Begin this meditation by making yourself comfortable.
Sitting up or lying down.
Start where your hands and feet may like to be.
Allow your eyes to gently close.
Take a few slow,
Deep breaths.
As you begin to land,
Allow any waves of thought,
Emotion or physical sensation to just be.
Resting in the embrace of your breath.
Imagine yourself walking down the path into a lush forest.
As you walk along the path,
Take time to fully immerse in the sights,
Smells,
Sounds and feel of the place.
You observe the trees around you.
The grass,
Ferns,
Branches and leaves.
You breathe in the perfume of the flowers as you pass by their coloured petals.
You smell the rich dampness of the forest floor.
The smell of new growth.
What do you hear?
Perhaps the soothing sounds of birds chirping.
The hum of insects.
And the leaves on the trees shift and sway in the gentle breeze.
The air is cool but comfortable.
Through the gaps in the trees,
You see the sun and the cloudless blue sky.
The sun dispersed through the canopy of the trees and filters down onto the forest floor.
Creating intricate patterns of light and shadow.
With each breath you take,
In this place you feel a deep sense of peace and relaxation.
As you continue to walk through the forest,
You begin to climb up a slight incline.
You easily thread along smooth rocks on the path.
Looking at one with nature.
The breeze continues to blow through the treetops.
But you are sheltered on the path and the air around you is calm.
Around you is an immense array of greens.
Some leaves on the trees are a delicate light green.
Some leaves are deep,
Dark,
True forest green.
Tall trees grow on either side of the path.
And the variety of trees around you.
Enjoy the different colours of the bark on trees.
You admire the rough brown bug of pine trees and enjoy the fresh pine scent.
Smell the forest around you once again.
The air is fresh and filled with the scent of trees,
Soil and mountain streams.
You can hear the sound of water faintly in the distance.
The gentle bubbling sound of a creek.
As you continue to walk through the forest,
You are gaining elevation and getting closer to the sound of a running stream.
As you are near the top of the mountain,
You hear the stream.
The path curves up ahead.
You can see sunlight streaming onto the path.
As you round the corner,
You hear the water and see a clearing in the trees' upper head.
A beautiful lookout point awaits.
Imagine yourself walking toward the clearing and the stream.
Stepping stones make an easy path across the stream and toward the edge of the mountain.
Step on each flat stone to easily cross the small,
Shallow stream.
Up ahead is a large,
Smooth rock,
Like a chair waiting for you to rest.
Sit or lie down on the rock if you wish.
You feel very comfortable and at ease.
You feel the warm sun and a gentle,
Light breeze through your hair and across your skin.
Looking around,
You see mountains in the distance.
You can look down from a vantage point into a valley with trees and a brilliant,
Blue lake.
The clearing around you is made up of rocks,
Soil,
Pine needles,
Moss,
And grass.
The grass and mountain wildflowers around you blow gently in the breeze.
A deer quietly emerges from the edge of the forest to graze in the clearing.
As the deer raises its head to look at you,
You can see its nostrils moving to catch your scent.
The deer cautiously walks to the stream to drink before disappearing back into the forest.
Squirrels dart in and out of sight as they romp through the trees and race across the clearing.
Feel the sun warming your body as you relax on the rock.
Enjoy the majestic landscape around you and feel your body relaxing even more.
You feel calm,
At peace,
In unity with nature around you.
Enjoy the sights,
Sounds,
And smells of the forest around you.
Feel the sun warm on your skin.
Feel the gentle breeze blow across your cheek.
Listen to the birds singing.
Hear the stream flowing.
The leaves rustling in the breeze.
Squirrels chattering.
See the flowers,
Trees,
Valley,
And mountains around you.
Lay back on the comfortable rock.
Look up to observe the blue sky.
Small white clouds float gently across the sky.
Watch them drift slowly by.
Keeps ever changing.
Enjoy this peaceful place.
Let yourself sink further into relaxation.
When you are ready to leave this peaceful place,
Imagine that you slowly get up and leave the clearing.
As you walk back down the path through the forest,
Fully taking this place and realize that you may return whenever you wish by the same path.
Each time you enter this place,
You feel relaxed and at peace.
As you prepare to transition to your day to day life.
Keep with you the feeling of calm,
Peace,
And relaxation.
Observe the space around you.
Bring your awareness to the support beneath you.
The sounds in this place.
Your sense of smell.
Sense in your body.
Perhaps gently awaken your fingers and your toes.
And if you like,
Take a full deep inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
When you feel ready,
Slowly blink open your eyes and return to full wakefulness.
Feeling alert and refreshed.
