Do you like being by the sea? I do and find it very relaxing to watch the waves coming in to the shore and out again. Many years ago, a colleague of mine who had studied self-hypnosis taught me this simple beach mini meditation and I found it so useful that I have been telling it to my clients ever since.
Whether you are feeling revved up because you are getting irritated or overwhelmed because you have too much going on around you and you need to take a little mental time out, this self-hypnosis/ mini meditation technique can quickly nix the adrenaline that is flooding your body and making your thoughts race.
It can also help calm down feelings of anxiety if you do it before you go into a stressful situation such as a divorce hearing, test, interview, public speaking engagement or dental or medical procedure.
Additionally, some of my clients wake up in the morning feeling anxious and this meditation is a great way to calm down the adrenaline rush and start the day feeling calm.
Basically, it is helpful for any situation that is causing you to feel anxious, overwhelmed or stressed.
So How Do I Do The Waves Mini Meditation?
Close your eyes and imagine that there is a movie screen in your head, just behind your eyes. Picture yourself on that screen standing on a beach looking out at the water, your toes in the warm sand and the sunshine on your back.
You can picture a real beach that you loved visiting in the past or one that you conjure up from your imagination. It doesn’t really matter as long as it is a place you are feeling warm and relaxed in.
Now see yourself standing or sitting on the shore and you are watch the waves coming in towards you and out again. The froth of the wave crests then falls as it rolls into the sand.
Starting at 10 and counting backwards, count the rolls of the waves, breathing in slowly through your nose as the wave crests, and then slowly out of your mouth as the wave rolls back out and disappears.
10 – you breathe in slowly as the wave comes towards you and out as it rolls back to sea.
Now do the same counting 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 with each number you breathe in as the wave comes in, breathe out as it rolls back to sea.
By the time you have counted backwards from 10 to 1 you will feel very relaxed.
So Why Does This Meditation Work?
By focusing on a relaxing picture in your head you block out the thoughts that were causing you to feel stressed, overwhelmed or irritated. The slow rhythmic breathing as you count the waves in and out cuts down the adrenaline that is fueling your stress.
Practice this when you are alone with your eyes shut and soon you can do it by picturing the waves in your mind with your eyes open. This is very useful when you are in a situation that you are finding stressful but cannot leave. Just picture the waves inside your mind’s eye and breathe!
Dr. Sarah Allen is a psychologist who specializes in empowering women to live the life they want. She sees clients in her Northbrook office or throughout Illinois via telephone or Skype sessions. This blog post was originally published on Sarah’s blog.
Like this post? Check out, “10 Steps to Reducing Divorce Stress
Share
Michael Watson
There is something so calming and relaxing about watching waves roll in and wash out again and I guess breathing in and out like that has a simultaneous effect on our state and emotions
I must practice that myself, I can almost feel the benefit before event fully doing it. Thank you.