Floating Reprise

Focus: Relax, surrender and trust. This is all about relaxation! With the season change and my busy career amping up, I have been craving an episode that simply calms. Floating is one of my all-time favourite songs. It was written as part of my Covid Recovery album. Now, I have created a timeless episode that will not mention current events and can be listened to ANY time to soothe and relax. 

Transcript

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Welcome to Guided Harmonies, the podcast where I put words to my therapeutic music. I'm Margaret Dahlberg, and I've designed these episodes to provide short moments of reconnect. I've never really been that successful with meditation. I do better with music or somatic practice. So I put words to my music, and all you need to do is listen with a gentle curiosity. If you doze off, it's really not a big deal. The music and your brain are doing the real work. Your unconscious brain will respond to the vibrations of the music. And when you come back to presence, you will find you feel better. Today's episode is a reworking of a song called Floating that I released previously during COVID. As the days have been growing shorter and the nights longer, I find lately I've been feeling more drawn to relaxation. So I wanted to create an episode where that could be the primary focus. Floating seemed like the perfect music. Now this type of floating refers to water. And for those of you who've tried to float recently, I find it takes a real sense of trust and surrender to get there. I used to like to experiment at a lake where I would close my eyes and float. And I used to test myself and see how long I could keep it up until I just started to feel a little panicky. Something about being outside and in the elements and the wilds, I suppose, of a natural lake that added a little bit of um oh intensity to the exercise. It's a great exercise to try that I highly recommend. Let's get started. Sit back or lie down if you are able, and close your eyes. Now just let these harmonies guide you to a better place. Imagine yourself slowly and gradually melting like a piece of chocolate in the hot sun. Just breathe and allow your subconscious brain to do the work. When you breathe, what do you notice? Do not change anything. Just notice how deep your inhales are. Notice if your exhales are smooth. Notice if you're holding your breaths or trying to control them. What does your body want to do? Here you can trust that your body knows exactly what it needs. Imagine a body of water. One that invites you to take a dip. It can be as small and shallow or as large and deep as you like, preferably in nature. And no matter what you've imagined, know that you are safe here. As you take in your body of water, imagine the sound of that water. Is it gently lapping? Are there rhythmic waves? Maybe your water is as smooth as glass. What does the fresh air feel like? What is the temperature? Is there hot sun? Is there a breeze? It is whatever you need it to be. If you want to get into the water, try stepping into it. Imagine that this water is the perfect temperature for your body to feel perfectly held. If you prefer to stay out of the water, imagine you are watching others from the shore. Imagine you or they are deep enough that you can allow your body to float. Imagine floating safely in the water. This takes trust that the air in your body will be held by the water. To have this air in your body, all you need to do is breathe. Imagine you are fully floating in the water now. Your arms and legs have you shaped like a starfish. Imagine the rhythmic bobbing of your body as you are held by the water. See if you can surrender to those muscles that have yet to let go. A key moment in floating is allowing your head to rest back in the water. This is a true letting go. It requires relaxing your neck, jaw, and face, allowing you to look up toward the sky, almost behind you. Breathing will help you let go of this part of your body even further. Check in with your feet and ankles. Can you invite them to loosen? Sometimes it helps to tighten them first so you can really notice where those muscles are and figure out how to let go of them. Now, how about your calves, knees, and thighs? As you inhale, allow them to let go just a little bit more. Now check in with your pelvis and buttocks. This is a deeply heavy part of your body. Once again, you can try holding the muscles first so you know what you are trying to let go of. Take time as you scan from your belly to your chest. Is there any unnecessary holding? Now, as you breathe, notice your shoulders. Can you allow them to rest as best as they can with your arms out to the side like jelly? Now, as you imagine the floating, picture yourself in the water. Pretend you are looking down from above and you can see your body being held, just bobbing in the water. You feel completely safe and secure. Just breathe and allow the music in your brain to continue to do the work. And with each breath, feel that looseness of your joints and muscles as you float. You are at ease. When you are ready, allow your eyes to crack open and just move slowly at first. Thank you for joining me today. If you want me to compose you your own guided harmony, it's a simple process. Feel free to reach out. Have a wonderful day, and know you have invested in your own wellness.