Visiting a Beautiful Place

When there are stressful times in our lives, we can shift our focus away from our surroundings and imagine a beautiful place. This allows us to focus our attention inside of our thoughts and feelings and helps us to regulate our emotions and bodies in times of stress.

1. Have students lower their gaze and sit in a relaxed position as you guide them through the meditation. Start with deep breathing (e.g., Belly Breathing).
2. Use this guided imagery to help students to relax:

• ”Imagine that you’re standing on a beach. See the beach in your mind. Think about a beach you may have visited, or you could use an imaginary beach if you like. Feel the sand beneath your toes and the warm sun on your face. Look around you. In front of you is a huge ocean. It looks a silvery-blue color and the sunlight sparkles like tiny stars dancing on the surface. You look at the ground and in front of you in the sand is the most beautiful shell you have ever seen. You pick it up. It feels warm. Notice how smooth it is. Feel it with your fingers. As you hold your shell close all you can feel is calm and happiness. You feel peaceful all the way from the tips of your toes, to the tip of your nose. Notice how it feels.”

• How easy or difficult was it for you to focus during this practice? Why or why not?
• Could you imagine a place like the one I described? How did you feel when you imagined that place?
• Are there other calm, relaxing places that you can imagine? Can you describe what they’re like?
• When else would it be helpful to imagine a calm and relaxing place?

For primary school students:

• Invite students to imagine they are drawing numbers or letters on warm, wet sand and then the image is washed away by sow wave (for example, students can imagine writing the numbers 1 to 10 one by one).
• Consider using a guided meditations which meet the needs and interests of your students.

For students in grades 5-6:

• Consider using a guided meditations which meet the needs and interests of your students.