A Journey of Four Steps

All of my clients are given this track and asked to listen to it every day throughout the course of their treatment. In doing this you will not only teach yourself the art of deep relaxation and release stress, but you will also start to change what you believe about yourself and your place in the world.

Go somewhere quiet where you won't be disturbed. Make yourself really comfortable and play the track on your cd/mp3 player, iPod etc & de-stress your mind and body.

Let the music be your mantra

You begin your guided journey by closing your eyes and imagining an ancient stepping stone, which has been walked on for thousands of years. This stone is alive with music...the music that is playing in the background. You are invited to stand on the stepping stone and imagine the music flowing up through the stone and into your body. The relaxing music flows through you, from the tips of your toes to the top of your head, through every cell, every nerve, every fibre and every muscle in your body.

You are then asked to acknowledge the music as your signal to relax...your music mantra. Now each time you hear this music you will relax a little faster and a little deeper.

Teachers of meditation describe this as the 'mantra effect' whilst behavioural psychologists label it the conditioned reflex response. This effect gets stronger and stronger over time and, therefore, the more you listen, the faster and deeper you will relax.

Imagine yourself on a beautiful tropical island

You can now see a second stepping stone in front of you and when you stand on this stone you will be instantly transported to a beautiful tropical island. On this step you will reawaken the imagination skills you were born with as you stroll along the beach leaving a lazy trail of footprints in the sand, dip your feet in the warm tropical ocean and relax to a deeper level.

In meditation this process is described as losing awareness of self, through focus on a single idea. In modern science MRI brain scanners have revealed that the subconscious cannot tell the difference between what is real and imagined, so you really can escape to a beautiful tropical island every day.

Connect with your higher self and achieve your goals

A third stepping stone has now appeared on the beach and when you stand on this stone you will meet up with the person who you are meant to be...you will meet the happiest, healthiest most confident version of yourself that you can imagine. You will then become one with this magnificent version of you. Every time you connect with your magnificent higher self, you will subtly change what you believe about yourself and your place in the world.

A key principle of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is that what we believe determines how we think, feel and behave.

On this step you will also be invited to imagine yourself at a time of success in the future when you have achieved a goal that you have set yourself. You could see yourself having lost weight, quit smoking, with more confidence, passing your driving test, getting a promotion or even in a new job. It doesn't matter what it is. The track is designed to help you achieve any goals or challenges you face as you journey through life.

Every time you imagine success your subconscious believes you to have been successful. So in simple terms the more you imagine success, the more successful you will become - whatever success means to you.

Journey to the centre of your being

When you stand on the fourth stone you will be invited to journey deep inside yourself to the centre of your being. From here you are on your own, with just the music to guide you.. For to truly find yourself, you must be by yourself.

How you choose to find your centre is up to you...you could simply focus on the music and float and drift your way there. You could focus all of your attention on your breathing and imagine yourself relaxing deeper and deeper with each breath that you take. You could even imagine a word like “Buddha” running through your mind, like it’s on a ticker tape. Just do whatever feels right, follow your instincts and be guided by the simplest of advice... that the deeper you relax the closer you will be to the centre of your being.

In meditation this journey is described as a search for enlightenment, a journey to a place where all questions are answered and where even the most deep seated stress can be released. On this step you will experience tingling sensations, loss of awareness of self and blissful states of deep relaxation.

The music plays on for another 45 minutes so you can continue relaxing for as long or as short as is right for you at the time.

Listen to this track every day for a month... and then whenever you need to... every day if you can... and you will not only stay happy, healthy and in control of your life, but every time you listen you will move a little closer to becoming the person that you were born to be.