Welcome and thank you for being here.
My name is Kristine and I'll be guiding you through this meditation.
This meditation is a part of a short series designed to support your well-being,
Balance the nervous system and help release stress and tension through conscious breathing and embodied awareness.
There is nothing you need to achieve.
Simply allow yourself to arrive.
Let's begin.
Begin by finding a comfortable position.
You may lie down on your back,
Allowing the body to be fully supported to the ground or choose to sit upright in a way that feels supported and relaxed.
As the body enters a state of deep relaxation the body temperature often drops slightly which is why it can be helpful to cover yourself with a blanket or put on an extra layer of clothing.
Just find the best position right now.
You may wiggle around just to find complete stillness and comfort for your body.
Let your eyes close softly.
Take a deep breath in,
Inhale a bit more,
Little more and relax the jaw and sigh it out.
Take a moment to notice the contact between your body and the surface beneath you.
The feeling of being held.
How the earth supports you.
Allow the weight of your body to settle.
Now gently bring your awareness through the body.
Starting at the third eye,
The place between your eyebrows.
Relax the forehead,
The eyes,
The jaw,
Shoulders release.
Feel the arms resting,
Heavy and relaxed.
Soften hands and fingers.
Bring awareness to the chest and the belly.
Notice the natural movement of the breath.
Let your hips soften.
The legs grow heavy.
Feel the feet resting supported.
Now bring your attention to the breath.
There is no need to change it.
Simply observe how it moves in and out of the body.
A soft and subtle rhythm.
Notice the natural flow of your breathing.
The gentle expansion on the inhale and the soft release on the exhale.
The gentle expansion on the inhale and the soft release on the exhale.
Just notice this for a few rounds.
Now imagine yourself in nature.
Imagine yourself either walking around,
Just taking it all in or lying down in nature.
Perhaps it's a forest,
A meadow or another place that you feel drawn to.
Visualize the place where you are.
The ground beneath you.
The sky above you.
The sounds around you.
Just listen for a while.
Maybe you can take in all those sounds of nature.
The wind touching your skin.
You don't need to see everything clearly.
Simply sense the atmosphere and how this is a place where you feel safe.
Notice the air around you.
It's temperature,
It's quality,
Still or moving.
As you inhale,
Imagine breathing in the fresh,
Living and soothing air of nature.
As you exhale,
Allow the body to release any held tension.
Stay here a while and just breathe in nature,
Connecting.
For each breath that you take in this special place in nature,
You feel more relaxed,
More alive.
Spending time in nature has been shown to reduce stress,
Lower blood pressure and improve mood and mental clarity.
Even brief exposure to natural environments can help calm the nervous system and support overall well-being.
Research also suggests that simply visualizing nature,
Imagining forests,
Meadows,
Rivers or mountains can have similar effects,
Helping the body to relax,
The mind settle and energy feel more balanced.
By engaging the senses in your imagination,
You can experience a grounding and restorative qualities of nature wherever you are.
Now let your awareness travel through the body once more.
Notice sensations,
Warmth,
Coolness,
Tingling awareness or stillness.
If the mind wanders,
Gently guide it back to the sensation of the breath.
Just rest here for a while and I'll pick you up in a moment.
Begin to sense a quiet rhythm within you,
Like the rhythm of wind in trees or waves moving gently through tall grass.
Allow your breathing to follow this natural rhythm,
Unforced,
Spacious,
Alive.
Notice any sense of lightness in the body,
A feeling of space,
Of freedom,
Supported in nature.
There is nothing to hold on to,
Nothing to resist.
Rest here for a while,
Deeply rooted,
Connected to nature,
Breath and body.
Gently bring awareness back to your whole body.
Maybe start to move your fingers and toes,
Hands and feet.
Take a deep breath in and sigh it out.
One more deep breath in and sigh it out.
Thank you for taking this time for yourself.
May this practice support you in both everyday moments and in more challenging times.
You're always welcome to return to the breath,
The body and this sense of presence.
Thank you for practicing with me.
I wish you stability and peace.
