"The Wood Beside The Lake"
Animal Guide Visualisation
a guided visualisation by Gillie Whitewolf

Allow yourself time and space not to be disturbed and find a comfortable place to lie down and let yourself relax.

You may like to try the following exercise to release any tension in your body - scrunch your toes up tightly and then relax them, slowly move up your legs tensing and relaxing your muscles, moving up your thighs, your buttocks and continuing up your body, not forgetting your chest and shoulder area, or your arms and fingers, neck and face.

Take a few deep, slow breaths - breathing in through your nose and from your abdomen, holding the breath before slowly letting it out. Let all the tension melt away from your body...

Feel your body become heavier and heavier, sinking into the ground. The ground beneath you is hard and cool like rock and you can feel and taste a cool dampness in the air. You open your eyes and find yourself in a cave. A small waterfall cascades past the mouth of the cave like a shimmering curtain. As you move to the cave opening you can feel the spray on your face, and as your step through the waterfall feel the water washing over you. You emerge in a small, shallow lake bathed in sunlight, the water is warm and the pebbles smooth beneath your feet. You move through the water with ease towards the shallow shore and find the ground warm and dry beneath your bare feet. In front of you a wood stretches out. The air is filled with the sound of birds and animals, and as you walk towards the wood you catch glimpses of movement in the trees, along the ground, and in the air. A narrow path leads into the wood, where it is cooler and shaded. You follow the path through the tree until it emerges into a small clearing with a large slab of rock in the middle. Making your way to the slab you climb on to the surface and lay on your back, soaking up the sunshine and the warmth of the sun-baked rock. You close your eyes and return your focus to the sounds around you. You can hear movement all around you and know that you are not alone. When you open your eyes you see that your guide is with you.

This is your time with your guide - ask your questions and listen.

When you are ready your guide accompanies you on your journey back through the wood and to the edge of the lake. But here your guide will stay and it is time to bid farewell, give thanks and step into the lake, knowing that whenever you need your guide they will be with you. The water deepens slightly as you head to the waterfall covering the cave entrance. Step back through the waterfall into your cave and lie down on the ground. Remember your experience with your guide, and remember that you can return here whenever you desire.
Feel the ground beneath you soften slightly as you let the cave fade away. Feel the ground beneath you, feel your physical body against this ground and let yourself slowly come back to the waking world. Stretch your limbs, open your eyes and ground yourself [touch your surroundings, have a stretch, roll your shoulders, take some deep breaths and move around...] Get yourself a drink of water and don't forget to write down your experiences in a journal.

Related Articles [Visualisations] :

Visualising Visualisation - an article by Gillie Whitewolf - exercises for learning and improving your visualisation skills. Read

The Tree on the Hill - Taking a Walk - a guided visualisation by Gillie Whitewolf . Read