Welcome to this meditation where I will be guiding you through a visualization journey for you to imagine your inner sanctuary that you can always access whenever you need.
I want you to first get into a comfortable position,
Whether that's seated or laying down,
And get any of the wiggles out that you need to,
Allowing yourself to move freely and settle in comfortably.
As we set aside any worries or concerns,
Taking a deep inhale through your nose and allowing yourself to fully exhale through your mouth,
Fully letting out an audible sigh,
Releasing all of the tension and relaxing deeper into your seat.
As you feel your body get heavier with every breath that you take,
You may notice some thoughts come up,
And allowing yourself to observe these thoughts and letting yourself know that your problems will wait for another time.
They will not go anywhere.
They will be there waiting for you when we get back from our journey.
As you breathe deeply and get comfortable in where you are,
Whenever you feel ready,
Closing your eyes and releasing any distracting tensions in your body.
Becoming aware of breathing now in a slow,
Full,
And relaxed fashion.
Take in large,
Full breaths each time and empty your lungs fully each time.
As we surrender our full weight to the support of the earth beneath us,
Allowing yourself to sink deeper and deeper with every inhale and exhale.
And as we feel heavier,
As the weight of our body is fully supported by the surface beneath us,
I want you to imagine a warm and peaceful place in your imagination.
This may be a real place that you've been or a place that you can imagine.
The place might be a beach,
A field of wildflowers,
Your own home,
Or any place that offers you comfort,
Safety,
And serenity.
As we ground into this place,
Notice what it smells like,
What you hear,
What you feel.
Is it the wind brushing up against your cheek?
Is it the breeze tickling your neck?
Maybe you smell some fresh cut grass as you hear the birds chirp.
Whatever it is,
There is no right or wrong,
Only the place that exists within your mind.
Go to that place in your mind.
Experience being there as fully as you can,
Drawing on all of your senses.
In your mind's eye,
See your surroundings in this peaceful place.
Hear the sounds of the place.
Feel the warmth of the place on your body.
Smell and feel the atmosphere of the place.
Feel the quiet and tranquility of the place in your mind and your heart.
Now if you get distracted,
Bring your attention back to your special peaceful place.
Accept whatever restlessness is there and return again to relaxation.
You don't need to try hard to relax.
At this moment,
Your only effort is to set aside effort,
Continuing to ground through your breath whenever distractions come up,
Reminding your brain that you will be there when the worries are present.
Now stay in this place and enjoy the peace and tranquility it brings you.
Be aware of the slow,
Deep process of your own breathing.
One long,
Slow,
Deep inhalation.
Having a moment to pause.
Then one long,
Slow,
Deep exhalation.
Fully allowing every ounce of air to leave your body as you surrender just a bit more to the earth supporting the surface beneath you.
Remembering that the space,
The place in your mind that we visited is always accessible to you in times of need,
In times of stress,
In times of panic.
Experience fully the soothing and restful qualities of your special place.
Repeat the word peace in your mind several times as you enjoy your quiet moment for these next few minutes.
And as we travel back to our present moment,
Reminding yourself and taking a mental screenshot,
A capture of this place,
Notice how you feel in this moment when you are in this place.
How lighter your heart feels.
How relaxed you have gotten.
Reminding yourself that this place can always be accessible when needed.
Continuing to enjoy this special place as we take another inhale through the nose,
Holding it at the top,
Allowing the tension to build,
And fully exhaling,
Letting out an audible sigh.
And as we come back into this moment,
Notice how lighter you feel,
How much more grounded you feel.
And thank yourself for showing up for this practice and for yourself,
Knowing that this place of peace and calm is always within you.
And just taking a couple minutes out of your day to come back to this place will do you wonders.
As we slowly get ready to flutter our eyes open,
Wiggling our fingers and toes,
Taking your time to come back to the space,
Reorienting yourself to this moment.
And if you feel called to do so,
Placing one hand over your heart,
Having a slight smile as your upper lips turn upwards,
And thank yourself for showing up today in this practice.
