Rainy day guided visualization

As an Occupational therapist, I often find myself using my yoga teacher skills and passions to engage my clients in self care. Some of my clients are non mobile or have challenges exploring the nature we have access to in certain weathers. For example, today was rainy, slushy and windy – a difficult combination to explore a forest. So to incorporate nature into our programming, we connected with the weather and did a guided mediation about rain (if it is raining enjoy the natural sounds, if not you can play some rain sounds like in the video here).

Please note that this meditation was a mixture of a bunch of different meditations I found online, but with modifications to benefit the clients that I have at my job. Each individual may be comfortable with something different, so feel free to change around wording as one size does not fit all! Often times the best meditations happen when you can connect personally to the words, so writing one can be fun and so beneficial! Happy meditating 🙂

Find a comfortable sitting or lying down position. Notice anything that might be a bit uncomfortable and just be curious about it. Become aware of any tension you may be carrying in your body and try your best to breathe out and let it go. Begin to bring your attention to your breath. Maybe place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Feel your chest rise and fall with each breath.

For the next few breathes try to breathe into the belly. Feeling your belly, and the hand on it, rise and fall as you breathe.

Let’s take one more breath into the belly and breathe out. Removing your hands from your chest and belly and place them at your sides again.

You are calm, you are relaxed, and you are at peace. Remember that this is your time. There is nothing to worry about, nothing that worrying will solve. It is important to take time for yourself to relax and step away from your worries, even if it is just for a few minutes right now.

Now begin to focus on the sound of the rain. Hear the natural pace of the rain as it changes in speed and weight. Water is part of nature and part of our bodies. So allow the sound of the rain to help calm and soothe you.  Thank the rain for watering our plants, filling our oceans and helping us grow. Feel the sense of gratitude towards the water and all it does for us

Now we are going to begin the visualization.

Allow your mind to follow the path of a raindrop, beginning in the raincloud where it starts to form. Imagine the droplet as it grows and grows, and then as it begins to fall. Follow the raindrop as it falls effortlessly through the sky getting ready to meet the earth to help it grow.

Follow the raindrop as it falls landing in a green, springtime forest. It begins to seep into the lush forest ground, hydrating the soil, preparing it for new life.

Parts of the raindrop enter the roots of a tree, traveling up the trunk into the branches, nourishing the tree. And later evaporating through the leaves, transforming into oxygen and moving through the fresh air.

Imagine that oxygen entering through your nose on your next inhale. Feel the coolness of the air. Imagine the power of the rain nourishing your body just like it does to the earth and trees. Allow the air to calm and soothe you.

And as you exhale imagine providing the trees and plants with the nourishment they need.

Remember that you are a part of nature. That you are perfect just as you are, just as nature is. That you are a unique part of the world just like each raindrop is unique. That you deserve all that the universe has to offer you. Just like every raindrop, you have a purpose on this earth. Allow the universe to protect you and to nourish you, giving you the strength to fulfill your life’s purpose.

Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes. Coming back into your body. Take a deep breath in and let it out of your mouth with a big sigh. Carrying the calmness and power of water with you as you open your eyes and get ready to continue to go about your day.