Forest Dreams: A Guided Meditation for Relaxation - The Affirmation Spot for Tuesday February 12, 2008

Today's Thought:"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."~ Lao-tzu Years ago when I found myself in some very difficult personal circumstances, I used to record guided visualizations and meditations to help move my life in a positive direction. Today I am sharing an abridged version of one that always had a powerful impact. I recorded this one about 1993 and played it each night when I went to bed.My recommendation is to record it and play either at bed time or at a time when you can relax and focus for about 15 minutes. I am also going to be recording this and offering it on The Affirmation Spot.com in the near future.

Forest Dreams: A Guided Meditation for Relaxation and Confidence
Finding yourself in a comfortable position, you close your eyes and begin the process of relaxing and letting go. You are gently releasing the worries and stresses that have accumulated today. They are peacefully fading away, fading away, they are now so far away.You are entering a pleasant state of absolute serenity and bliss; coming to rest in that immovable center within. All within you and all outside of you lives in total harmony.Take a deep breath...exhale...feeling yourself going deeper, deeper, deeper. Again take a deep breath...and exhale. Feel yourself releasing and relaxing...and letting go. Letting go is so easy for you at this moment. It is not about thinking or doing, but simply being. Allowing this moment to unfold as it will and be what it is.This is your time. Let it be a nourishing time; a time to receive positive energy. No effort and no strain. You are coming to a gentle stillness within and without.You are becoming fully aware of this very moment. You watch it come, you watch it be, and you watch it pass. You accept it without judgments for exactly what it is; letting go of your tendency to want things to be different than they are. And as you allow the moment to be exactly what it is, you are allowing yourself to be exactly as you are.You know for certain that you have the inner resources to face whatever comes your way.Now visualize yourself sitting or lying in a grassy clearing in the middle of a great forest. You feel a gentle breeze blowing across your body. Above you the sky is blue and the sun is warm and comfortable on your skin. Off in the distance, you hear the sound of a stream slowly meandering its way through the forest.The warmth of the sun is penetrating your skin and into your muscles and tendons and bones. As it does, a deeper level of peace and relaxation sweeps over you.It is a beautiful day, a day of hope for the future; a day of limitless beginnings. For your life is like a garden, you must plant it and tend it before the harvest comes.  You must nurture the garden of your life as you go. Weeding it of old destructive patterns of thought and action.Making sure it receives the love and care necessary for its growth and ultimately its blossoming.  As with any garden there must come times of sunshine and times of rain both of which must be if the garden is to succeed and flourish. And though it is easier to find joy in the sunshine than in the rain; if you stand in the rain willingly and understand its nature and necessity you will come find it even sweeter than the sunshine. For both are essential to growth.The sunshine is the provider of life, doing its work over long hours, days, and weeks.  The rain is occasional, yet it is truly the source of rapid growth and advancement.  It does its part in short increments and brings newness to all it touches. Thus is balance maintained in a garden and in our lives.Remembering this allows you to find peace in the heated moments of life and joy in darker days.  Now stand and look at your surroundings.  Feel, sense the wisdom to be found here in this beautiful forest.  Be aware of the gentle breeze that blows past you, around you, through you.  Witness the how light and dark play off each other in these woods just as they do in your life.Hear the gentle whisper of the rustling leaves speaking to you the secrets of your life.  Now looking to the left you see a giant Redwood tree. Walk over, greet it, and embrace it as an old friend. Knowing that you are brothers on this earth, each a part of the other. Ponder the truth of your dependence on this tree and its dependence on you and, in fact, the interdependence of all of nature.Fragile as a spider’s web and yet indestructible.  Feel your deep, sub-atomic connection with the entire environment and understand the trust that must be kept between you and it.Experiencing this oneness of nature and yourself, commit yourself not to damage it, to take only what you need from it, and to put back what you can.  Feel this commitment gelling in your mind and now solidifying for all time.  Bear in mind that in every moment nature freely shares the bounty of its air, water, and food with you: how it literally sustains your life.  Be thankful and reverent toward it.Accept the fact that change must occur in order for your life and all life to evolve. "We must often change," said Confucius, ‘if we wish to be constant in happiness and wisdom."Life is an ever-evolving struggle between change and balance. Balance requires the flexibility to deal the incessant flux of life in our universe. One moment is joy and the next is pain. Your evolution requires that you accept both without over-indulging either. Our world is full of peril and opportunity and a little of each in the other.Leaning against the giant redwood is a wooden staff.  It will be your guide on this great journey upon which you now embark.  It is a beautiful day in the forest. The sun is shining above and the stream gently rolls its way through this place.Beyond the blue of the day sky lie the vast starfields of our universe and each seems to beckoning you on a path they well know, but you just now begin.  As you start down this path, you resolve to make the most of this opportunity to grow.A shining path appears before you winding its way through these woods as far as you can see. Now as you start down the path, your staff in hand, you resolve in your heart to make the most of this opportunity to change and create a fresh start.As you begin your trek through this ancient forest, a new confidence and optimism is entering your life. Your whole being turns to view things in new and positive ways. A deep sense of self-worth, self-esteem, and self confidence permeates your entire being.Your self doubt has evaporated. These feelings are unstoppable. You love and respect yourself. You know you are capable of achieving anything! You are facing your difficulties and challenges head-on and successfully overcoming them. You take concrete, measurable steps to handle the circumstances in your life. You are organized, efficient, and successful. You know that your purpose and universal purpose are one and that no obstacle can prevent you from achieving your goals.Life is good! You focus on the good things that are happening because you benefit in every way by doing so. You are passionate about life. You embrace it and engage it at every opportunity. You know your potential is limitless and you are living up to it every day.Your life is shifting in a positive direction. You are vigorously healthy. Your creative energies flow freely and they are opening new possibilities for you constantly. You are strong, steady, and capable. You find balance and joy everywhere you go. Abundance and happiness are your constant companions.You are attracting the people and circumstances that work towards your highest good. Whatever you need is coming your way.Your wisdom and discernment pierce outer appearances to reveal the true nature of things. This gives you a compassion for yourself and for the world.You are growing. You are building. You are succeeding. You can do it!As you listen to this recording day by day, the suggestions are becoming your mode of living and thinking. Every fiber of your being lives in accord with what I am telling you. And, I am telling you a wondrous healing is taking place in your life. Possibilities you never considered are flowing your way. You are prepared to take advantage of them.You are prosperous. You are positive. You are free. You are transformed.If this is your normal bed time, you will drift into a deep and restful sleep. Your dreams are coming true. If this is not your normal bed time, return to your day full of the peace, the wisdom, and the confidence gained from this experience.Follow your bliss! Experience your bliss! Become your bliss!RayRay Davis is the Founder of The Affirmation Spot and focuses on empowering minds to think positively, achieve goals, and live dreams. He is author of the ebook The Power to Be You and the forthcoming The Power to Be You 2: 1001 Power Thoughts for Daily Life.Thanks for sharing this page with a friend! Social Bookmarking