The Journey – a Relaxation (Military Meditation Coach Podcast)

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[Dr. Kinn] [music] Welcome to the Military
Meditation Coach, your source for meditation, mindfulness, and relaxation exercises. I’m Dr. Julie Kinn with the Defense Health
Agency. And today, Dr. Amerson will be leading us
in a guided imagery called The Journey. It focuses on the simplicity of sitting and
breathing. Before we get started, let me remind you that
the Military Meditation Coach is produced by the Naval Center for Combat and Operational
Stress Control and by the Defense Health Agency. Thank you for rating, subscribing, and reviewing
us on iTunes or wherever you get podcasts. And, of course, thanks for sharing us with
your friends, and families, and others who could benefit from relaxation in their lives. The views expressed here are those of the
presenters and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of Defense or the
United States Government. Now, on to Dr. Amerson and the guided imagery
called The Journey. [Dr. Amerson] Go ahead and take a comfortable
position whether you’re lying, sitting, or standing. Find whatever position that’s comfortable
and just begin to focus on your breathing. And this will be an important time for you
to just begin to focus on yourself. Look inward as you notice your breath. And as you continue to breathe, just think
in your mind of a color that you would give your breath that is soothing and notice it
as it enters in your nostrils, travels down your lungs, spin deep with inside you, and
exits your nostrils again in that rhythm as it moves back and forth. Some may call it the circle of life, but it’s
just breathing. Nothing fancy, nothing out of the ordinary. Just breathing. Notice it and just relax. [Dr. Amerson] And as you begin to relax even
more, notice the cadence of your breath, the rhythm. Each one of us has a different rhythm, a different
cadence. But it’s this rhythm of life that generates
in us each and every day almost like a baby that’s been rocked to sleep or on a ship that’s
gently tossed back and forth just right by the ocean. And as you begin to just begin to notice your
breathing even more, let your body start to relax naturally, nothing complicated. And in the areas in your body that you know
that are uncomfortable that feel tight that feel strange, just think to yourself, “Relax.” Choosing to relax now or later is your choice,
but this time is for you, a time that you can let all the tension, stress, worry just
lay aside for a while. And all you have to do is sit there and breathe. [Dr. Amerson] Someone said before that when
they were trying to relax, it felt like they had a tingling in their hands or maybe a buzzing
in your feet. But whatever sensation that has thought to
occur, it’s personal, private, and all part of you relaxing. And if you haven’t already done so, you may
want to relax your eyelids. Let them close gently or let them remain closed
if you’ve already closed them, letting all the tension just seep out of your face and
out of those eyelids to relax. Because in a few moments, they’ll be so relaxed
that they’ll be difficult to open. Another person said that as they relax, their
legs begin to feel heavy. Those large muscles become limp. Limp to the point that even if they tried
to move, it would be difficult, almost like a lead pair of shoes. But regardless, those hands out there that
are tingling, those heavy feet, whatever sensation that you start to experience is unique to
you because this is your experience. [Dr. Amerson] And as you continue to breathe,
just let your mind do what it wants to do because consciously you’re restrained by time
and limits and just the reality of life. But unconsciously, you’re free to explore
all aspects of your being, almost like traveling through time, through space, just floating
along free, free to explore anything that you want to at this time. Because consciously, you have those restraints,
but unconsciously, there are no restraints. It’s almost like everybody’s mind has a front
part and a back part. The front part of your mind pays attention
to your breathing, pays attention to the sensations that you’re feeling in your body, those heavy
legs, the tingling in your hands. But the back part of your mind is like an
iceberg, sitting quietly under the water. You don’t see it, but you know it’s there,
and it’s wise. It’s intelligent. It’s patient. It’s understanding. And it’s this part of your mind that if you
allow it, it can help you now when you need it most. [Dr. Amerson] Often time, when you relax,
it feels like time speeds up or slows down, speeding up, slowing down. But often time, you lose track of time. Because unconsciously, there are no restraints,
and time is insignificant. Just notice what you feel in your body right
now. Notice your breathing. Notice how relaxed you’ve become. In just a few moments, I want you to open
your eyes and then close them when I tell you. And when you close your eyes, your relaxation
will begin to double. You will become heavier, more relaxed, into
a deeper state. Open your eyes. Now close them. That’s the way. Double your relaxation. Double it. Very good. And in just a few moments, I’m going to ask
you to open your eyes and close them again. And then I want you to just experience your
relaxation triple. Go deeper. Open your eyes. Now close them. Very good. Double your relaxation. Triple your relaxation. Going deeper, going deeper, allowing yourself
to experience this moment. That’s the way. [Dr. Amerson] And as you begin to enjoy this
deeper state of relaxation, I want you to imagine yourself riding a train. This is a special train. This is a safe train. And the uniqueness of this train is that it
can restore areas that have been hurt. It can restore those areas in your life that
are weak. It has the restorative power to remove fears,
return you to that level in your life that you functioned at the optimal level. And as you ride this train, it can take you
through the stratosphere of time as you see different aspects of your life, places of
fear, places of triumph, places of guilt, shame, accomplishment. And the uniqueness of this train is that you
can stop it at any place that you want to visit. And as you visit these places, allow yourself
to achieve those things you would like to achieve. And once you have begun to achieve those things,
knowing that you can return to those places at any time, at the same time, realizing that
you can return to the train, that haven of safety, whenever you want to also. [Dr. Amerson] So in just a few moments, I’m
going to ask you to take a deeper breath, and board your train, and begin this journey
that you may have been wanting to do for a long time but you have held back. That you may have wanted to do for a long
time but you did not know how. But this is your train, your train of safety. Take a deep breath. Let it out slowly and board your train. That’s the way. See yourself sitting in the perfect seat on
the train. Notice all the amenities around you that are
tailored just for you. And as the train begins to move slowly out
of the station, the acceleration begins to happen slowly, gradually but picking up to
a speed that you’re comfortable with. And as you begin to move throughout time,
you begin to see various aspects of your life, events that have occurred. In the uniqueness of the train, you can pass
through these things as fast as you want to, slowly, swiftly. But just notice them. [Dr. Amerson] So many things that have happened
in your life, good, bad, happy, sad. But you choosing where you want to start. And as you’re making your decision, maybe
you’re pulling into that stop with some anticipation but with satisfaction, knowing that this is
where you need to be at this place, this time. And whatever stop that is for you, begin to
let your train slow down, approaching the stadium. And breathing, allowing that anticipation
to just level out in your body as the train pulls up and the doors begin to open. Remember the safety of your train and only
allow yourself to experience just enough where you’re still able to
retreat to your train of safety, knowing that you can come back to your stop at any time. Take a deep breath. Let it out slowly. And take a moment to explore your stop. Notice the sights, the sounds, and notice
what you feel. [Dr. Amerson] And just begin to let correction
take its course. Where things are bad, they start to get better. Where things are good, they become more enjoyable. Where things are indifferent, you begin to
have clarity. Just notice what you feel. Notice the sights, sounds, and let your unconscious
mind at this time bring you into a corrective state
where you begin to feel better mentally, physically, emotionally. And even at this time, beginning to realize
the time of your life when you were at your best, remember how it felt, how you looked,
how you thought about yourself, how others viewed you. While you’re at this stop, let all those feelings
come together synchronized. This is the corrective state that happens
at your stop. Just notice it. [Dr. Amerson] Now, take a deep breath. Let it out slowly and start to move back towards
your train. You can see the doors open. You can even hear the engine of the train
purring because this is your safe place, the safety of the train. And as you get to the doors of the train,
I want you to take a look back and feel a sense of satisfaction, what you were able
to accomplish today. Feel a sense of peace, feeling settled in
your mind, in your body. And as you’re getting to the train and return
to your seat, the doors shut slowly, and the train begins to move from the station. Notice what you feel. Take another deep breath and let it out slowly. [Dr. Amerson] In just a few moments, I’m going
to count from one to five. And as those numbers start to ascend from
one to five, your train returns safely back to
your home. There’s a sense of joy. There’s a sense of accomplishment. And as it pulls back into your home station,
you arise from your seat, feeling better than you’ve ever felt before. The doors open, and you’re able to walk out
on that platform and knowing that you can return to your train at any time. Because it allows you to address all those
issues that are maybe difficult to speak about, maybe difficult to share, but you know exactly
how to address those issues just by going to your train. As those numbers ascend from one to five,
the energy starts to come back into your body. And when you’re able to open those heavy eyes,
you will awaken with a new sense of peace, a sense of calmness, a new sense of direction,
a new approach to addressing those things that have been a challenge for you to address. One, two, three, four. Let the energy start to come back into your
body. Take a deep breath. Five. Open your eyes and enjoy your new experience.


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