A Restful Meditation For A Weary Traveller

Good evening.

My name is Bill Larson.

Recently I was talking with a friend of mine whose significant other travels for a living,

Driving the long roads as a truck driver.

I realized at that moment that at one point or another,

Through work or circumstance,

All of us may not find ourselves in the ideal place to find relaxation or a restful sleep.

So tonight I want to focus on focusing our energies to build our own inner sanctuaries,

Making wherever we have to rest our space in which to lift the weight of the day and set it aside so that we can find and restore ourselves to a state of peacefulness and harmony.

With that in mind,

Let us begin.

No matter where you are,

Find yourself a quiet place to sit or recline.

Turn off your phone and dim your lights to the best of your ability.

This is your time,

A time for total relaxation and inner stillness.

Take a moment to make sure that you are warm enough and that you are seated or reclined comfortably.

Rest your hands loosely on your lap or to your sides and close your eyes.

Take a long,

Slow,

Deep breath in,

Hold it for a moment,

And then slowly exhale,

Allowing any tension to melt away as you gradually relax more and more with each breath.

Take another long,

Slow,

Deep breath in,

Hold it,

And then exhale.

Empty your lungs completely with your out breaths.

Take a third deep breath in,

Taking your time,

Holding it for a moment,

And then letting it go.

Already,

You are beginning to drift into a state of deep relaxation.

Continue to breathe slowly and gently as you bring your awareness to the top of your head.

Sense or imagine a feeling of relaxation beginning to spread down from the top of your scalp.

Let the muscles in your forehead and temples relax.

Allow your eye muscles to release.

Let your cheeks and jaws soften and let go of all the tension in your head.

Good.

Now,

Let this peaceful feeling flow down into your neck,

Loosening every muscle and every fiber.

With each breath you take,

This relaxing feeling becomes deeper and warmer,

Working its way deep into the muscles in your shoulders,

Soothing them,

Releasing the tension built up in them,

Letting it go.

This peaceful feeling flows down from your shoulders and into your arms,

Loosening the muscles in your upper arms,

Your forearms,

Your hands,

Relaxing and soothing all the way to the tips of your fingers.

As your body relaxes,

Your mind relaxes and your thoughts become lighter.

You are slipping further and further into a dreamlike state of stillness and relaxation.

This is your time.

This is your sanctuary.

Now,

Bring your awareness to your chest and to your stomach.

Feel how this area of your body gently rises and falls as you breathe.

The peaceful sensation flows throughout this area of your body,

Soothing every muscle and relaxing every organ.

Turn your attention now to your upper back and feel this relaxing sensation flow all the way down your spine.

As it gradually works its way down your body,

Feel every muscle in your back relax and unwind.

Feel that your entire upper body has become loose and relaxed.

Now feel your hips relax as the peaceful feeling starts to work its way through your lower body.

Relax the backs of your thighs,

The front of your thighs.

Feel all these large strong muscle groups become looser and more relaxed with each passing moment.

Soothing feelings of relaxation flow down through your knees and into your calves,

Your ankles,

And into your feet.

Allow your entire lower body to relax completely and allow any remaining tension from anywhere in your body to flow out through the tips of your toes.

Good.

You are now comfortable,

At peace,

And relaxed.

Now that you are relaxed,

It is time to leave the external world behind and go on an inner journey,

A journey to a place of deep inner stillness.

Picture yourself walking down a busy city street full of shops and businesses.

You can see crowds of people hurrying from one place to another.

Cars and buses line the roads,

Crawling through the city,

Bumper to bumper.

Up ahead,

Next to the sidewalk,

You notice a narrow doorway between two buildings,

A small opening that looks like a cozy retreat from the hustle and bustle of the world around you.

You walk towards that doorway,

Slipping easily through the crowds.

You arrive at the doorway and you step inside its narrow entrance.

The entrance is dimly lit.

It is warm and inviting,

Sheltering you from the outside world.

You take a few steps deeper inside the entrance and arrive at the top of a flight of ten stairs.

You slowly make your way down the steps and as you do,

The sounds of the city begin to fade away.

With each step you take,

You feel yourself moving away from the noise of the world and down into a place of deep quiet.

As you gradually descend the ten steps,

You sink deeper and deeper into a state of peaceful relaxation.

Ten,

Nine,

Eight,

Seven,

Six,

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

You have reached the bottom of the staircase.

You are feeling calm and deeply relaxed.

You can barely hear the sound of the street above you now.

It is very far away.

Before you is a tall wooden door with no handle with which to open it.

As you study the door more closely,

You notice that the word release has been carved into its surface.

Contemplate this word,

Release.

Feel the essence of it.

Slowly you begin to feel a sensation of opening,

Of letting go,

Of releasing,

And the door unlocks.

Its old hinge is creaking as it slowly opens to reveal a small round room.

This room is a library filled with bookshelves and at the top a beautiful domed ceiling.

You step inside the room and slowly the door closes behind you.

This room is a private place,

Secluded,

Warm,

And inviting.

It is very,

Very quiet and peaceful.

You feel content and secure in this place.

In the center of the room sits a wooden desk and on the desk lies a large old dust covered book.

You pick up the book and feel the weight of it in your hands.

You feel a sense of wonder as you behold this grand old book.

It has rested in this place for a long,

Long time,

Waiting for you since long before you were born.

You open the cover and you notice that all the pages are blank.

This is a book of freedom.

This book has the power to free you from anything in your life that might be bothering you or weighing you down.

Now it is time for you to write in the book.

Take a moment to think about anything that is troubling you in your life.

Bring to mind any situation or place or thing that might be blocking you,

Any forthcoming event that frightens you,

Any person with whom you are in conflict,

And any negative feelings you are holding on to.

Write about anything at all that you feel is holding you back or that burdens you and know that there is no right or wrong way to do your writing.

Simply feel or imagine your thoughts and feelings being imprinted into this book.

Take your time.

Allow images to form in your mind and allow your feelings to flow.

Let them flow out and onto the pages of the book.

Sense that the pages are filling up with all your worldly concerns.

The book is easily absorbing them all from you,

Lightening your load.

As the pages fill with words and pictures,

You begin to feel lighter and more positive.

You have been heard.

You have been understood.

You feel reassured and relieved.

And only when you are ready,

Close the book.

Now,

The domed roof above you begins to open.

Slowly but surely,

It opens completely,

Revealing the clear blue sky above.

As you stand observing the sky above,

You gently raise your forearms and hands with your palms facing away from you.

And as you do,

Your body begins to float and your feet lift off the floor.

A wave of exhilaration flows through you as you realize that you have the freedom to fly anywhere you choose.

As you raise your hands,

You float higher.

When you lower them,

You gently and safely descend.

With effortless ease,

You begin to flow towards the open roof above you,

Gliding up and out of the room,

Slowly up into the sky.

You feel a wondrous sense of freedom as you fly higher and higher into the sky.

You can see the entire city below you as it is gradually becoming smaller and smaller.

You are leaving the world behind,

Floating high up into the heavens.

Higher and higher you fly,

Passing beyond the clouds,

Feeling even more joyful and even more free.

Imagine flying right out into the cosmos,

Leaving all your concerns far behind you.

With your arms raised,

You ascend higher and higher,

Traveling beyond the skies and out into space.

You turn to look back on the earth.

It is a small blue and green sphere floating in a vast emptiness.

Take a moment to simply drift through space,

Admiring the beauty of the stars and our planet far below.

You are weightless,

Serene,

And at peace.

This floating sensation is profoundly relaxing,

And you slip even deeper into a state of complete stillness,

Feeling as though you are a million miles from anything or anyone,

And yet you feel connected to the entire universe.

You feel vast,

Weightless,

Timeless.

From deep within the silent space inside you,

A voice is heard.

Its loving words echo in your mind.

I am eternal.

I am free to experience life in any way I choose.

My consciousness is not bound by space or time.

Like the universe itself,

I am limitless.

I am part of a vast,

Unified wholeness.

I am free from all concerns about the past.

I am free from all concerns about the future.

My life is in perfect order.

I do not strive to attain the things that I desire.

I simply allow them to flow to me.

I am calm in the knowledge that all my needs are taken care of.

I am open to all life's experiences.

As the moments of my life come and go,

I am at peace.

I do not judge these moments.

I welcome them.

I observe them,

And I accept them all.

If problems arise,

I do not resist them.

I observe them with a calm,

Open mind,

For I know they will resolve in time.

I have all the time in the world.

In the quiet spaces between my thoughts,

Inspiration comes to me.

All becomes clear.

My life transforms in magical and unexpected ways.

Obstacles that once seemed impassable now seem insignificant.

I rise effortlessly above all challenges to a place of serenity and knowing.

My path forward is becoming clearer and clearer.

Every day,

In every way,

My life becomes more and more harmonious.

I trust in the natural flow of life.

I resist nothing.

I yearn for nothing.

I gratefully receive all that comes my way.

My consciousness is not bound by space or time.

Like the universe itself,

I am limitless.

I am a part of a vast,

Unified wholeness.

I am free.

Now,

It is time to return home,

To return to your wonderful life on Earth.

Take one last look around you,

At the infinite,

Glorious expanse of space.

Know that you can return here at any time you choose,

Any time you need or seek clarity,

Any time you wish to free yourself from your worldly life.

Simply raise your open palms to the world and imagine floating upwards.

You will be instantly transported to this infinite space of peace and clarity of your own making.

You gently lower your hands and slowly begin to drift back down towards Earth.

Gradually,

The planet grows larger and larger.

You pass into the upper atmosphere and then through wisps of clouds as you gracefully guide yourself back towards the city.

The open roof of the library comes into view and you steer yourself towards it.

You glide down into the library and as your feet come to rest on the floor,

The roof above you begins to slowly close all by itself.

You look up and watch as the opening narrows and then closes completely.

You feel relaxed and refreshed.

You feel lighter and so much stronger than when you first arrived.

The large old book still rests on the desk where you left it.

You pick it up and open it and you notice that all of the pages are empty once again.

During your journey into space,

It has been cleansed.

Only the white paper remains.

You close the book and make your way back towards the door.

The door swings open for you and you step out of the library.

You see the ten steps that lead back up to the city and as you make your way back up the steps,

You feel yourself becoming more and more alert,

Yet more and more refreshed.

One,

Two,

Slowly walking,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Becoming more and more alert,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

You are nearly back now.

Nine,

Ten.

You now stand in the open doorway looking out onto a quiet city street.

You are feeling clear and calm and most of all at peace with the world.

You notice that all the traffic has disappeared,

That all the pedestrians have disappeared,

And as you step out of the doorway,

You see that all of the streets are empty and quiet.

You can now stroll freely and confidently to any place you choose and you feel wonderful.

You are now ready to enjoy a peaceful and restful night's sleep and as you drift off to sleep,

Embrace this sense of newfound freedom and take it with you into your daily life.

Good night.