Happy Guru 027 - Visualisation
G’day Gurus and Thanks for joining me today for a special Happy Guru auditory stimulation where I’ll be taking you through a visualisation exercise. This podcast episode is designed so that you can refer back to this audio when you need some time-out for a moment of meditational solitude. This audio is a peaceful visualisation exercise that will assist and guide you through a meditation. I’ll be taking you to a peaceful place in the tropical sun where you can take back control of your breathing and bring calm to your mood. This meditation is designed to be used wherever you need a mood balance rescue - be it at home on the floor or even waiting at the airport in the departure lounge. You can effectively participate in the visualisation by sitting in a relaxing chair or lying flat on the floor or on a bed.
Before we get started - it’s important that you find yourself somewhere comfortable and quiet, somewhere where you won’t be distracted for duration of the exercise. Whether you’re doing this exercise in a chair, lying on a bed or better still, lying flat on a floor - it’s essential that you loosen your clothing and remove any accessories such as watches, necklaces or belts - and it’s a good idea to remove your shoes. Remember that our body temperature starts to lower as we retire into a relaxed state of consciousness - it’s a good idea to have a blanket on standby in case you start to feel a too cool throughout the exercise. Lastly, I recommend you have yourself a big drink of a glass of water before the exercise - preferably water at room temperature.
Ok - Let’s start to move into our peaceful space through this relaxing visualisation. If you are sitting in a chair - make sure your feet are flat on the floor and your legs and knees are relaxed and supported. You can rest your arms on the arm rests or rest your hands in your lap. If you are laying down for the exercise, spread your legs apart at an even and comfortable distance, with your toes pointing up. Have you arms rest by your side with your hands sitting in the most natural position or pose. Make sure your head is supported with a pilliow.
Let’s now start with our meditation. Close your eyes. In your own time, take at least three or four deep breaths of air and as you exhale - allowing your body to feel the release of air. Big deep breaths in through the nose and out again through your mouth. Be aware of the breath and making the breathing cycle slightly slower. Your breath will fall into it’s own relaxed rate as your now start to wind down and relax. You might like to imitate a yawn or perhaps you will naturally yawn anyway, now that you are concentrating on slowing down your breathing and your bringing your conscious state into a relax moment.
We’re going to start out the exercise by imagining that we’re standing in a beautiful patch of rain-forest - this lush rain-forest runs along a beautiful stretch of tropical sandy beach. We’ve been walking through the rain-forest in the direction of the beach - the last bit of forest track that will eventually lead us out onto the sandy shores of the beach. But before we leave the rain-forest, we stop and stand to look above us and take in the lush greens and immense canopies of the tall and old rain-forest trees. We can see the strong sunlight beams streaming through breaks in the trees foliage - like rays of glistening energy and life-force. We can hear exotic birds and sounds that soothe our soul with a reassurance that nature is abounding. The smell of the air is crisp, clean, fresh and alive with wonderful exotic smells. The birds are singing so happily and chattering to the other birds in the forest. You take in a few deep breaths to smell the abundant rain-forest aromas. Satisfied that you have taken a moment to stop and sense the last bit of the rain-forest before you walk out onto the beach - you start to walk slowly again, coming towards the end of the track that leads you out of the rain-forest and onto the white sand of the beach. You can see the sand of the beach appearing in your view and you start to notice the pristine foreshore and the incredible whiteness of the sand. You’re quietly hoping that no-one will be on the beach today - so you can
be alone on this patch of paradise for this personal moment of reflection in your day. As you emerge from the last bit of rain-forest foliage where the track now meets the sand, you stop and stand still on the slightly higher patch of sand dune to marvel at the incredible view - the brilliant mixes of jade green and iridescent blue waters of the ocean foreshore - where the water level is met at various points by long, winding & odd shaped flat sand bars - a few of the sand bars have some sea gulls and pelicans on them, just enjoying the sun. You look up and down the beach and see that no-one is in sight - your so pleased because the beach is all yours to enjoy. There’s not a soul to be found. You feel blessed that this magnificent patch of paradise is all yours to enjoy for this very special day.
You now start to leave the forest edge & walk towards to the water’s edge - where you start to hear the soft rolling sounds of the ocean waves. The sand is hot here because you’re not at the water just yet. You walk as far as the small waves where you kick off your sandals and let your feet feel the cool washes of the water on your ankles. The waves are so small. They roll in like delicate brushes of energy. You can smell the ocean’s salty breezes and the smells of the sea life that carries with it. You can smell dried cuttlefish shells and sweet smelling ocean aromas that remind you of holidays with your family and friends - happy days are remembered, from your childhood. For a moment you even hear memories in your head - memories of laughter and children playing - but these are only memories - there’s no-one in sight. The memories give you a feeling of happiness and peace about how life is so wonderful by the sea. You leave your towel next to your sandals on the dry sand so you can walk freely - you start to walk along the beach with the rain-forest on your right hand side. The ocean is on your left. You walk on the water’s edge so as to catch the small waves of water on your feet. The sandy shore is flat and even and the sand is nice and firmly packed - allowing you to walk with ease and not sinking into the wet sand. You can even hear your footsteps making a sharp & wet squelching sound as you walk. You can see tiny beach crabs scatter from their sand holes - from one hole to another - and to the water. You now notice the sun is directly in front of you - high in the sky - you tilt your head slightly upwards to feel the warm energy and light all over your face. It feels like the sun is there for you - and for no one else. The feeling brings a small smile to your face and you suddenly feel so happy and content in your heart. Nothing in the world is bothering you now - you have the blessing of the most gorgeous day from mother nature on your side. For a moment as you walk, you start to swing your arms together, back and forth - as if to make a conscious decision to swing out any tense energies or heavy thoughts - swinging bad or heavy or negative energies out of you - and releasing them to the air to leave them behind. You shake your hands and your fingers. You notice how wonderful it feels to shake the tension and stress out of your body so you stop walking and decide to face the water and do some stretches. You bend at the hips to whoosh your arms from front to back and you stretch up as high as you can to stretch out your whole body. As you stretch out nice and tall - your make funny faces by making stretching expressions and crunches with the skin on your face. The skin tingles and feels good. You stretch your body more and feel the sun’s energy move into every pore of your body’s muscles and you let out a big stress releasing yawn. You swing at the hips and let you arms swing around your body freely - flapping against your body as you reach each swinging turn of the hips. You tilt your head from one side to another and back again - you even hear some small cracks in your neck and although the sound startles you slightly - you feel so much more relaxed in your head & neck area having done the neck tilts. Your neck feels looser and less tense. You are feeling so relaxed and more loose in your whole body. The sea breeze carries to the palm trees behind you where you hear the sounds of their big leaves swaying with the energy that blows onshore - the breeze keeps your face cool and the sun continues to energise your whole body.
You notice the sand bars again and one in particular comes right to the shore just before where you are standing. The water level is just shy of the sand and the sand bar meets the shore - as if it’s an invitation for you to walk out onto the sand bar. The water either side is shallow and green - glistening with sparkles of silver shimmers. You decide to walk out onto the sand bar and stop in the middle of your new found sandy island patch - where you’re now surrounded by water in nearly all directions. The sand is clean and firm so you decide to lie down and stretch out your arms and legs into a star shape. Your arms and legs are stretched out as much as possible in an effort to capture all the energy from the sun. You see some clouds and make some shapes out of their form. You see a dog or a cat shaped cloud and you see other objects that are strangely familiar to you. It reminds you of when you were young and you took the time to look at the clouds and how you would see so many things in the formation of the cloud. The small patch of clouds move so slowly across the sky above you - and their shapes alter into new objects as the glide across the bright blue sky. Some edges of the clouds cast a shadow over your face for just a couple of seconds at a time. You turn your attention to your sandy palms and the sand under your finger nails and you close your eyes as you flick the tips of your fingers as if to try and remove the sand from beneath the nails. Your close your eyes because the sun is bright - your body is calm - you feel safe, warm and so incredibly relaxed. You have thoughts about feeling blessed to be the person who you are and how wonderful life really is. You think that despite the troubles you had in your mind before you started your walk today - you now feel like you’re one of the luckiest people alive. You’re in a patch of paradise that for this moment in time - you own and can enjoy - all to yourself. You feel safe, warm, loved & happy - all is at peace in your world. As you lie there on the warm sand with the sea breezes brushing over your face - you notice your breathing has slowed down and that your breaths are now shallow and less frequent. Your whole body is safe, warm, loved & happy. Your mind is calm. You’re at peace.
My guided voice instructions to your visualisation will stop in a moment to allow you to enjoy your moment in the sun. But before so, please take a moment to give yourself permission to be free of any troubling thoughts that have been bothering you. If there is something in particular in your life that you need to find a solution for and up until now no solution has been found - rest for now in the belief that time takes care of everything and that you will soon know all the answers to these questions. If you have been feeling pain in relation to a troubling life circumstance - allow yourself to feel the pain and sorrow by giving permission to yourself to know that it’s ok to feel such a way and that you will soon be with a much better understanding of the matter. Allow yourself now to not have to worry about life and your problems - allow yourself to relax & think about nothing but the nature that surrounds you in your beautiful patch of tropical beach paradise.
You will be welcomed back to your normal day from this visualisation exercise when you will start to hear a ritual drumming beat from the distance from behind the trees. The drum beat will be your awakening. For now - enjoy the sea breezes and sun - you feel safe, warm, loved & happy. Your mind is calm - You feel safe, warm, loved & happy.
We now start to think about sitting up to see where the drum beats are coming from. So we lift our body with one elbow and support ourselves with our hands behind us holding us upright. We stretch and yawn into the sunlight and adjust our eyes and view of the horizon. We turn slightly to look back up the beach from where we came and we can see our partner or our best friend walking down the beach waving with your towels and they have a big smile. They’re so happy to see you - although they’re a fair way down the beach - they’re slowing walking towards you. You can now stand and walk to the water and lie in the cool shallows to cool down. By the time you have finished enjoying the shallow water next to your sand bar - your friend appears standing by your side. You’re so relaxed now and happy to see them - so you get to your feet and you embrace each other in a big warm and embracing hug. No words are spoken, you simply hug and enjoy the moment.
That brings us to the end of the visualisation exercise. Hopefully you are more relaxed and peaceful and with a renewed outlook in your day. Thanks for taking part in this visualisation with me and I hope you with refer back to this audio session when you are in need of a moment of meditation or solitude. Bye for now.
