Visualize a cozy sanctuary and use the cleansing power of rain to wash away stress and find inner hope.

Secular

Health & Happiness

Relax

Nature

Guided Imagery

Visualization

English

In this track, you will be drawn into a cozy, comfortable place as you listen to the quiet rain outside your window.  You will hear some words of encouragement and feel more relaxed and settled after this visualization.

Soothing Meditation For Difficult Days

 Hi, I'm Chris McDonald, licensed therapist, and this is my meditation that's a soothing one for difficult days. We all have those hard days when it seems like nothing's going right and you just can't catch a break. So let's start by getting settled. Just try to find a space. You can be seated or if it's more comfortable to be laying down. Do what feels good for your body in this moment. Just try to be present. Get settled. Shift if you need to to find a more comfortable position. And just focus on your breath for a moment, finding the quiet space within. See if you can hear the sounds of your breath on the inhale and the exhale. Getting settled, settled into your body, into your space, out of the busyness of your mind as best you can. Notice your hands. Where are they now? If they're feeling more tense or are they relaxed? So we're just noticing, not changing anything. Just see where you are. Feel your shoulders. If they're tense or relaxed. And your head, just notice any headache or if you're feeling more foggy in your mind or busy. And you're welcome to close your eyes for this meditation or look at the floor gently in front of you. So I want you to imagine that you're sitting in a space in your house that is the most comfortable space for you. If you feel you don't have one at home, imagine one. What would that look like? So you have this most comfortable chair in the world. You gently sit down and it envelops you in this comfort of softness and warmth. It's a cold, cold rainy day, but you are safe and comfortable inside in this chair. You grab this very soft blanket to cover you as you look out the window. You're surrounded by soft pillows. You shift around to get even more comfortable, putting your feet up in a way that feels good for your body. You grab a cup of tea next to you. Feel the warmth on your cold hands. Taking a slow, mindful sip of this tea, tasting the herbal taste in your mouth, how wonderful it is as you gently swallow, feeling more connected. And you welcome this cold rainy day outside the window. Feeling as the rain falls gently, drop by drop. Starts to rain harder and you notice the gentle tap, tap, tap on the roof and on your porch outside. You sit and listen. You settle into the soothing sounds, peaceful and calming. You imagine the rain cleansing the earth as it comes down, washing away the negative energy that pollutes it. That clear, clean rain, washing away what is not needed, releasing it. You imagine the rain washing your body as well, taking away any suffering, tightness, soothing your soul as you imagine this, clearing your mind of unwanted thoughts, negative thoughts that bring you down and are contributing to your difficult day. Cleansing your spirit, whatever spirit means to you, refreshing you, releasing all that is no longer needed. Imagining that rain releasing all into the earth, for the earth is the great recycler of emotions and energies we no longer need. In your mind, you feel that connection to the earth, remembering how the rain helps the plants, the grass, the flowers to grow more and to bloom, helps the animals to live. They need that water of the rain to fill them up for life. It just reminds you of how important rain is, how water is to keep life alive and for humans to continue on the earth. As you stay in this space, you feel comfort within and sense that clearing of what you don't need. As you're here, you go from the external rain outside to connect with the guiding light within. That internal light of your intuition speaks to you and tells you what you need to hear today. It tells you to keep your hope alive. You continue to listen. It tells you no matter what you are going through now, you are going to be okay. You can make it through this. This is temporary. Keep going no matter what. Even when it feels hopeless, there will be light to shine through. You will find your way. You hear the gentle tap, tap, tap again outside the window and you notice the pattern is slowing down. The dark clouds outside begin to move away very slowly, oh so gradually. The rain has stopped. Slowly the light of the sun is starting to shine through as some of the clouds are parting. You feel a gentle ray of the sun upon your arm and embrace it. Feel that warmth, that connection to the sun. Be present with it. Your intuition tells you also that sunlight is there for you always. A constant even under the dark clouds of life. The sun is that shining bright point underneath it all. All the storms you may face throughout your life, the sun will always be there to come out soon. Just hold on to that hope. I hope you can take this with you today as we move towards the finish of this meditation. Feeling yourself filled with that sunlight and the comfort of the rain sounds. Gradually wiggle your fingers, feeling the motions, moving your toes to bring your awareness back to the room. If your eyes are closed, gently blink open your eyes. Take a big stretch if that feels good for you in this moment. Reaching up to the sky if you'd like and bringing your arms down. I wish for you a day full of light and peace. I hope the rest of the day goes all your way. Have a wonderful one.