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In this exercise, we will go to a peaceful
tropical island beach, where we will find a cove.
We will walk down a flight of stairs
to the beach, and as we descend the stairs, youll become progressively more relaxed.
At the end of the exercise, well come back up the stairs and become progressively more alert. Ill then count from 1 to 4 as I usually do, to bring you back to the room.
So just get comfortable, and bring,
your attention to your breathing. Gently place your hands on your abdomen, and
follow its rise and fall as you inhale and exhale.
Notice how your abdomen rises with
each inhalation and falls with each exhalation.
Inhale slowly and deeply through your
nose, feel the air pushing into your abdomen . . . and exhale through your mouth, making a quiet, relaxing, whooshing sound
as you blow gently out. Take long, slow, deep breaths . . .listen to your slow,
gentle breathing
. . . and allow your body to find the
rhythm of breathing that is comfortable for you . . . and just relax and follow my voice.
And continue to enjoy your breathing
as you now picture yourself at the top of an open-air staircase that leads to a beautiful beach. You look out toward the sea, and before you are clear, blue, glistening waters. The sea breeze blows on your face, and you breathe in the wonderfully clean air. Smell the salt sea air tingle as you inhale. You can taste
the salty air on your lips. Just let the breeze caress you . . . caress the surface
of your skin.
The beach looks so inviting, so you
begin to descend toward it . . . and as you go down the stairs, each step takes you into a deeper state of relaxation . . . deeper and deeper
safe and comfortable.
And now youre on the beach. Feel the warm sand beneath your bare feet. You sink into it
and allow your toes to curl into the golden white, soft grains. You take long
strides, eager to get to the shore . . . . You are so relaxed . . . . You feel so safe.
You see strips of kelp floating on the water. You see the beautiful sea
shells buried in the sand.
And now you arrive where the water
and the dry beach meet. You walk along the edge of the shore. The surf is pounding. The waves lap at your feet, and the
bubbly foam plays with your toes before rushing back to sea . . . You are so relaxed.
A seagull flies above you and calls
out, as if beckoning to you. You follow it, and suddenly you find a cluster of
moss-laden rocks. You climb easily over them, and you find yourself in a small,
quiet cove.
You look around at the wonder of it. The cove is shaped like a horseshoe. You
can still see the ocean dappled with sunshine and small, white crests. You see
a ship passing in the distance, and you deeply breathe in the moist, salty air. You
can smell the ocean fragrances. You are in your own private beach, safe from
all the world. This is your own special place and you can come here any time
you want because you own it.
And now you turn and find a nice spot. You see two sturdy palm trees and attached to those palm trees is a hammock. You get into the hammock, lie fully down and it totally supports the whole of your
body, making all the muscles in your body relaxed and loose. You close your eyes
(In script go through all muscle groups of body passively relaxing them).
As you lie there totally supported,
safe and warm you feel the warm sunshine on your skin, you look up and see the clear, blue sky with occasional wisps of cloud,
you smell the salty sea spray and hear the gentle call of seagulls. As you lie
there in the hammock you feel a gentle breeze start to waft over you. You feel
its gentle blowing on your skin as it starts to gently rock the hammock. Your
whole body, all your limbs and muscles feel loose, heavy and warm.
You feel so good . . . so peaceful
. . . so light. You lie back and just allow yourself to drift deeper and deeper
into quietness and peace . . . becoming more and more relaxed.
You can feel the warmth along your
spine, gradually spreading comfortably over you. And you feel yourself becoming
very deeply relaxed . . . very much at peace. Just enjoy this feeling of peace
and relaxation for a few minutes (pause for 2 minutes).
Now its time to begin heading back. You get up and start walking back along the beach.
Again you hear the surf pounding as you walk back to the stairs. You begin
to ascend the stairs, and with each step up, you feel yourself more refreshed and energized.
In a few moments, I am going to count
backward from 4 to 1. As I do, you will begin to become alert and will come to
the end of this exercise, feeling completely refreshed and relaxed. You will
come back feeling refreshed, alert, and relaxed. And 4 . . . begin to gently move your legs and feet . . . 3 . . . begin to
gently move your arms and hands . . . 2 . . . begin to gently move your head and neck, and
1 . . . stretch gently, if you like, and open your eyes, feeling refreshed and alert; eager to resume your day. | 
