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Woodland Walk: Free Guided Imagery Script

March 28, 2014 by Julie Lusk

By Julie Lusk

This is a free guided imagery script of an imaginary walk in the woods that will renew your energy and vitality. It is published in Julie’s Yoga Meditations book and is on the CD included with the book. See below.

Time: 15 minutes

Begin by treating yourself to an enjoyable and satisfying stretch. Go ahead, it’s time to loosen up and stretch so you can reclaim your energy. That’s right. Stretch all over.

And now, please allow your entire body to settle and relax comfortably . . . if your legs or arms are crossed, please uncross them and settle yourself into whatever you are sitting or lying on.

Take in a nice big breath …fill your lungs full…and breathe out to let go from deep inside… And now, simply follow your breath in…and out…allowing each breath to refresh you on many levels.

With your eyes closed or barely open, begin to shift your attention away from the world around you to your inner world of sensations and into your imagination. It will do you good.

Take a big breath in . . . And sigh it all the way out.

Let your imagination take you

Wholesome Energizers CD

Listen often to release stress, refresh your outlook and feel calm. Feel rested, rejuvenated and ready for the rest of the day. Introduction and 3 tracks featuring a relaxation exercise, beautiful guided imagery and helpful affirmations to bring your energy back. CLICK the blue title link above to find out more...

Price: $16.95

Price: $9.99

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Chakra Energy Flow Meditation

Chakra Energy Flow Meditation ©

By Julie Lusk

Time: 12-15 minutes

Summary: Energy flows like a river in this guided imagery exercise. Sitting in a meditation posture is more effective than lying down for working with the chakras because the physical alignment encourages and amplifies the flow of energy.

Guided Imagery Meditation

Each of us has internal currents of energy within that flow like rivers. This energy is what gives us life and activates us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It influences everything from the concrete to the abstract. For instance, our flesh and bones are activated into life by this energy source. It gives us inspiration to accomplish our meaningful ambitions. Primarily, these rivers of energy span from the base of the spine up through the top of the head and move up and down, in and out, as well as forward and back. Furthermore, there are many other tributaries that extend throughout the rest of our being.

When this energy is open, flowing and balanced, we’re able to express our full potential and interact with the outside world. It enables us to easily receive information, love, and resources from outside of us. We’re also able to manifest our dreams and life purpose, liberate our awareness and actions, and free up energy to take action. It’s important for this energy to flow in a balanced, continuous way. Too often however, areas of energy become overly stimulated and excessive, or it bogs down to a trickle. It can get blocked, leaky, or hyperactive.

The purpose of this guided imagery is to balance these rivers and currents of energy in a wholesome way. So, in your own manner, set an intention to balance and align your energy flow so it serves the greater good for yourself…others…and in the world.

So, in your own way, become aware of a constant source of energy and power that is plentiful…and it’s readily available to you as well as to all others… There are many ways of experiencing the energy as it flow and you can use your senses to experience it…perhaps you can see it, feel it, or hear it… it may have a color, a shape or a sound … It may possibly sparkle…it may glow… How does the presence of energy occur to you?

Imagine tapping into this energy supply right now. Feel it moving and flowing now.

Let’s refine and focus on this energy more attentively by experiencing it as a fountain that flows from below your feet… and into your legs… and into the base of the spine… and it moves upward to the top of the head and beyond…a constant fountain of energy that flows, and moves and is alive…actively flowing through the core of your body from the base to the top…imagine this energy lighting up your awareness…increasing your freedom…and liberating you.

And now, imagine this energy as it showers down like a waterfall. It originates above you and pours down through the crown of the head, down throughout the core of the body, and back to the earth…Experiencing streams of energy running downward through you as it boosts and enlivens your thoughts, dreams, and aspirations into reality…and clearly imagine your dreams taking shape in the world.

So now, this energy flows evenly and fluidly…gracefully moving up and down…up and down the central core that spans from the top of the head to the base of the spine and back to the crown of the head…It can even extend from the earth, through you, and into the sky and back down again.

Imagine and allow this energy to continually flow…automatically…fluidly…and elegantly… whether or not you are paying direct attention to it.

Now it’s time to experience this flow of energy in a new way… This river of energy influences your incoming and outgoing interactions …so hold your attention on the whole length of your spine, from its base to the top. …Allow a wellspring of energy to radiate constantly through the length of your spine, …and feel it start to move in and out…forward and back… and sideways…. … Imagine a constant, abundant supply of energy radiating out from your core…Energy shining out through the front…out the back…to the sides…and all around…making it possible for you to express your self in your life… including your work …touching your relationships…and the world you live in …as this energy moves along the length of your spine, radiating outward in all directions.

And now, this energy returns to you, moving from the outside to the inside…replenishing your energy…receiving it in its many forms…in the form of information…thoughts…and love…being returned to you…naturally flowing into you until it begins flowing in and out like a dance…evenly…smoothly…and effortlessly…continuing to flow, whether or not you are paying attention to it.

And somehow, energy currents are flowing in all directions…up and down…in and out…in unison, balancing and blending and harmonizing…cooling and calming down where the energy is excessive and too strong…and activating and energizing where the energy is too weak or blocked.

And part of you steps out of the way so this can happen naturally…and this part of you notices how all this happens.

This energy source is inside you and all around you… It is constant and supportive…and it guides you…balances you…and makes you feel whole and complete.

It’s time to reawaken to your surroundings…Listen to the sounds (name some as they occur)… become aware of your breath…feel the air on your skin… feel your body, your physical presence…and when ready, stretch and open your eyes.

Author’s Note: Anodea Judith inspired this guided visualization. May her energy be abundant and a blessing to her and to all others.

Yoga Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices - Book & CD set

Awaken joy, peace and inspiration with this yoga meditations book. Yoga Meditations contains a wide variety of mind-body practices, such as: * Guided relaxation exercises * Breathing practices * Yoga Nidra * Meditations and guided imagery * Affirmations * Yoga postures and meditations for each chakra * Yoga wisdom for contemplation Get a FREE Wholesome Energizers CD in every book! CLICK the blue title link above to find out more...

Chakra Chart

Finally! A complete Chakra Chart with all the chakra names, locations, colors, sounds, yoga postures, breathing techniques, psychological & energetic influences and more. There's handy tips for using the chart on the reverse side. It's 8 1/2 by 14" and laminated. CLICK on the blue title link above to find out more...

Guided Meditation for the Chakras

Real Relaxation Yoga Nidra takes you into a deeply relaxing and powerful restful state of being fully aware while being in the state of deep yogic sleep. It helps with balancing chakra energy, and can improve immunity, heart health, relieve stress and give you inner peace and balance.

Get it from Amazon, iTunes, Spotify & other online stores.

Handy Links

Learn about chakras and their influences | Get your Complete Chakra Chart
Chakra Balancing with Sound Healing. Use the Elemental Chakra Tone Chart to balance your chakra energy by either increasing or decreasing their energy with sound, color, and special mantras. The Vedic (Yoga) and Tibetan notes and tones are given. It’s fun.
How to balance chakra energy with toning and hand & finger movements called mudras.
Get info related to chakra elements, directions, sounds, senses, and other attributes
Chakra Energy Flow Meditation
Understanding OM | AUM
Book a Musical Sound Bath session

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Give the Gift of Comfort and Joy

December 21, 2015 by Julie Lusk

Are you feeling the peace and joy of the season? Hopefully taking time for deeper quiet and reflection, and for setting the stage for renewal in the new year?

Actually, it’s too common for there to be extra stress and busyness for nearly everybody during this amazing season. It’s a particularly alarming time for folks who already are running on fumes.

Guided relaxation, imagery, yoga nidra, and meditation is the perfect way to truly get recharged with peace, comfort, and joy.

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Not Sleeping Soundly? Here’s Help

July 14, 2016 by Julie Lusk

Have you ever felt like you were ‘half-awake or only half asleep’ all night? Me too. It’s so frustrating, especially knowing that you have a big day ahead and want to be feel sharp and well rested. Perhaps you don’t want to miss a moment of your vacation or there’s an important conference you’re excited about.

As it turns out, half of your brain can sleep while the other half stays awake, according to sleep scientist Masako Tamaki and her colleagues at Brown University and reported in Current Biology*. They found that this usually happens when sleeping the first night in a new place, like a hotel, friend’s house, or while camping. The second night is much better.

It’s our brain’s attempt to protect us by going into survival mode. What happens is that the right half your brain sleeps while the left half stays alert, standing guard. How strange is that?

Scientists measured the slow-wave activity of the brain, something that occurs during deep sleep. They measured brain activity during light sleep by first playing a tone and then a different tone was played. Surprisingly, the brain reacted to the variation in sound only on the left side of the brain – the right side stayed asleep.

Next, they played a sound loud enough to awaken someone. They found that when it was transmitted into the right ear, the subjects in the experiment woke up faster than if it was sent to the left ear. The right ear is associated with the left side of the brain.

It stands to reason that it would be the left side of the brain that stays on duty since it is known to be objective, analytical, and rational and would be more prone to be protective whereas the right side is best at intuition and abstract thinking. Could this phenomenon be at play when sleeping in an unsafe neighborhood or household? What about when having to keep an ear out for a child or sick person. More studies are needed.

Sleeping ‘half-way’ is involuntary and the brain’s way to keep you alert enough to save yourself if something bad happened and most likely associated with the flight-fight-freeze response to stress. Because of this, scientists think there’s not much you can do about it other than to accept it rather than letting it bother you. Some suggest going two nights ahead of your big day since it’s so hard to sleep that first night.

Here are my suggestions:

Make the room feel familiar and safer to you, tricking the brain into sleeping better. Try using a familiar scent – lavender is calming and aids sleeping. If you’re used to sleeping with a fan whirling away, bring one with you. Using your own pillow makes sense too.
Try yoga nidra. It’s a comprehensive practice done lying down to go far beyond deep relaxation and mindfulness to a place of natural peace and quiet that is tremendously restful. Along with being a special type of meditation to increase uplifting levels of awareness, it can also be practiced at bedtime as a sleep aid. Layers of stress are cleared out so they don’t follow you to bed and disturb sleeping. In fact, while not a substitute for actual sleep, one hour of yoga nidra practice is equivalent to 4 hours of sleep. This is due to the types of brain waves experienced along the way. Proven relaxation skills, specialized breathing techniques, guided imagery, and mindfulness are systematically used. Learn more about yoga nidra here
Use a yoga nidra recording. See below for recommendations. Download it to your listening device, put it on airplane mode, and listen by putting the ear buds or the device itself under your pillow. It will transmit right through your pillow and not disturb your sleep partner.
Use a mudra. They are yoga positions for the hands. Curl your fingers into a fist. On the same hand, touch the tips of the thumbs to the tips of the first finger to form a circle. Rest your hands with your palms pointing down. It helps bring on sleep and reduces stress by promoting a sense of safety and security. Learn more about mudras here.
Breathe slowly and smoothly. To calm your nervous system, breathe in to the count of four or five and then breathe out for five to ten. When you get distracted, gently go back to focusing on your breathing.
Use the Moon Breath to calm your bodymind and brain by combining a mudra with breathing. Bend your index and middle finger of your right hand to your palm, leaving your ring and little finger softly extended. Softly press your right thumb to your right nostril and inhale through your left nostril. Next, release your right thumb and press your ring finger to your left nostril while exhaling. In other words, in left / out right / in left / out right and so on. Learn more about this and other practices in Yoga Meditations: Timeless Mind-Body Practices for Awakening (WPA, 2005)
Follow the guidelines for good sleep hygiene. Here’s the Mayo Clinic’s 7 tips for doing so. Read How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep – The Ultimate Guide. It’s excellent.

So even if you can’t sleep as soundly as you might like due to your brain’s insistence on staying half-awake, at least you now understand the reason why. The above suggestions may lull you to sleep, and if they don’t, you will at least make use of the time in a positive, productive way.

Sweet dreams!

Sleep Well | Yoga Nidra CD

Use deep relaxation, soothing flute music & ocean waves to go to sleep. "I slept like a log." Downloads available. By Julie Lusk, Yoga Nidra Meditations author.