Decompress, Let It Breathe

 

It starts with a breath, as all of these posts do.

A cleansing breath, not forceful, not hurried. A breath into the very centre of your soul.

But your breath is but a visitor, here to energise but not to stay. Do not hold on to your breath too long. But four long, languid seconds, long enough for your breath to make acquaintance with your flesh, your blood, before it's time to move on.

And release it, and hold with your chest empty for another few seconds. But four long, quiet beats, as your physical and mental tension goes out of your mouth and nose.

And by the time you are ready to begin the next breath, you will  have felt some of your body's and mind's tensions gone.

Have you been holding your breath all this time? Don't wait for me. Breathe, for goodness' sake.

Beat of four,

Hold for more

Show your breath

The exit door.

Outward breath

Shed your pain

Time to draw

Your breath again.

And breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

Just like that. Exactly like that.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

The easy repetition gives you a framework to play on, to hang your conscious thoughts on. Count for four, hold for four, leave them there as you explore.

Reach the edge, and leave a worry draped about a pole. Let's leave it there for now.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

And yes, it does feel good to keep up a rhythm like that.

Got more worries and woes to leave behind? They weren't holding you back any. Let's put them somewhere over there for now.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

And you're feeling so much lighter, having left the majority of your burdensome thoughts over there. Let's leave them there for now, too.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

Almost all gone, now, and there's that slipping, and moments of unawareness, like that one, and let's take the last of your conscious processes, and leave them there for now.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

Breathe for four, hold for four, release for four, hold for four.

Just you, and your box breathing. Best to forget those things you have put over there for now, forget who you are, where you are, and anything else except doing this box breathing exercise.

You're decompressing. Let it breathe. That's all.

Now play this music file while you perfect that. This gives you the perfect rhythm, right up to the abrupt ending.

The fun continues. This page will keep you feeling good.

Calm and Stillness - A Meditation

 

Life is all too often stressful, with little time to catch your breath.

Here is an oasis of calm among the turmoil and noise. A place for you to hold space for calm, to settle and centre yourself in defiance of a world of stimuli aimed at knocking you off-balance.

You can begin with a deep breath, to begin the process of letting go of your body's stresses and tensions. These are like symptoms of a cumulative poison, one you have been ingesting this whole time, and it's time you begin to let that poison out.

And what is that poison?

All the fears, all the anger, all the toxic artificial desires which have been foisted on you by your screens, your media, your press, all the gossip you've been overhearing, even sharing with others - spreading the poison around.

Advertisements. Stuff inserted into your social media feeds. The nonsense you see on your TV screens, your laptops and tablets and phones, on billboards. Stuff you repeat to others practically verbatim, doing the work of the poisoners for them.

Take a deep breath in, and let it go out, and as you breathe out, you're going to let some of that awful stress and tension out too. Let it pour out of you, like a black, angry cloud.

Let go of the fears the news has been pushing into your head. Big, dark, angry cloud of all that pent-up pain from clueless, evil sociopathic talking heads in fancy suits. You don't need to carry that darkness. Stuff them. Let them take all that hell home with them.

Now another breath in, and let out the fear of missing out, of being uninformed. That trash you've been letting into you is not information. It's myth. It's storytime. It's fiction. TV and social media do not hold the keys to what is true and what is not. Let go of the fear of losing out, because the treasure you have been holding space for is crap. Garbage. Waste.

And toxic waste, too.

Tearing out huge chunks of fear and anger have already begun to lighten the load on your shoulders. With your eyes open, you can straighten your back now, and draw in a breath, and let out the next big chunk of misery that ha been weighing you down.

Your social media is full of slop. Drivel, marketed, curated, polished, drivel. Its only effect is to clog up your dopamine receptors. Dopamine stimulated by outrage is still dopamine, and your receptors are blocked by a layer of blak sludge from all you social media feeds. Let your mind flood your pleasure centres with light, washing out all the hate-borne dopamine, and replacing it with healthier dopamine, mixed with a healthy dose of serotonin joy.

Oh, the innocent sweet rush of serotonin, and fresh dopamine, joy washing across you as your mind begins to lift.

Where you were once anchored by a sense of crushing darkness, now you let light in and blow all of that darkness away and out of you, emerging from your mouth with the very next deep inhale and exhale. Ready? Now.

You're almost ready. Your mind is floating free, no forward momentum, no anchors holding it down, and you need one more inhale and exhale to let that mind go.

You can feel it, holding your mind anchored where it really needs to be free and released. What is that? Is it your ego, an artificial need to be seen to be right and everybody else wrong, a curse bestowed on you by the media you have just been rejecting?

Or is it the last vestige of a perspective inserted into you by well-meaning, but grossly-uninformed people who thought they had your best iterests at heart but were really only tying you down with some sort of las bit of a fear of what the neighbours will think?

Here. There's a knot. Even as you untie it, pull that end of the thread, feel the knot come untied, you can feel the tension, and taste it. It's bitter. It tastes of envy, and jealousy, and even maybe hate. And if you untie that last thread, feeling the knot come apart, feeling that strand pass through your fingers, you finally feel complete.

Release. Draw in one beautiful, light, warm inward breath.Hold it, let that light fill you, dissolving all that remains of your darkness, until no darkness remains, only light.

Light, and warmth, and serotonin joy, and dopamine reward, and oxytocin trust. And your mind, finally released to float and drift.

And your thoughts slow, as your onscious mind drifts away, and come gently to a halt as you let yourself release everything, no more pain, no anger, no fear, no urgency, nothing to catch up to, just being here, with the last of your thoughts slowing, stopping, stopped.

And when you're still at last, all the turbulence gone, calm and still, click this link here and go to the next page to explore this joy and stillness, and see where it leads.

The Inner Self - A Meditation

You are about to begin a journey unlike any other. 
Sit down and relax. This will be a fun trip.

Let's begin with a long, deep inward breath. When you let go of the breath, in one long, smooth exhalation, you'll feel your body letting do of its tensions.

And that feels so good.

You've had enough of worries and woes. Your inner self wants something better. You can reach for that something. It's below your awareness. That's it.

That something runs so deep. Further down than that. That's it. You can't name it, but it's there and you know what it is. That's it.

Take another inward breath, and let it go. That relaxes your body even more, and brings it closer to where your inner self lives, because what you're striving for is right there beside your inner self, but your inner self is unaware of its existence. Only you can reach for it, and get closer to feeling it.

Closer to owning it.

So close now, Another deep breath, in, out, and it brings you closer to your inner self. And you know how good it feels.

Because you can see that something better, right there beside your inner self, to the extent that it can reach for and grab it, if it only knew what it is you want.

And you can tell your inner self, but only once you reach it, and so you can take in another deep, slow inward breath, and let it all out slowly, relaxing even further and coming so close to your inner self now.

And you are ready to join with your inner self, merge with it, and claim that lovely feeling you are after, and all you have to do is wait till I count down from 3 to 1, and once I reach 1, you'll fuse with your inner self.

You'll feel yourself becoming one with your inner self. You are aware of the feeling you have been after, and can reach for it and grasp it.

And once you have grasped it, hold it to you. Let the feeling build up, let it wash over you, clearing your mind and soul of its worries and woes.

You are now your innermost self, letting your conscious thoughts and feelings wash away, and once they have all washed away, click on this link here and follow the link to a page which will wash away all the rest of your woes.

And this will feel so, so good.

Tarot Meditation 1: The High Priestess

The High Priestess, designed by Pamela Colman-Smith

 For this meditation, you are a Seeker. Here, you are seeking an answer, and you are on your way to obtaining it. You have been directed to obtain your answer from The High Priestess, and Her Temple is open, and welcomes you with open arms.

The scents of gardenias, and lavender, and jasmine, greet you as you step into the vestibule of the Temple. The light from the blazing sconces warms your body as your bare feet caress the smooth, cold tiled floor. At the far end of the room is a set of brass double doors, wide open to receive you, and a corridor beyond.

Beneath the celestial ceiling, you find yourself at the threshold of the corridor beyond. The ceiling of the corridor beyond has similar art, and the corridor beyond is illuminated by daylight through stained glass windows between gold-covered columns either side.

More gardenias line the walls either side of the brass double doors at the far end of the corridor, and lavender hanging from brass pots suspended from the ceiling, their strong scents stimulating and also deeply relaxing.

The doors open at your touch, and in the room beyond, you see the High Priestess.

The Priestess beckons you enter. Incense smoke rises in two columns either side of Her, flanking the black and white columns beside Her throne, bearing the initials of Boaz and Jachim, for Severity and Mercy.

Her robe of blue matches the blue colour of the room beyond the columns. From here, you cannot pass further to explore the Mysteries until you have met Her scrutiny. The blue colour represents revelation, compassion, and Divine understanding, and your body responds to the colour when you realise that these are qualities that She not only epitomises, but that they are qualities you can find in you.

And as you notice the understanding in you, you realise that what She says is what you yourself understand - She is merely giving your unconscious a voice.

The columns, Night and Day, are connected by the uncircled solar cross on the Priestess' robe, representing union and unity. She, and your unconscious, are both Darkness and Light - both Justice and Mercy - both Thought and Intuition.

On Her head is a crown, in silver; two Lunar crescents, and a Lunar circle in the centre. This is the crown of the Goddess - Whom you may see as Isis, or Hathor, or Hekate, or some other wondrous Goddess. Her enigmatic expression as She looks direct into you is part scrutiny, part recognition, part blessing.

And her gaze unties and unknots the last ties of trepidation and confusion within you, releasing a lot of hidden tension, dispersing into the darkness outside of the circle of light in the Temple. And it is at this time that you realise that Night has fallen all around the two of you in the Temple, which only serves to accentuate the Light shining from Her.

In Her lap is a parchment scroll, and one of Her bare feet is resting on a large gold Lunar crescent, representing Her dominion over dream and thought and intuition. Behind her, the veil ripples from behind, making it look at if there is something behind Her, something mysterious for you to enter, once She allows you.

Her scrutiny complete, She nods serenely, and opens the scroll to reveal a Word for you. And as you see the Word, you notice that it is a Word which unlocks a deeper state of mind than your current one, and it's now so easy to let go. Deeper, more connected to your unconscious, a realm of mind below the realm of thought and reason and memory. A state of deep mind you can now enter, and it's very hard to keep from letting go now.

And once you enter that state, so deep now, beyond your conscious mind, you can follow this link and pass through beyond the High Priestess, through this link now.

Myfyrdod Heddwch

 

Pan fyddwch chi'n barod, gadewch i ni ddechrau.

Mae'r cyfan sydd ei angen arnoch chi ar hyn o bryd, lle rydych chi. Rydych chi'n eistedd lle rydych chi, ac rydych chi'n teimlo'r dillad ar eich corff, ac rydych chi'n anadlu'n ddwfn, yn araf, yn ymlacio'ch ysgwyddau a'ch corff a'ch cyhyrau, ac rydych chi'n teimlo mor dda gyda phob allanadl.

A pho fwyaf y byddwch chi'n anadlu, i mewn, allan, y mwyaf y byddwch chi'n rhyddhau'r tensiynau hynny, oherwydd mae'r weithred o anadlu yn rhyddhau'r holl gyhyrau llawn tyndra yn eich brest, eich ysgwyddau, eich breichiau.

Ac anadl arall, i mewn, allan, ac yn rhyddhau'r tensiynau hynny yn eich corff isaf, ac anadl allanol arall a'r tro hwn eich coesau, eich traed, a gadewch i'r teimladau o heddwch a llonyddwch fynd i mewn ac yn llenwi eich amser eich hun, oherwydd nid oes rhuthr i hyn.

Oherwydd eich bod yn sylwi ar hyn, ac wrth ichi sylweddoli po fwyaf y byddwch yn setlo i mewn i hyn, yr hawsaf yw gadael i’r llonyddwch adeiladu ynoch, a chymryd anadl araf arall, ac un arall, a rhaid ichi sylwi sut mae’r llonyddwch a’r llonyddwch hwnnw wedi’i setlo mewn rhan ohonoch, a gallech ganolbwyntio ar y cronni hwnnw o dawelwch yno, ar hyn o bryd, oni allwch chi?

Felly wrth i chi wneud hynny, rydych chi'n sylwi ar eich llaw chwith a'r hyn y mae'n ei synhwyro, ac ar ôl i chi sylwi ar eich llaw chwith, Cymerwch anadl araf arall, ac un arall, a'ch sylw yn symud i'ch llaw dde a beth mae'n ei synhwyro, a chymerwch anadl araf arall, ac un arall, a nawr rydych chi'n ymwybodol o'ch troed chwith a'r hyn rydych chi'n ei synhwyro, a chymerwch anadl araf arall, ac un arall, ac rydych chi'n synhwyro nawr ac yn ôl, rydych chi'n synhwyro nawr ac yn ôl. i'r man tawel hwnnw lle gadawsoch ef.

Dim ond nawr, wrth i chi ganolbwyntio arno, mae'r tawelwch hwnnw wedi cynyddu, a dyfnhau, ac yn awr mae'n eich llenwi ac yn ehangu i gyrraedd pob rhan ohonoch, a chymer anadl araf arall, ac un arall, a'ch braich chwith, a chymer anadl araf arall, ac un arall, a'ch llaw chwith, a chymer anadl araf arall, ac un arall, a'ch braich dde, a chymer anadl araf arall, ac un arall, a'ch llaw dde, a chymerwch ac anadl araf ac arall, coes a chwith, droed, a chymer anadl araf arall, ac un arall, a'th goes dde, a chymer anadl araf arall, ac un arall, a'th droed de.

A chymer anadl araf arall, ac un arall, a bydded i'r llonyddwch hwnnw ddisgyn ar dy holl gorff, a chymer anadl araf arall, ac anadl arall, a'th feddwl ymwybodol, yn awr yn dechrau drifftio, a chymer anadl araf arall, ac un arall, a'ch meddwl anymwybod hefyd yn dechrau llacio a drifftio, a chymer anadl araf arall, ac un arall, a'ch ymwybodol yn llithro i ffwrdd, a chymer anadl araf arall, ac un arall, a'ch anymwybodol a'ch anadl yn araf, gadewch i'ch anadl arall ddisgyn, a gollwng eich hun gydag ef. nawr, gollyngwch a gollyngwch y tensiynau olaf, y meddyliau ymwybodol olaf, a phan fyddwch chi'n barod, dilynwch y ddolen hon yma.

Peace Meditation

 

When you're ready, let's begin.

All you need is with you at this moment, right where you are. You are sitting where you are, and you feel the clothing on your body, and you are breathing in deeply, slowly, relaxing your shoulders and body and muscles, and you are feeling so good with each outbreath.

And the more you breathe, in, out, the more you release those tensions, because the act of breathing releases all of the tense muscles in your chest, your shoulders, your arms.

And another breath, in, out, and release those tensions in your lower body, and another outward breath and this time it's your legs, your feet, and let the feelings of peace and stillness enter and fill you in your own time, because there is no rush to this.

Because you're noticing this, and as you realise that the more you settle into this, the easier it is to let the stillness build in you, and take another slow breath, and another, and you must notice how that stillness and calm is settled in a part of you, and you could focus on that buildup of calm right there, at this moment, can you not?

So as you're doing that, you notice your left hand and what it is sensing, and once you've noticed your left hand, Take another slow breath, and another, and your attention shifts to your right hand and what it is sensing, and take another slow breath, and another, and now you are aware of your left foot and what you're sensing, and take another slow breath, and another, and now you're sensing your right foot and what you're sensing there, and now back to that spot of calm where you left it.

Only now, as you focus on it, that calm has increased, and deepened, and now it fills you and expands to reach every part of you, and take another slow breath, and another, and your left arm, and take another slow breath, and another, and your left hand, and take another slow breath, and another, and your right arm, and take another slow breath, and another, and your right hand, and take another slow breath, and another, and your left leg, and take another slow breath, and another, and your left foot, and take another slow breath, and another, and your right leg, and take another slow breath, and another, and your right foot.

And take another slow breath, and another, and let that stillness descend upon your whole body, and take another slow breath, and another, and your conscious mind, now beginning to drift, and take another slow breath, and another, and your unconscious mind also beginning to loosen and drift, and take another slow breath, and another, and your conscious is slipping away, and take another slow breath, and another, and your unconscious is floating off with it, and take another slow breath, and another, and you let yourself drop now, drop and let go of the last tensions, the last conscious thoughts, and when you are ready, follow this link here.

The Garden of Enchantment

  This was originally published in Perchance To Dream.

You have visited beautiful gardens before, but this garden is special.

This garden is here to restore the spirits to the disenchanted.

Welcome to The Garden of Enchantment.

From the moment you approach its all-encompassing hedge, you feel it working on you already. Your first sense affected is scent, as the Garden offers you scents from every flower you ever loved.

The sun shines on your body as you open the gate, a little iron thing which opens with a squeak to allow you entry. There is a footpath beyond, cool stone cobbles undulating across the lawn, past the central fountain with its rushing, babbling waters glittering in the daylight.

And then you walk past the fountain, and on into the garden proper, following a desire path through the grass.

This is a journey of pleasure, past banks of fragrant flowers flooding the air with their sweet scent, to clouds of pollinating bees and butterflies, clustering around overhanging wisteria.

Beyond that is a large ornamental pond, the cool waters taking away the heat of the day.

And soon, your desire path through the undergrowth takes you to the labyrinth at the heart of the garden.

This labyrinth is unicursal. The path only goes in one direction, closer and closer to the centre with each turn. As your feet step onto the winding path, your thoughts slow down, your mind growing still and silent as all urgency leaves you.

There is only the sun on your body, and the feel of the soil on the path beneath your feet, and each turn which takes away yet more of your thoughts and emotions as you carefully, methodically, calmly, just follow the path, and your planning stops as your whole life becomes just following the path, just seeing the path dead ahead, no further than the next bend.

Because, as the labyrinth takes you closer to the centre, all the paths are getting shorter, and your ability to think gets shorter and shorter, too, and it's so easy to let go and drop now, but you've got to see things through, at the centre.

Because the centre is so close, now, and when you get there, all you need to do is go blank, and let go, and let all your thoughts stop, and even as you realise this, you see the centre of the labyrinth just up ahead, and when you reach it, all your thinking stops, and your mind stops, and it all goes blank and empty, and so so peaceful, and you'll just want to go here next.

Rainfall Sounds for Meditation (Audio)

 Here is an audio file to help you to relax. 41 minutes of rainfall ASMR, for meditation.

@alex-greene-hypnotist

Audio Recital - Descending The Tower

@alex-greene-hypnotist

The text of Descending The Tower, which you could read as you listen, if you wish.

You can, on completion of the file, visit this link.

Descending The Tower

Please, make yourself comfortable. I'm going to tell you a story, and I hope you'll pay attention because you might be missing out on some of the benefits you will get when you relax and listen and just let my words and the sound of my voice carry you away.

You are going to come with me on a little trip. I hope you come prepared.

You're on a balcony, overlooking a magnificent Italian city built during the Renaissance. All those beautiful houses and buildings all around you, so far below. The dressed marble of the balcony is cold under your hands. The wind ruffles your hair. The shade is cool behind you, on this sunny day, under a lovely blue sky. The sounds of the city – rumbling traffic, beeping horns, a police siren going past, the sound going down a tone as it speeds away from you – echo and fill your body.

Far below, the soft, comfortable, incessant murmur of the street-level crowds: locals, tourists, students: forms a constant soothing backdrop.

The doorway is behind you, and beyond that the spiralling staircase going down to the ground. The area within is dark when you open the door, but warmer than you thought it would be. The draft of warm air rising up the stair column brushes against your body and gently caresses your hair as it escapes through the door.

There is a polished brass railing; it is smooth and hard in your hand, your footsteps echoing as you take your first steps down the marble stairs, past windows letting in shafts of sunlight, lazy flecks of dust slowly descending in the warm, still air as you step onto each lower step, slowly turning around and around, following the spiralling staircase down, lower and lower.

You are on the tenth floor. As you get lower, it gets warmer and a bit darker with each step you take. The tensions in your body are melting away, because it is such a lovely day. Kick off your shoes. The cool stone steps are solid and smooth beneath the soles of your feet.

Smell of warm bread nearby. Take a deep breath. Breathe it in, and release muscle tensions as you breathe out. And go deeper, take a deep breath in, and hold ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

and now release it slowly ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

You are now at 9, and so relaxed as the stair slowly takes you lower with each step that you take, slowly circling, spiralling, lower and lower, deeper with every step, and each step removing some more of that muscle tension, and you feel so very very relaxed.

Someone's garden nearby is in full bloom, and there are so many lovely scents to pick out of the heady aromatic melange in the air, encouraging you to take a deep breath in, and hold ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

and now release it slowly ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

And this is floor 8, and your body remembers when you got into bed after a long day, and the sheets were crisp and fresh and sliding into the bed was a heaven. The warmth against your skin, the smell of the fresh sheets, the smooth texture of your skin, and the way your muscles couldn't help but relax and let go. And you go down deeper, taking those steps which take you lower and lower, so take a deep breath in, and hold ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

and now release it slowly ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

You are now at floor 7, and that day comes to you when everything worked out just great, just perfect, that one absolutely perfect day when everything just fit into place, as you are, as your mind and body are relaxing, as you go lower down the stairs, everything getting into place, deeper and deeper.

You dwell on the peak moment of that day, a memory of great comfort and warmth which you run through as if you were living it for the first time, immersing yourself in the joyous embrace of that memory, before you take a deep breath in, and hold ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

and now release it slowly ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

You arrive at floor 6, and your body is so relaxed, now, so heavy, and there is really only one way now – and that is down, down the stairs, round and round, slowly going deeper and deeper with every step, breathing in deeply, breathing out slowly, breathing out the tension, breathing in relaxation of the body and the mind, and hold ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

and now release it slowly ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

The wonderful changes and relaxations in your body and your mind are releasing all your tensions as you reach 5, and keep going down, lower and lower, with your body heavy and relaxed like lead, so wonderful and warm and safe and relaxed and good and the steps under your feet are so smooth and cool, your clothes on your body, the air going in and out of you, deep breath in, and hold ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

and now release it slowly ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

You are now at 4, and so close to the ground now, close to the end of your journey, and your body moves so gracefully, all the parts of your body relaxed and working and moving together, and it all fits together and you want this goodness and wonderfulness to continue, so heavy, so relaxed, and you take more steps lower and lower, deeper and deeper, and take a deep breath in, and hold ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

and now release it slowly ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

Another few steps, and you've finally got to 3. Not much further to go. So warm, so comfy, so relaxed, and let this go a little more and take the next step down. All the way down, and so relaxed, and you've got further and further to go, and it's dark and warm and safe and the stairs are going down and you are going down along with them, but no matter how far they go there's only a bit more left and all you have to do to get to the very end is to relax.

Relax so completely and fully. Let it all go. Just take a deep breath in, and hold ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

and now release it slowly ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

It's easy, isn't it?

So easy that you've reached 2 before you know it. And there is only one more step to go now, before you reach the bottom, and take a deep breath in, and hold ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

and now release it slowly ...

4 ...

3 ...

2 ...

1 ...

And you are at 1, and you can let it all go, sink down onto the warm, soft bed, lie back, pressed sheets, warm bedroom, dark, quiet, safe, and close your eyes fully and ... just ... sleep.

Yes, that's right. Very good. All the way down, and ...

Sleep.

Deep, deep, sleep.

There is a place of grace nearby: an oasis of silence amid the city's noise. It radiates blissful peace, an aura which beckons you to enter. Pay a visit to The Temple here.

The Tea Emporium Recital

 This is an audio recital of The Tea Emporium by the author.

Audio Reading

The Tea Emporium

 

A building stands before you, surrounded by a beautiful privet-hedged garden, its azure painted door open and inviting, beckoning you, O weary soul, to enter and take your rest.

Above the door is a sign which simply says TEA.

The little wrought iron gate before you also stands open, offering you a clear path. Following the path as it gently winds towards the door, you have time to see what the garden holds.

Over there, you see lavender. There, lemon balm, and jasmine. The drowsy scent of gardenias greets you as you approach the door, and beside the front door you see valerian.

The azure-framed bay windows at ground level are large, offering a grand view of the garden. You see aloe vera and snake plants in small pots on the window sills. Glancing around behind you, you see sage, rosemary, and roses growing behind the hedge which you had not noticed on your way in. Clematis rises on trellises either side of the building. There is a rosehip bush in the far corner of the garden.

Within the building, you catch the odour of baking bread coming from the kitchen. Two doors stand at the far end of this room. The one on the left is behind a curtain of amethyst beads. The one on the right is the kitchen area, where the baking aroma comes from. Other scents are emerging from the other room - scents of tea, and herbs.

A number of small, round tables dot the room. You cross the room, the floorboards creaking underneath your feet, and pick your table. Looking out through the bay window into the serene garden, you are entranced both by the garden itself, and the beautiful, quiet land through which you have come to be here, O weary traveller, to take your rest before you move on.

You look down, and see a teacup and steaming teapot on the table. The linen tablecloth is cool to the touch as you reach for the cup. It is a light black tea, scented with mint, bergamot, rose, gardenia, and honey. Beside the teapot is a honeypot and a small beechwood honey dipper.

Your heavy eyelids want to close, because you want to savour the taste. The tea soothes as you sip it, each herbal flavour caressing your tongue, the light notes flooding your sinuses as the refreshing tea cleanses your palate, washing away the dryness within your mouth. Once cleared, you can taste again, savouring the fullness of the tea as you swish it around against your tongue, caressing the back of your throat, easing your tensions.

Because those tensions are easing, now, aided by the gardenias and the aromas of lemon balm and valerian, a gentle caress from within which unlocks muscles you didn't even realise had been tense, and washing away the last vestiges of anxiety and stress, replacing them with comfort, relaxation, and a desire to deepen these feelings. The Tea Emporium feels like home, its gentle aura greeting you like a long-lost prodigal member of the family, welcoming you as an old friend rather than a stranger.

Bringing you home, to where your focus can be allowed to change, and your thoughts to slow because there is no more need to hurry, which means you are at home here, and any time you come here again your soul will let go of your tensions and worries, let your thoughts drift, like the aromas from the tea, like your exhaled breath, letting your focus and thoughts drift away untethered, letting them stop, fade like steam into the air, until every thought and all the tension are gone, empty now, still and peaceful, empty, and when you are ready, still, empty, you can click on this link and visit The Teamaker's Temple.

The Mountain Lake

 It beckons you.

It's been such a long day. You're stressed. You're frustrated, and so tired. Not everything has been going your way today, and you want to go somewhere away from it all.

You can find a place for you, right where you are. You can let your mind take a walk.

It is late in the day. The sun is setting, and the woods are cool, with soft birdsong in the distance and a cool odour of pine hanging in the still air. Pine needles crunch underfoot as you traverse the slight desire path between the trees. The passage of many feet over the years has cleared this path of undergrowth, but it is thick to either side, bringing a mixture of other scents in the air - valerian, lemon balm, jasmine, lavender.

A light rain is beginning to fall. You are wearing suitable raingear, and you feel protected and warm as you follow the trail, and the rainfall is a reassuring sound on the forest canopy.

You reach a turning point, and as the upward slope reaches its peak, you see the glint of water below, at the end of the path. Your destination, the mountain lake, awaits.

You find your path down becoming easier with each step, and your destination getting closer. The harmony of floral scents also tantalises: the waters of the lake must be a blessing for the wildlife and wildflowers on its shores, a blessing which awaits you.

The light of the sun overhead is turning a glorious gold, visible through the thinning canopy. The light rain has stopped, and you will be at the lakeshore before it falls again.

And because you are descending towards the lake shore, your body is relaxing in anticipation, and you can focus on how your body feels as some of your muscles loosen, and the tension emerge from you like a golden cloud as you transform the darkness of tension into a warm golden light which leaves behind a feeling of deep contentment and peace as it exits your body.

Which means that you can enjoy drawing in a long, deep breath now through your nose, and exhaling more golden light through your mouth, making you 40% more rested and ready.

And as the focus of your mind changes, you draw in another long, luxurious breath, letting in the deeply relaxing aromas of valerian, lavender, and lemon balm, and let out another long, deep breath which increases your relaxation by another 40%, and you're almost there.

Which means that when you take each step towards the approaching lake shore, the edge of the woods, your focus changes, and it changes again as you reach the threshold of the woods, which means that you can take one more long, beautiful breath, and enjoy that cool air, and as you breathe out now, you reach 100% of where you need to be.

And at 100%, as all your conscious thoughts leave you with your outward breath, and all your conscious worries and woes go out and take your conscious mind, and you drift fully away and you let your mind go fully now, you can follow this link to the Lake, and carry on there, deepening your experience, releasing all that tension there.

La meditazione del tè al salice

Ammettilo. I mal di testa sono terribili. Arrivano quando meno li vuoi e non sono mai i benvenuti. Mal di testa e mal di schiena sono i tipi di dolore più comuni di cui soffrono le persone. È sempre una brutta giornata quando accadono.

Gli antichi avevano effettivamente un rimedio contro il mal di testa, ricavandolo dalla corteccia del salice bianco. La corteccia del salice bianco contiene una sostanza naturale chiamata salicilina, una sostanza chimica dal sapore amaro che è nota da migliaia di anni per essere altamente efficace nel curare il mal di testa.

Il salice bianco è originario dell'Europa e del Nord America. La corteccia viene servita sotto forma di tè. Raschiare la corteccia dai rami che hanno dai due ai tre anni. Non sono necessari più di due o tre cucchiaini di trucioli di corteccia, che possono essere messi in infusione e serviti come un tè.

Questa è corteccia di salice, pronta per preparare il tè al salice.

Se non hai accesso ai salici, non preoccuparti. Ecco una meditazione che puoi fare, che avrà lo stesso effetto di lavare via il tuo mal di testa.

Trova un posto comodo, in un luogo sicuro e tranquillo. Questo posto da solo dovrebbe avere l'effetto di calmare immediatamente il tuo corpo. E' sufficiente portare con sé un sorso d'acqua, preferibilmente naturale piuttosto che frizzante, e quanto più fresca possibile.

Una volta che sei lì, sistema il tuo corpo in una posizione comoda, preferibilmente seduto il più dritto possibile, senza sottoporre il corpo a uno stress eccessivo.

Inizia concentrandoti sull'acqua nel bicchiere. Nota la sua immobilità e le piccole vibrazioni causate dai più piccoli movimenti e aggiustamenti del corpo. Prendi un piccolo sorso d'acqua. Lascia che si stabilizzi un attimo in bocca. Cerca di portare un po' d'acqua nella parte posteriore della bocca, per rinfrescarti la gola.

Dopo averlo ingoiato, schiarisciti la gola e fai un respiro profondo. Lasciati attirare la luce dorata dall'esterno, nel profondo di te. Lascia che quella luce dorata soffonda i tuoi muscoli di luce e relax. Lascia che la luce riempia il tuo corpo e lascia che ti rilassi.

Prendi un secondo sorso d'acqua e, una volta che ti sei schiarito la gola, inspira più luce e rendi il tuo corpo e la tua mente più leggeri. Ogni sorso attira più luce e più inspiri, più leggeri sono il tuo corpo e la tua mente.

E presto scoprirai che la luce riempie tutto il tuo corpo, e quando i tuoi occhi cambiano messa a fuoco e ti allontani, quello è il momento di rilasciare quella luce e far uscire tutta la tensione muscolare che ha causato il mal di testa. Lascialo uscire, un bellissimo flusso di luce, che attira i tuoi pensieri, lo stress, le tensioni, e lascia che i tuoi pensieri vadano alla deriva, scompaiano.

Tutti i tuoi pensieri, che vanno alla deriva, vanno, spariscono, sostituiti da pace, relax e quiete, mentre la tua mente cosciente si lascia andare e fluttua via con la luce e le tensioni, e quando sei pronto, e la tua mente cosciente se ne va, conta da 3 .

3, e le tensioni e il dolore sono troppo deboli per essere percepiti.

2, e il tuo ultimo pensiero cosciente svanisce con la luce.

1, e la tua attenzione si è spostata e ora sei vuoto, vuoto, pronto per passare alla meditazione successiva, che allontanerà il mal di testa e lascerà il tuo corpo e la tua mente con una sensazione meravigliosa.

Quando sei pronto, clicca su questo collegamento.

Per iniziare: riscaldamento della meditazione

 

Iniziamo

Questo è un esercizio di riscaldamento. Così come il tuo corpo ha bisogno di riscaldamento prima di un’attività faticosa, anche la tua mente ha bisogno di un riscaldamento per prepararsi alla meditazione.

Trovati uno spazio sicuro, dove non sarai disturbato. Inizia quando ti impegni a raggiungere uno stato di pace, mentre ti permetti di immaginare come si sente la pace dentro di te. Occhi aperti.

Quando ti permetti di visualizzare la pace dentro di te, un punto dentro di te che è il più rilassato, e fai un respiro profondo, dentro e poi fuori, mentre rilasci il respiro ti ritrovi a notare quel punto rilassato dentro di te.

Lascia che quel posto rilassato attiri la tua attenzione. Qual è la sua dimensione? Ha un colore, una temperatura, una sensazione come una sensazione? Esplora cos'è quel punto rilassato e confronta il resto del tuo corpo. Ritrovati a concentrare la tua attenzione su una parte del tuo corpo che non era rilassata. E spostati in un'altra parte. E un altro.

Prenditi il ​​tuo tempo concentrandoti sulle diverse aree del tuo corpo che non sono rilassate. Presta davvero attenzione a loro e chiediti perché questa parte non è rilassata come il punto rilassato in altre parti del tuo corpo. Lascia che la parte tesa del tuo corpo che stai osservando entri in contatto con la parte rilassata e scopri con tua sorpresa che la parte rilassata aiuta la parte tesa del tuo corpo a rilassarsi.

E il successivo. E il successivo.

E ora puoi fare un passo indietro, per un momento, e tornare nella stanza, e sentire quel nucleo rilassato, ovunque si trovi nel tuo corpo. E concentrati ancora una volta su come si sente, se è più grande, se ha cambiato posizione, o colore, o temperatura, e se è ancora più rilassato di prima. Mente vuota.

Ciò significa che puoi lasciare che catturi di nuovo la tua attenzione, poiché approfondisce il suo rilassamento e puoi sentire quel rilassamento espandersi fino a contattare quelle parti di te che erano rilassate prima.

E ora fai un respiro profondo, emergi, e senti quanto tutto il tuo corpo si sta rilassando, e lasci che quel rilassamento si diffonda e si approfondisca, e quanto è meraviglioso sprofondare più profondamente in quel rilassamento , e stai persino lasciando che ti attiri giù più in profondità, perché è così bello lasciarsi trasportare e concentrare tutta la tua attenzione sul non fare altro che rilassare il corpo e la mente. Occhi aperti.

Ciò significa che quando questo accade al tuo corpo, scopri che sta accadendo anche alla tua mente, e la tua attenzione è focalizzata su come può sentirsi la tua mente quando si rilassa tanto quanto il tuo corpo.

E prova a tornare nella stanza, ma puoi scoprire che il tuo corpo e la tua mente si stanno godendo queste sensazioni, ed è così facile lasciare andare tutto, non è vero? Il che significa che puoi lasciare che quel senso di disagio fisico, mentale e la pace emotiva si estende e ti attira e ti lascia affondare.

E quando scopri che sai dove stai andando, perché è così bello, allora puoi lasciare andare tutto, fare quel respiro profondo e lasciare andare tutto.

Espira profondamente. Occhi aperti.

Ed è tutto finito.

Ciò significa che andrai più in basso, perché è bello andare alla deriva e cadere.

E lascia andare.

E quando sarai pronto, potrai seguire questo link qui e approfondire ancora di più la pace e il relax. Ricorda solo che quando hai finito di visitare le schede aperte, puoi chiuderle in seguito e tornare qui.

Benvenuti a Intermezzi e Meditazioni

Benvenuti a Intermezzi e Meditazioni!

Questo è un nuovissimo blog di esercizi guidati per aiutarti a trovare la pace interiore. La vita è diventata così turbolenta ultimamente, se dobbiamo credere ai media. Interludi e meditazioni  è qui per aiutarti a trovare serenità, chiarezza e gioia semplice nella vita.

Spegni quel televisore, chiudi la scheda dei social media, esci da TikTok e trova il tuo centro. Vediamo cosa puoi fare per riprendere in mano le redini della tua vita.

The Willow Tea Meditation

Admit it. Headaches suck. They come on when you least want them, and they are never welcome. Headaches, and back pain, are the most common kinds of pain that people suffer from. It is always a bad day when they happen.

People in ancient times actually had a cure for headaches, which they made from the bark of the white willow tree. White willow tree bark contains a natural substance called salicilin, a bitter-tasting chemical which has been known to be highly effective in curing headaches for thousands of years.

White willow is native to Europe and North America. The bark is served in the form of a tea. Scrape the bark from branches which are between two and three years old. No more than two or three teaspoons of the bark shavings are needed, which can be steeped and served like a tea.

This is willow bark, ready for making willow tea.

If you do not have access to willow trees, don't worry. Here is a meditation you can do, which will have the same effect of washing away your headaches.

Find a comfortable spot, in a safe and quiet place. This place alone should have the effect of calming your body immediately. You need only take with you a drink of water, preferably still rather than sparkling, and as cold as possible.

Once you are there, settle your body in a comfortable position, preferably sitting as straight as possible, without putting undue stress on the body.

Begin by focusing on the water in the glass. Note its stillness, and the little vibrations caused by the tiniest body movements and adjustments. Take a small sip of the water. Let it settle in your mouth a moment. Try to get some of the water up to the back of your mouth, to let it cool your throat.

Once you swallow it, clear your throat and take a deep breath in. Let yourself draw in golden light from outside, deep into you. Let that golden light suffuse your muscles with light, and relaxation. Let the light fill your body, and let it relax you.

Take a second sip of the water, and once you've cleared your throat, breathe in more of the light and make your body and mind lighter. Each sip draws in more light, and the more you breathe in, the lighter your body and mind are.

And you'll soon find the light filling your entire body, and when your eyes change focus, and you drift, that is the time to release that light and let out all the muscle tension which caused the headache. Let it out, a beautiful stream of light, drawing out your thoughts, the stresses, the tensions, and let your thoughts drift away, gone.

All your thoughts, drifting, going, gone, replaced with peace and relaxation and stillness, as your conscious mind lets go and floats away with the light and the tensions, and when you are ready, and your conscious mind is gone, count from 3.

3, and the tensions and pain are too faint to feel.

2, and your last conscious thought drifts out with the light.

1, and your focus has shifted, and you're now empty, blank, ready to move on to the next meditation, which will push away the headaches and leave your body and mind feeling wonderful.

When you are ready, follow this link.

Getting Started - Meditation Warmup

 Let's get started

This is a warmup exercise. As much as your body needs warmups before strenuous activity, so too does your mind need a warmup to get it ready for meditation.

Find yourself a safe space, where you won't be disturbed. It begins as you commit yourself to achieving a state of peace, as you let yourself imagine what peace feels like inside. Eyes open.

As you let yourself visualise peace within you, a spot within you that is the most relaxed, and you take a deep breath, in, then out, as you release your breath you find yourself noticing that relaxed spot within you.

Let that relaxed spot catch your attention. What is its size? Does it have a colour, a temperature, a feel like a sensation? Explore what that relaxed spot is, and contrast how the rest of your body is by comparison. Find yourself focusing your attention on a part of your body which wasn't relaxed. And move to another part. And another.

Take your time focusing on different areas of your body which aren't relaxed. Really pay attention to them, and ask why this part is not as relaxed as the relaxed spot elsewhere in your body. Let the tense part of your body you are looking at come into contact with the relaxed part, and discover to your surprise that the relaxed part is helping the tense part of your body to relax.

And the next. And the next.

And now, you can take a step back, for a moment, and come back in the room, and feel that relaxed core, wherever in your body it is. And focus once again on how it feels, if it's bigger, if it's changed position, or colour, or temperature, and if it's even more relaxed than before. Mind blank.

Which means you can let it capture your attention again, as it deepens its relaxation, and you can feel that relaxation spreading out to contact those parts of you which have been relaxed before.

And now take a deep breath, and surface, and feel how relaxed your whole body is becoming, and you let that relaxation spread and deepen, and how wonderful it feels to sink deeper into that relaxation, and you are even letting it draw you down deeper with it, because it's so good to drift, and focus your full attention on doing nothing but relaxing your body and mind. Eyes open.

Which means that when this is happening to your body, you find that it is happening to your mind, too, and your attention is focused on how your mind can feel when it relaxes as much as your body.

And try to come back to the room, but you can find that your body and mind are enjoying these feelings, and it's so easy to just let it all go, isn't it, which means you can let that sense of physical, mental, and emotional peace reach out and pull at you, and let you sink.

And when you discover how you're knowing where you're going with this, because it's so good, then you can let it all go, and take that deep breath in, and let it all go.

Deep breath out. Eyes open.

And it's all gone.

Which means you're going further down, because it's good to drift, and drop.

And let go.

And when you are ready, you can follow this link here, and deepen the peace and relaxation even more. Just remember that when you've finished visiting those open tabs, you can close them afterwards and come back here.

Welcome to Interludes and Meditations

Welcome to Interludes and Meditations!

This is a brand new blog of guided exercises to help you to find inner peace. Life has become so turbulent of late, if we are to believe the media. Interludes and Meditations is here to help you to find serenity, clarity, and simple joy in life.

Switch off that television set, close down your social media tab, get off TikTok, and find your centre. Let's see what you can do to get back the reins to your life.