulse of the current feels relaxing.
Some seagulls follow the boat,
A few dive for food,
While others glide overhead.
You see other things randomly leaping out of the water and to raise,
Momentarily suspended in the air,
Flapping their fins like birds before belly flopping back into the sea.
Over the boat's starboard side,
You notice two fins,
Then more and more fins.
An infinite number of dolphins,
Chasing and leaping past the boat.
A loud splashing of them,
A complete spectacle of life,
Oxygen,
Sea water and sunlight.
Looking down over the edge of the boat into the clear water,
You see layers upon layers of them swimming in the inky depths below.
A wave after a wave of dolphins overtakes the rowing boat with flickering tails and gleaming backs.
Then,
After a little while,
The last wave of them passes,
Leaving behind a foaming white trail.
And soon after,
The peace returns on a calm sea breeze.
You resume rowing to the small island,
Which is getting closer now.
And before long,
The tiny boat glides into a shallow lagoon.
Your boat surfs the curve of the shallow wave,
Which deposits you on the sandy beach.
There you hop out and drag it onto the shore.
The beach is lined by a steep limestone cliff,
Including a long shallow cave,
Which you decide to explore.
The shallow cavern is cool inside.
Its walls are encrusted with skeletons of sea animals,
Giant clamshells,
Massive nautilus,
Sea urchins,
And over there,
Imprints of a seaweed forest.
These fossil walls are a snapshot of time.
The impressions of life that teemed in the sea here ages ago.
You sit down in the cool sand and gaze out of the cave.
The sea is still calm,
With the setting sun now dappling the water with copper and crimson.
The birds are heading inland now,
To their roosts,
But you're in no hurry.
You get up and start to walk along the beach,
Collecting some of the driftwood to make a fire.
The wood has been bleached out by the sun and the wind and is burned dry.
You also collect bunches of dried out sea grass,
Which makes perfect kindling.
In no time,
You've piled enough wood and sea grass for a bonfire.
You light a match.
The flames blaze with a crackle of flashes and pops.
You smooth out the sand and create a place to lie next to the bonfire.
The flames burn brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The smoke smells like incense.
After a while,
The flames vanish and now the fire just glows.
The embers in the fire hypnotise you and provide warmth from the cooling air.
Your heart quiets and you lose yourself.
Then,
Your mind and soul lift to a gentler place and you breathe deeply the renewing peacefulness as you slowly drift off to sleep.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
The fire burns brightly and tiny sparks fly high up into the darkening sky and disappear.
