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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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.