Welcome to today's visualization meditation practice where we're going to be moving through emotions.
Emotions are just part of being human,
But I know from experience that they can also be painful.
And part of the reason they're painful is that we label them as good or bad.
And so today I want to just offer and suggest the idea that we can just let emotions be emotions.
Whatever you're feeling today is valid and good and I appreciate you being here.
And I just want to acknowledge and appreciate you for showing up today.
So let's start with a couple of big deep breaths.
Breathing in,
Really filling up the lungs as much as you can,
And then letting it all go.
And as you exhale,
Really imagine deflating that balloon,
Deflating your lungs,
Pushing all of the air out into the world.
Let's breathe in again together.
And let it all go.
We'll do one more just like this,
Really allowing our body to calm down.
Breathing in and letting it all go.
And then before we get into our visualization practice,
I want you to just move or stretch your body in any way that feels good.
I always think it's helpful to move the body before we try and quiet the mind.
So whatever stretch you need to take today,
Whatever way you want to get comfortable,
We're going to start doing that now.
And now once you're in a comfortable seat or maybe you're laying down,
Just think about getting one percent more comfortable.
Relaxing into this moment,
Allowing your body to find that one percent more comfortable.
Breathing in one last time and letting it all go.
And now we're going to start with a body scan,
Almost like an X-ray taking stock of everything that's coming up for you.
Noticing what feels comfortable,
What feels uncomfortable,
Any tension in your body.
We're going to start at the tip top of the head and move down through the brain and behind your eyes,
Just noticing what's coming up for you.
Moving down to your sinuses and near your ears and into your jaw,
Into your chin.
Moving down through the neck now,
Just noticing what's coming up for you and into your shoulders.
To your upper arms and into your elbows,
To your lower arms and to your hands.
Now just notice what's coming up for you in your chest,
In your upper back,
Through your belly and your lower back.
Into your hips and into your upper legs,
Into your knees,
Into your lower legs,
Into your feet.
Just notice where there might be tension,
Where you might feel most comfortable,
Where there might be space.
Notice any tension in your body right now.
And I want you to imagine your toes in the sand as if there's a beautiful ocean in front of you.
Just imagine and really ground into that moment of having your feet on warm sand and looking out onto a calm ocean.
And as you ground in here,
Breathe in the smell of the ocean.
Feel the wind against your body,
Feel the sun shining down on your skin,
Warming you up.
Feel the sand in between your toes and start to take a few steps forward toward the ocean.
Feel the cool water up against your feet and continue to walk into the ocean.
Continue to take deep breaths as we move into the ocean.
And once you're about in past your stomach,
See that there are waves coming your way.
Maybe they start as big waves and you see them and allow whatever emotion you're feeling to come up and bubble up to the surface.
Whether it's anxiety or sadness or fear or doubt,
Whether you're feeling the criticism,
Whatever it is today,
Just see that wave coming towards you as that emotion and know that you are safe as you take a big deep breath in and dive underneath that wave,
Allowing whatever's coming up for you to show up right now.
Come up on the other side of that wave and just know that you are safe and held by the ocean.
Notice now that another wave is approaching and see this as your emotion coming up again.
Allow it to be there.
Allow whatever's happening in your body to happen.
Feel that emotion as the wave comes up to you.
Dive underneath it and breathe out.
Let it all go.
Notice that the waves are starting to get farther and farther apart now as you continue to feel the emotion as they show up.
So as this next wave comes upon you,
Take a big deep breath in and dive under the wave,
Feeling that emotion,
That anxiety,
That discomfort,
Whatever is showing up for you today.
Allowing it to be there.
And rise again,
Seeing another wave coming your way.
And take that big deep breath in and dive underneath the wave.
Notice now that the waves seem to be subsiding,
Getting smaller.
Here comes another one.
Breathing in and diving.
Honoring everything that's coming up for you right now,
Whatever emotion you're feeling,
Whatever is coming up for you in your life.
Allow it to be there.
As another wave comes,
Even smaller now.
So you breathe in and dive underneath the wave.
There are just a few more waves coming and they keep getting smaller and smaller.
Allow whatever is coming up for you to come up as we breathe again in and dive underneath that wave.
And as this last small tiny wave approaches,
Continue to breathe in and dive underneath that wave.
Honoring everything that's coming up for you.
Honoring that emotion right now.
And now in a calm,
Warm ocean,
Lie back in the water,
Allowing the salt water to support you and making it so easy to float.
Lie back now and just relax into the warm ocean.
The sun pouring down on you from above.
Feeling held and supported and loved.
Spend as long as you want to here.
Just relaxing and feeling the warmth of the ocean beneath you,
Supporting you,
And the sun shining down on you from above.
And now let's do one final body scan,
Starting at the tip top of your head,
Noticing now how your body feels after doing this visualization meditation.
So scanning down through your brain and behind your eyes,
Into your sinuses,
Behind your ears,
Into your jaw,
Into your chin,
Into your neck,
And into your shoulders.
Noticing any tension or space in your upper arms,
In your elbows,
In your lower arms.
Feeling your hands,
Noticing what's coming up for you in your chest and in your upper back.
Moving into your belly and your lower back.
Into your hips,
Into your upper legs.
Seeing what's coming up for you in your knees,
In your lower legs,
And in your feet.
Just taking stock of how your body's doing right now.
And if you're still feeling a lot of emotion or feel like there are more waves to be felt,
Feel free to rewind and redo this visualization meditation.
Do it as many times as you feel good,
Or that feels good to you.
And know that you can always find the supportive,
Warm,
Expansive ocean whenever you need it.
Whether you need to dive through the waves of emotion,
Or whether you want to just relax and lay back in the warm,
Wonderful ocean with the sun shining down.
Now it's always available to you.
Any emotion you're feeling is valid and beautiful in this moment.
Just allowing ourselves to be there with those emotions that make all the difference.
Thank you for joining me today,
And I'll talk to you soon.
