Sleep series: Peaceful waves relaxation

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Hello, and welcome to this exercise of guided imagery. On this occasion we will go on a mental holiday and visit a beautiful, peaceful beach. Before we begin, let’s take a moment to unwind.

Make sure that you are in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and take this moment to observe your body, if there is any tension, adjust your position to make sure you are as comfortable as possible. Now, draw attention to your breathing, is it shallow?

Are you breathing at a fast pace? Let’s slow our breathing to a relaxed pace. Take a deep breath in….and breathe out. One more time, breathe in… and as you breathe out, release tension from your body. Good, continue this rhythm of breathing, releasing tension from your body with each exhalation…

[pause]

As you become more and more relaxed, clear your mind of all thoughts and focus on your breathing and the sound of my voice…

Now, picture yourself walking the through the palm trees, just before sunset. As you walk through the palm trees you feel the sand beneath your feet, still warm from the sunny summer day. Even though it is now cooler, refreshing, the warm sand feels pleasant and comforting…

You follow the palm tree path into a clearing, it is a peaceful, beautiful beach. You are the only one here, you have this special place all to yourself. The sea is calm, small ripples form from gentle, peaceful waves as they roll in towards the shore. The sunset colours the sky into brilliant hues of bright pink and orange. You pause a moment, to bask in the beauty of this sunset, as the only person on the beach, this sunset is just for you..

You walk a bit closer to sea, noticing how the air becomes salty and fresh as you approach the sea. You are close enough now, that the sand becomes wet, your feet refreshed as the waves slowly envelop your feet, just for an instant, before returning to back to the sea.

You continue to walk along the beach, noticing the footprints your feet leave in the sand as they softly sink into the fresh, soothing sand. Notice how the waves wash away these footprints, as the footprints dissolve, so do your worries and stress… You attention goes back to the peaceful waves. They are flowing to the rhythm of your breath.... in.... and out.... in.... out.... continue to observe the rhythm of the peaceful waves, flowing with the rhythm of your breath.

You notice there are some tiki torches set, providing a warm glow that complements the sunset. Take a moment to observe how the flames appear to be dancing cheerfully within the tiki torch.

You notice a beach chair that is set beneath the tiki torches. It has a comfortable throw on it, you decide to lay on it in order to enjoy the sunset. As you lay down it you also notice that it is warm, reminding you of the bright summer day that is slowly coming to an end.

You settle into the chair, making yourself comfortable, as you gaze into the sunset, you drop you hand to the sand, and notice how the warm and comforting it feels in your hand. For a moment you close your eyes, appreciating how peaceful it feels. In this space, in this moment, you feel completely relaxed…

As you close your eyes, your senses are heightened to your surroundings. You can hear the waves, washing gently onto the sand. You notice the crisp, salty, breeze, it feels refreshing on your skin. Take a moment to enjoy all the sensations that arise, this moment is just for you.

As you hear the peaceful waves, notice how your breathing comes into sync with them, flowing.... in.... and out.... in.... out.... continue to listen to the rhythm of the peaceful waves, flowing with the rhythm of your breath…

Take a bit more time to enjoy this space and let yourself sink deep into the feeling of complete relaxation…

Listen to the audio book below and let your mond take you away!

Foot note: In 2020 I worked alongside three academics who helped build a CBTI sleep therapy app for me. I decided against starting the project as I felt the medium at the time (mobile phone apps) was not immersive enough to do the excellent work justice (but watch this space).

The three were Achilleas Pavlou who is currently a Lecturer in Psychology and Clinical Communication Skills at the University of Nicosia Medical School. Tania Karina Garcia Vite BSc Psychology, MsC Sleep Disorders. Dr Nicholas Cooper Senior Lecturer Department of Psychology University of Essex.

The sleep series is thus based on that collaboration...