Hi everyone,
Mary Sturgill here.
Today's meditation is a meditation I call Peaceful Place.
This meditation will take you on a journey and help you create a safe place in your mind that whenever you're feeling anxiety or maybe you just need to relax a little bit or maybe you just need to retreat from the world,
You can turn this meditation on,
Go to the safe place and relax for about 10 minutes or so.
We will begin by asking you to find a comfortable position.
This may be in Shavasana.
This may be with your legs up the wall or maybe you're sitting in a chair,
Whatever is most comfortable for you.
Then begin by taking a deep inhale and then a deep exhale.
Allow your body to melt into the floor and release any tension that you may still have lingering around in your body.
Take a deep inhale and exhale.
Another deep inhale and exhale.
With each exhale,
I want you to release your body into the floor,
Bringing your awareness to anywhere that feels uncomfortable and adjust yourself so that you are completely comfortable.
Inhale and exhale.
With each exhale,
Just melting into the floor.
I want you to bring your awareness to your eyes.
I want you to squint your eyes closed as tight as you can,
As hard as you can,
And then release and breathe.
Bring your awareness to your jaw and I want you to firm your jaw as hard as you can.
Really firm all of your facial muscles.
You can even squint your eyes again if you want.
Just make everything tight.
Pull it all into the core,
Into the center of the body,
And then release it.
Inhale and exhale.
Releasing your head.
Not feeling any pressure points on the floor.
Just relaxing totally.
Bring your awareness to your shoulders.
Inhale and exhale.
Release your shoulders down to the floor.
I want you to bring your awareness to your arms and your hands and your wrists.
I want you to clench your fists and flex your arm muscles and clench your whole upper body from your shoulders,
Your hands,
Your shoulders,
All the way up.
Hold tight.
Bring everything into the center line of the body and then release.
Inhale and exhale.
Relaxing on the exhale.
Bringing your awareness to your chest and your abdomen.
I want you to inhale and exhale all the air out of your diaphragm and really pull your tummy in.
Pull your ribs in.
Pull everything into your spine and your torso.
Bringing your torso as small and as compact as you can.
Clench as tight as you can and release.
Inhale and exhale.
Melting into the floor.
Inhale and exhale.
Bring your awareness to your hips.
I want you to clench your hips.
Really pull your body into the midline.
Concentrate on just your hips and your buttocks.
Pulling that in.
Create Mula Bandha.
So pulling in your navel,
Your sex organs.
Tight,
Tight,
Tight,
As tight as you can get.
Pulling everything into the midline.
And on your next exhale,
Release.
Inhale and on your exhale,
Relax.
Bring your awareness to your legs.
Firm your legs.
Pull your muscles in toward your skeleton.
Then if you need to tighten your buttocks again,
Create Mula Bandha again,
Go ahead.
Tighten your legs.
Make them strong.
Point your toes if you have to.
Tight,
Tight,
Tight,
Tight,
Tight.
And then on your next exhale,
Release.
With a deep breath,
Releasing your body into the floor.
Want you to bring your awareness to your ankles and your feet.
Clench your toes.
Again,
Pulling all of your feet.
Make your feet as small as you can.
Tight,
Tight,
Tight.
And on your next exhale,
Release.
Deep inhales and deep exhales.
And I want you to bring your awareness to your mind's eye.
You are completely relaxed.
Your body is sinking into the floor.
As your physical body just sinks away.
Bring your awareness to your mind's eye and I want you to envision a path.
And this path can be a paved sidewalk.
It could be a dirt road.
It could be a dirt path through the woods.
Whatever path you envision is your path.
Now I want to envision that there's a gate that is cutting off the public from this path.
But you have access to this gate.
So what does the gate look like?
Is it a wooden gate?
Is it a wrought iron gate?
Is it like a farm gate?
What type of gate is it?
Isn't it one of those automatic gates?
Is it a picket fence gate?
Envision your gate.
And then I want you to watch your hand reach out and open that gate so that you can walk through.
And I want you to close that gate behind you.
Inhale,
Big deep breath and exhale.
And I want you to start walking along the path in your mind's eye.
And I want you to notice your surroundings.
What does it look like?
What does it smell like?
How does the ground feel beneath your feet?
Do you smell honeysuckle?
Is there the smell of a fresh pine tree or a fir tree?
Are there butterflies or birds or other animals?
Is the grass high or is it well kept?
Are you walking through a field or are you walking through a forest?
Whatever you see in your mind's eye,
I want you to create that pleasant,
Safe walk along your path.
Deep inhales and exhales,
Relaxing along your path.
You are completely at ease and you are feeling joy and happiness and contentment as you walk along your path.
And what does the light look like?
Is it sunshine outside or is it a little overcast?
Is the light of the sun casting rays through the tree branches?
How does the ground feel beneath your feet?
And then in your path,
And then as you walk along your path,
You come by a body of water.
Maybe you come to the clearing of the cliff and there's the ocean.
Maybe you walk up to the side of a river or a stream and you can see the pebbles through the clear water.
Or maybe it's a pond or a lake.
I want you to find a nice,
Comfortable place to sit down by that body of water.
This place is your special place.
You can come to it anytime you want.
It is a place that only you know about and no one else can come there.
You are safe.
You are loved and you are strong and prosperous and happy and healthy in this place.
Thank you.
I want you to take a mental picture of what this place looks like.
How does it feel?
How does the air feel?
How does the ground feel beneath you?
What are the smells?
Is it bright?
Is it just pleasant?
What time of day is it?
Make a snapshot in your mind's eye and solidify how this place looks and just be here.
See the Misel.
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