Welcome,
Dear friend,
To this pocket of time you have set aside to experience deep relaxation.
This is your permission to step away from the worries of your day and immerse yourself in a safe,
Peaceful,
And restorative world.
Start by finding a place to settle in.
You can sit or lie down.
Now is the perfect time to silence any notifications and distance yourself from distractions.
Remember that there is nowhere else for you to be,
Nothing else for you to do,
And absolutely nothing and nobody for you to respond to.
Invite your eyes to shadow or your gaze to downcast.
Feel the dimming of your eyelids.
Perhaps you imagine them as soft curtains being drawn to block out stress and stimulation,
Allowing you to re-home your mind into a calm,
Easy-flowing state.
Invite your breath to travel effortlessly,
Inhaling through your nostrils and exhaling comfortably through your mouth.
Allow each breath to begin lengthening naturally,
Filling to the base of your lungs and extending long into the fabrics of your being.
Let your bones,
Muscles,
Tissues,
Even your thoughts be nourished by each tender breath.
As we begin our walk into the peaceful forest,
I encourage you to be curious with your senses.
Allow this forest to come to life,
Imagining each step of the way what you can hear,
See,
Smell,
Taste,
And feel.
Remember that there is no right or wrong to this practice,
And so there is no need to overthink your experience.
Simply allow it to unfold without force or expectation upon yourself.
It is a crisp,
Quiet summer evening,
Following a day of gentle rain.
The sun has tucked part of its rays behind a cloud above.
A cool but comfortable breeze grazes your skin.
Nature's hug hello.
As you arrive,
A tranquil feeling settles inside of your body.
You can feel your shoulders untuck,
Peeling away from your earlobes.
The muscles of your back and belly begin to soften.
Unguarded,
You look to the forest entrance in front of you.
A slightly dampened dirt path splays in front of you.
Short green brush and baby wildflowers grow along its sides.
A soft muting of the sun above invites an enhanced vibrancy to Earth's color.
Hues of green blend with scattered patches of pink,
Purple,
Orange,
Yellow,
And blue.
Airy bristles sway side to side in the faint wind.
And as you peek down,
You notice the hairs on your skin dance the same way.
You are not just in nature.
You are of it.
As you walk along this path,
Feeling the rich soil crumple beneath your feet,
You notice to your right a plush,
White dandelion,
Peeking its head along the path's edge.
With gentle approach,
You crouch down to get a closer look.
A hollow,
Light green stem holds a flower tall in space.
Three microscopic leaves grow off of it,
Each one smooth at its center and slightly toothed on the edges.
A creamy-colored rosette of fluffy extensions reaches in all directions,
Cupping one side of the flower with an open palm.
You can feel its delicacy.
One tiny tendril at a time,
It wisps through your fingers as if a cloud above has morphed and taken on a new life as this bloom.
A slight smile forms,
And a feeling of weightlessness washes over you.
Pausing here,
You take a long,
Deep breath.
Cool,
Fresh air fills to the bases of your lungs,
Light in your body and easy in your mind.
You continue on the path.
One slow step at a time,
You approach three wooden steps,
Leading you deeper into the peaceful forest.
Notably touched by the day's earlier rain,
Streaks of light brown blend with dark charcoal gray.
Stepping up each one,
You can feel its dewy texture pad the sole of your foot.
The thud of your footsteps on the wetted wood drums below.
Looking down,
You spot a sooty-colored ant,
Carrying a breadcrumb up these same steps you travel.
Deep in your heart space,
A feeling of warmth begins to grow.
You pause to feel compassion for the small thing spread across your chest.
The sensation reaches into your shoulders,
Settles into your belly,
And in time trickles all the way to fingers and toes.
Profound peace cradles you as you walk accompanied by your brave new friend.
At the top of this earthy staircase,
Large trees reach all around you.
A canopy of leaves shade you from the last peeking piece of the sun.
Wafting scents of spruce,
Pine,
And oak sifts through your nostrils with each wholesome breath.
Off in the distance,
You hear a babbling brook.
A trail of pine needles coats the forest floor and leads you to its stream.
Unbothered by your presence,
A robin nearby dips its feathers into the babbling water to clean the tufts of hair on its head.
He dances around joyously,
Proud of his new silky mohawk.
Eager to show his forest friends,
He flutters into the high top of the trees.
He chirps and waves goodbye.
You smile and wave back.
As you look down towards your feet,
You notice a small bed of freshly fallen leaves fit just for you.
You decide to sit down,
And in this forest-made seat,
You feel held.
As you rest,
You soak in the sights,
Sounds,
And smells of the babbling brook.
You can feel every single cell of your being,
Accepting ease as you take slow,
Steady breaths.
Here you feel deeply relaxed and cared for,
And decide to stay for a while longer.
This,
Dear friend,
Is where I leave you to restore and revitalize.
This forest is your home,
A place for you to stay,
To explore,
And to revisit at any time you like.
For now,
Allow yourself to let go,
And rest deeply.
