At the beach,
Life is different.
Time doesn't move hour to hour,
But mood to moment.
We live by the currents,
Plan by the tides,
And follow the sun.
Sandy Gingras.
Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed and get comfortable,
Sitting or lying down,
However you feel like doing today.
Take a few deep breaths in and long breaths out,
Just to center your body and your mind.
If you haven't already,
Please gently close your eyes and visualize yourself climbing down beautiful marble steps.
There are seven steps you need to climb down to reach a big door.
You are barefoot and you can feel the coolness of marble steps.
I will count down from 1 to 7 while you climb down the stairs,
And with each number,
You will go deeper into relaxation and peacefulness.
1,
2,
3,
You are relaxing more and more.
4,
5,
You are feeling calmer and calmer.
6 and 7.
You are now at the end of the stairs and in front of that big door.
And when you open it,
You see a hill made of white,
Powdery sand.
Go ahead and step into that white sand.
Feel how warm and soft under your feet.
Just feel the sensations in your feet on the sand.
Now look up and all you see is more sand in front of you,
But you can hear the ocean.
Walk towards the sound of the ocean.
As you're walking,
You can feel the sun on your skin.
Perhaps you can feel a light breeze as well.
You notice the smell of the salty air.
And as you're looking around,
You see the ocean peak over the sand dune.
You're walking towards the ocean now and you notice the sand under your feet gets firmer because it's saturated with sea water.
You get to the shore where the ocean meets the sand and you see little waves coming up and down and down as the waves come and go.
You see some things in the sand like shells,
Pieces of seaweed,
Your own footprint and you see a little piece of driftwood that's the perfect size for riding in the sand with.
Pick up this driftwood and draw your name into the sand where it's moist.
Write out each letter,
Noticing the sound that it makes as you scratch it through the sand.
Now step back and look at your name.
As you see your beautiful name that's carried you through your whole life,
You notice a little wave coming closer.
This wave catches part of your name and washes it away as it goes back into the ocean.
And then another wave comes and washes it even more and another and another until all you can see is ripples in the sand where your name used to be.
Now continue walking along the beach and notice your surroundings.
What kind of sounds do you hear?
Can you hear seabirds flying over or the wind gently blowing?
Can you feel the warm sun on your skin?
How does the sand feel under your feet again?
It's nice,
Right?
Maybe you are smelling the saltiness of the ocean.
Just be at your beach today.
Now maybe it's time for a little rest,
So find a comfortable place to sit,
Wherever you like on the beach.
A chair and an umbrella could be waiting for you.
They are just the kind you like.
So go ahead and take a seat and look out into the ocean.
Watch the horizon and how the ocean meets the sky.
This is the most beautiful scene you've ever witnessed.
You can stay in this scene as long as you want to,
Enjoying this moment of relaxation that you've taken for yourself.
It's your special place and it's always here for you.
You can just come back to it whenever you wish.
But now,
Only for this moment,
It's time to leave this gorgeous beach.
You turn around and walk back toward the big door and reach the marble stairs.
With your sand-covered feet,
You start climbing them up,
One by one.
I'll go ahead and count with you while you do that.
One,
Two,
Three,
You are getting more awakened with every step.
Four,
Five,
You soon will be wide awake.
Six and seven.
You are at the top of the stairs,
Ready to come back to the present moment.
Allow yourself to slowly return to the comfortable darkness that was there before we imagined your special place.
Taking a long and deep breath,
You gently open your eyes.
Bring this calm and relaxation with you throughout the rest of your day.
Anytime you want to go back to your special beach and ocean,
Just come back to this practice.
It will always be waiting for you.
From my heart to yours,
With all my love and gratitude.
Namaste.
