Special Place Meditation

Find somewhere comfortable where your body can feel supported. Whether it be sitting in a chair, lying on a bed, or just lying on the floor somewhere, you won't be disturbed. It's important that you don't drive, cook, or use any machinery whilst practicing at this special place.

Visualization

Turn off or disconnect phones and tell your family members or others that you live with that you're going to take time to relax and ask them not to disturb you. Once you're in your quiet place and have this time set aside, make yourself comfortable. Ensuring your arms and legs are uncrossed and supported. Sitting either erect in your chair, with your head supported on your shoulders, or that your head is comfortably supported by the chair, bed or floor.

You might choose to close your eyes, or simply look slightly downwards and let your eyes become unfocused. Now just notice your breathing. Take several normal slow breaths and notice what that feels like. As thoughts and sounds and to your awareness, you can just notice them and let them pass without responding to them. Just let them come and let them go. That's okay.

Imagining Your Special Place

I would like you to bring to your mind's eye an outdoor place that you have positive feelings about. It might be an actual place that you visited or somewhere that you have seen a picture of. Or maybe just a place that you can just imagine. This place helps you feel comfortable, peaceful, relaxed, and secure. It could be more helpful to imagine yourself alone in this place rather than with anyone else.

Just spend some time now developing this image in your mind's eye. Look around you in this special place, noticing what you see. What colors do you see? What shapes and outlines are there? What do you notice about light and shadows? Textures. Movement. Build the image in your mind's eye, noticing more and more detail as you look around. What else do you see? Perhaps make the colours bolder, the outlines and shapes clearer and better defined. Notice what's moving and what is still. How the light is changing. What else do you notice in this?

Noticing Sounds

Your special place. And now focus on the sounds in this peaceful place. What do you hear? Perhaps sounds near you. And those farther away sounds that are soft or quiet, and those that are louder or clearer.

Engaging with Textures

Whatever you are doing in this special place. Bring your attention now to the textures of this place, of what you can see, of what you can reach out and touch the textures around you and of whatever is supporting you beneath you. Notice the temperature in this place. Perhaps noticing the temperature on your skin and in the air around you as you breathe in the air of this special place. What pleasant sensations do you notice in your body right now? And where in your body do you notice them?

Sensing Details

And as you look around in this place, noticing what you see, what you hear. What else do you see? What else do you hear? Perhaps noticing the smells of this special place. Smells of things close around. Perhaps smells being carried on the breeze. And as you focus on that scene in your mind's eye right now, just notice the positive emotions. That you're experiencing. Do you notice anything else?

Choosing a Cue Word or Phrase

Now just take a little time to enjoy this place and the relaxing, comfortable, pleasing feelings that it brings. And now you might find it helpful to think of a single word or a phrase that fits this special, peaceful place. Something that'll help you to remember it, to help you bring it up at any time you want or need to. Into your mind's eye. Just think now of a title or a keyword or phrase for this place. But as you focus on that image and all that, you can see and hear and smell and feel in this special place. Just repeat to yourself your cue, word or phrase, the name of this place, and then notice the pleasant feelings and sensations.

Reconnecting with the Special Place

And now, perhaps you can allow yourself to be a little distracted and perhaps think about a minor disturbance or problem that's been or is a concern. And notice those feelings that come up. And now, once more, bring into your mind's eye using your cue word or phrase, your special peaceful place. And as you use your word or phrase, bring up that picture. Notice what you can see, what you can hear. What you can feel in your body. What you can smell. Just noticing what you notice in this special peaceful place.

Enjoying Peacefulness Anytime

And you can know that you can enjoy these pleasing sensations of peacefulness, calm, relaxation, and contentment any time you want or need to. Just by using your Q word or phrase and then thinking about what you can see, hear, smell. Sense in this special place. You can choose to spend as much or as little time here as you need to in this your special place. When no one can intrude, where you can be safe and relaxed. Where you can just be peaceful, healthy, strong, calm. Or maybe this special place can be somewhere where you can just come to work through a problem without distractions.

Returning to the Present

And whenever you are ready. You can bring your attention back to the room to where you are. Notice the chair or the bed supporting you, noticing and becoming more aware of your surroundings. Whenever you're ready, you can open your eyes and slowly look around the room, seeing what you see. Hearing what you hear and just noticing what you notice. Becoming more and more alert, but keeping some of those feelings of relaxation while your body responds. Feeling more energized and refreshed and calm.