So there are three steps to have this process work.
The very first step is to focus in on your breathing and on your breath.
And there's not really a right way or a wrong way to do this.
Just give yourself permission to slow down with your breathing and breath.
Allowing your breath to flow in and out of your body slowly and easily.
And as you connect with your breath and your breathing,
When you're ready,
I'd invite you to close your eyes.
And to start into the second step in the process,
Which is the process of relaxing your body.
Draw your attention up to your eyes and imagine your eyes relaxing.
There are muscles that sit behind the eyeball and just imagine the muscles behind the eyes releasing and relaxing and unwinding.
Behind the eye,
There's a nerve that goes down deep into the center of the brain.
And just imagine that nerve relaxing all the way down deep inside the brain.
Now draw your awareness into your jaw and the muscles of your jaw and allow your jaw to relax.
It may even be comfortable to allow your jaw to open ever so slightly.
And a little bit more.
A little bit more.
Now allow your shoulders to drop or to open up and relax.
And then every muscle,
Every nerve,
Every tendon,
From the shoulders down to the fingertips.
Relaxing,
Unwinding,
Letting go.
That's right.
Invite your chest to relax.
The muscles of the tummy,
The abdomen.
Relaxing.
Letting go.
Relaxing the hips.
Now inviting the spine to relax from the neck all the way down,
Down to the tip of the tailbone.
Slowly and totally.
Relaxing.
Now send a wave of relaxation all the way down the right leg,
All the way down to the toes.
And then send another wave of relaxation down the left leg,
All the way down to the toes.
Every muscle,
Every nerve,
Every cell of the body,
Completely and totally relaxed.
So let's review the first two steps and then we'll move into the third.
The first step is to relax the breath and as you slow your breathing down,
Inviting your body to rest,
Relax,
And to become still.
The next step is to systematically relax the body.
I wonder if it's possible to even deepen the physical relaxation that's in your body now.
The third step is to use your imagination to think of a relaxing place.
And before you select a place,
Everybody relaxes in a little different way.
Some people might like to relax in a quiet room with the lights off.
Other people might like to spend time on the beach and others might like to spend time in the mountains.
There's no right response.
Just find a place in your mind that represents stillness and peace and quiet.
And now begin to think about that place.
What does that place look like?
What do you see in that place?
What are the colors and the shapes that help you find peace and stillness?
What are the sounds?
The sounds that help you get quiet and still inside.
And the feelings.
There's that kind of feeling when you really let go.
Notice where that starts in your body as you think about that now.
Allow that feeling to grow and to spread.
Growing larger and larger as you feel more and more calm and still and relaxed.
And now let's do a quick review of the three steps that you're learning here.
Three easy steps to find peace.
First is to focus in on your breath.
Second is to relax the body.
And third is to imagine with the five senses a place of calm,
Stillness,
Quiet,
Relaxation,
Or peace.
Take the time that you need here.
And when you're ready,
Start to bring your awareness and focus back into the present moment.
Back into the now.
You might start by wiggling your fingers or toes.
You might move your body a little bit just to stretch or get comfortable.
You might blink your eyes a couple of times as you open up your eyes and then just allow yourself to come fully back to the present.
Your attention is fully on your outside surroundings,
But bring this sense of peace and stillness with you.
Knowing that wherever you go today,
Whatever you do,
That you can be totally still,
Totally calm,
And totally quiet.
And anytime you want another little dose of this quiet and stillness in your life,
You can simply remember it's as easy as one,
Two,
Three.
Breath,
Relaxation,
And peaceful place.
So go ahead,
Eyes fully open,
Fully aware,
And fully tuned in to your surroundings.
