Magical Inner Journeys

by Anne Marie Bennett

  except be present with yourself… for yourself…

  I invite you now to imagine that you are walking into your favorite movie theatre… or create a fantastical theatre in your imagination…

  You find yourself stepping into this movie theatre now… looking around… seeking out the most comfortable seat that you can… settling in…. ahhh… Sinking into the seat… noticing the color… the texture… the feel of whatever it is you are sitting on… savoring the quiet of this special place… No one else is here right now… but you might choose to invite someone else to join you if that feels good to you… or just savor being alone… knowing you are completely safe… here in your imaginary movie theatre…

  You notice that the lights are slowly dimming… and the movie screen is lighting up… You are seeing that the screen is showing a scene from your life today… whatever

  it was that you were doing right before you joined this class… See what you were doing… Smile at yourself, whatever it was… and now… simply notice that the film is rewinding… slowly… backwards in time… back to yesterday… to last week… last month…. last year… five years ago… and back and back in time… The film is rewinding more quickly now… and you might be a little bit curious about what the

  movie will show when it finally stops… It’s still rewinding… rewinding back in time…

  back through the years of your life’s journey…

  Now the blurry motion of the rewinding is clearing… and you are seeing some scenes from your childhood… These are playful scenes… scenes of you… playing… Notice what you are seeing… what you are doing… how you are playing… if you are alone… or with others… or maybe you are seeing both kinds of play… What kind

  of play is it that is pleasurable to you here as a small child… that fully absorbs you… delights you?… What kind of play were you doing as a child that made you want to do it again and again?… And just noticing how this playfulness feels in your body… and how are you feeling as you play…

  The movie is fast forwarding a bit now… and you are seeing yourself as an older child

  on the screen… but not yet a teenager… What are you doing?... How are

  you playing?… What kind of play is it that is pleasurable to you as an older child… that fully engages you… that is fun… that makes you lose all sense of time?… Maybe noticing also how this playfulness feels in your body…

  and how you are feeling as you play…

  I’m going to be quiet for a few minutes… and I invite you to fast forward the movie screen to your adolescent years… and then see yourself as a young adult… then a more mature adult… moving the movie forward through your life at your own pace… stopping at scenes that show you playing in different ways… and I also invite you to continue to notice how these various forms of play make you feel in your body…

  and to be aware of how these forms of play made you feel in your heart… I will tell you when you have one minute left…

  So you have one more minute to review your relationship with play on the movie screen… Keep watching… keep noticing…

  It’s time to start thinking about leaving this imaginary movie theatre…

  But first… if you like… take a moment to bow to all of these playful memories… cherishing them… holding them close to your heart… And now fast forwarding your film… forward… and forward… right up to this present day… Seeing yourself on the movie screen sitting in your lovely movie theatre… Smiling at yourself… Smiling at this adventure you’ve just had… Turning off the projector…

  Bringing yourself back to this time and place… back to this room we are in… Feeling your back and legs resting against the chair that supports you… Paying attention to your body right now and asking it what it needs to be more fully present and grounded… Maybe stretching your arms and legs…

  or just moving in some gentle way that feels good to your body which has been sitting for quite a while now…

  Opening your eyes when you feel ready… Please take your time… I will wait for you… Remembering that all is well…

  Taking the Inner Critic Out of the Director’s Chair

  Take a deep breath in… and out… and then gently allow your eyes to close… or keep a soft gaze downwards if that feels better to you today… Giving your body permission to relax… and then to relax just a little bit more… Giving your body and mind permission to be comfortable… comfortable… and relaxed… allowing your body

  to adjust itself in any way it needs to in order to be more relaxed… more comfortable…

  As you tune in to the rhythm of your breath, imagine that when you inhale… you’re inhaling a little bit of the sky… and it’s very clear and very refreshing… And as you exhale, imagine that you’re letting go of whatever you don’t need right now… Inhaling the light, clear sky… Exhaling that which does not

  serve you right now…

  Letting the rhythm of your breath be just what it is… a simple and beautiful process of taking in what’s fresh and clear… and letting go of what’s no longer needed…

  Each breath you take relaxes and refreshes you… Your breath and your mind are becoming clearer and clearer… Your body is relaxing a little bit more with each inhale and exhale…

  Each breath you take relaxes and refreshes you… Your breathing and your mind are becoming clearer and clearer… Your body is relaxing a little bit more with each inhale and exhale…

  Now I invite you to imagine yourself driving a beautiful car…You decide what kind of car it is… and you are driving down a sunny California street… Palm trees are waving gently in the breeze… and you are feeling that all is right with your world… You are driving along… feeling safe and secure in your wonderful car… Feeling your body as it rests against the seat… No one is in the car but you… The radio is tuned to your favorite station… or maybe you’ve turned off the radio… Just listen… What do you hear as you drive along this beautiful California street?... What do you see?...

  What do you smell?...

  Now you are approaching the parking lot of a large motion picture studio…

  You are driving into the parking lot… stopping at the security gate… and cheerfully telling the attendant your name… The attendant smiles and waves you in…

  You are driving your car into the parking space closest to the main entrance

  of this movie studio… Noticing that in the center of this parking space is a large shiny golden star with your name inside it in glittery letters… How do you feel, seeing your name here like this… claiming that this priority parking space that is just for you?…

  Taking your time as you get out of the car… closing the door… making your way into the big door of this movie studio… And when you get inside, you are noticing lots of people bustling around… You are realizing that you are on the set of a very important film… and the film that is being made is telling the story of your life… You are also realizing as you look around… that you are not only the star of the film… you are also its director…

  I invite you now, if it feels right, to find your way across the set… to your very own director’s chair… It’s a special sturdy chair with an oak frame and canvas seat and back… Your name is embroidered on the back… You are approaching the chair from behind… admiring how your name looks there… See that now…

  But… something isn’t right… There is someone else sitting in your director’s chair… You move a little closer and see that your Inner Critic is occupying your director’s chair… and not only that, he or she is actually directing your film…

  Just watch your Inner Critic for a moment... and pay attention to what part of your life is being filmed right now… Noticing carefully how your Inner Critic is directing this part of your life… What is this Critic saying about this part of your life?... How does he or she think this part of your life should look?...

  And now… remembering that your Inner Critic is just one of your m
any inner parts… remembering that your Inner Critic is not you… remembering that this director’s chair really does belong to you and no one else... I invite you to say… in your loudest, best director’s voice… “Stop Action!”… And simply watch as the acting and the filming stop… watching as all the actors and film crew turn to you to see what you want them to do next… noticing that they are waiting for direction from you…

  You might decide now to give them all a break… If so, tell them to “take ten” or something like that... and watch as they all move away from you now… to other parts of the set… so they can have their break… Now if it feels right, go ahead and take a few steps closer to your Inner Critic… your Inner Critic who still happens to be sitting in your director’s chair… Saying hello to him or her… Getting a closer look… If you want, introduce yourself… Smile… Everything really is okay… You are in control of

  this inner journey that you’re on… Shake his or her hand if you feel like it…

  If it feels okay to you… ask your Inner Critic why he or she is sitting in your director’s chair… And listen, just listen to the answer…

  You might want to ask what your Inner Critic is afraid might happen… if he or she were to get out of the director’s seat and leave the set… and again, just listen to the response… It’s okay to just listen… There’s no need to respond…

  today… for being honest with you… And then, if you feel like you want to do this… Tell him or her that you are the real director of this movie about your life… and that it’s time for you to sit in the director’s chair again… Watch as your Inner Critic gets up from the chair and leaves the set… Notice how it feels for you to sit in the director’s chair again… as the cast and crew come back to the set and the filming begins again… Maybe noticing how you feel now that your Inner Critic has left the set… What is it like to actually be the one in charge of this movie…this film that is your life?... And how are you directing this part of your life differently now that you are in control again?...

  Just getting a sense of being the director of your own life again… and enjoying how that feels for a little while…

  It’s almost time to leave now… It’s the end of the day and everyone is getting ready to go home for the night… You find yourself saying good-bye to everyone on the set for now… the actors… the camera operators… your assistants… Thanking them all for being part of your movie… And now you are finding your way back to your beautiful car… Starting the engine… Taking the wheel… Waving goodbye to the

  smiling attendant at the gate… Noticing how good it feels to be driving your own car again… Strong and in control… Driving back through the streets that brought you to the movie studio… Driving with confidence and ease…

  And when you are ready… bringing yourself back to this room that we are in together… Noticing your breath once again... following the sound of my voice right back here… Slowly becoming aware of your body… maybe shifting a little in your seat… Noticing your feet on the floor grounding you more and more into your body… Moving gently in some way that brings you back into the present moment a bit more...

  And opening your eyes gently when you feel ready… No need to hurry… I will wait for you… All is well.

  The Great White Feather

  When you are ready, allow your eyes to gently close… or keep a soft downward gaze… Bringing yourself to stillness… Giving yourself permission to slow down… to relax your body… and your mind… for this next little while… Just giving yourself permission to come home to Spirit… to the One that holds the many parts of your world… Paying attention to your breath… Not trying to change it… Just noticing as

  you breathe in… and noticing as you breathe out… There is nowhere to go for now… and there is nothing to do but sit still with yourself and listen inside… relaxing…

  and now relaxing just a little bit more…

  In your imagination now… I invite you to remember the last time you behaved in a way that was contrary to your best, brightest, most authentic self… Maybe you said something that was hurtful… Perhaps you engaged in an addictive behavior… or did something that got in the way of one of your goals… Whatever it was, just call it to mind now… remembering… what you said… or did… how you felt… in your body… in your mind… Remembering too… if you said anything to yourself afterwards that made you feel even worse about yourself… Maybe remembering how hard it was to forgive yourself… Perhaps you were “beating yourself up”… for making this mistake… for acting in this way…

  I invite now… as you are remembering this situation… to become aware that someone is coming towards you… a beautiful being of light… Take a moment to notice who this is… A being of light… What does this being look like?... Are there any colors… sounds… fragrances… arising… as he or she approaches you?...

  And you find yourself smiling a bit… relaxing your shoulders… He or she is carrying a large white feather… The white feather is about half the size of your body… The being of light gently hands you this large shimmering white feather instead… He or

  she says to you… “If you have to beat yourself up, dear one… please use this instead”…

  So go ahead now… Start tapping yourself on the head and face… and on your arms and legs… with this soft white feather… Notice how this feels… You might be finding that you cannot do this without smiling… Maybe you’re even laughing because it tickles…

  Taking a moment now to thank the Being of Light who gave you

  the large white feather… and ask if you can bring the feather back with you…

  knowing that you can visit this being any time you want to… simply by closing your eyes and taking a breath…

  Now when you are ready… and only when you are ready… take another moment

  to come back to your body… and to your breath… paying close attention to how your body feels right now… breathing a little more deeply and consciously now… following the sound of my voice back to this present moment… back to this day and time…

  If it feels good to do so, stretch your fingers and toes… or move your body in some way that feels grounding to you… You might at this time choose to offer a prayer of thanksgiving to Spirit… for this time of stillness… for the gift of your imagination… and for this gentle reminder of how to be kinder to yourself...

  Opening your eyes gently when you are ready… taking your time… I will wait for you… All is well…

  Offering Comfort to a Hurting Committee Part

  I invite you to find a way to make yourself comfortable for the next several minutes… Settling in to your body… Resting your body… There’s nowhere to go… and nothing to do right now… Resting… Relaxing… Settling in to your mind as well… Noticing thoughts as they come and go… just noticing… Resting your mind from worries

  or fears for this little while… and settling in to your spirit… whatever that means to you… Resting… Relaxing… Feeling a little calmer now… and more relaxed with every breath…

  In your imagination, I invite you to take yourself to a safe, beautiful place…

  a sanctuary… an inner sanctuary… It might be a place you have been in your life on the earthly plane… or somewhere purely of your imagination… Take yourself gently there now… outside or inside… Find a place to sit or stand very still here… so that all of your senses can absorb the pure beauty and safety of this place… Seeing… Listening… Smelling… Touching… Maybe even tasting…

  Noticing also how it feels to be here… in this safe sanctuary space today…

  If it feels right to you… bring to mind the inner part of you who is hurting today… and invite this part to join you in this space… Maybe saying hello… What does he or

  she look like?... What is this part wearing?... You might want to try bowing to this part… acknowledging its presence in your life… Thanking it for being willing to speak its truth to you… And then stepp
ing back… several paces away from your hurting part…

  Activating Witness energy now …. and listening with compassion for a moment as this part of you does speak its truth about what it is thinking… and what it is feeling… Allowing it to be fully expressive… Reminding it and yourself that you are in a safe

  place for healing… Remembering that this is just one part of you… This is not your only part… Allowing this part to have its loneliness… or its sadness… its fear… or its anger… or whatever it is feeling... Just allowing it to be okay… Becoming aware that you don’t need to dissolve into this feeling yourself… The bigger you is a compassionate witness now... and this hurting part is a part of you… but it is not all of you…

  Now… watching as this part lapses into silence again… And if you like, calling into this sanctuary one of your Community members… Is there a friend… a family member… a personal pet… or a teacher… who would like to offer something to this part who is hurting today?... Go ahead and invite this Community member to

  join your hurting part now… And you are just watching… from several steps away…

  whatever is happening… How is this person or pet comforting your hurting part?... What words or thoughts are being communicated?... You are simply witnessing… watching… allowing the comfort to be given… and received…

  If it feels right to you… go ahead and invite this Community member to step back and stand with you… several paces away from the hurting part… Together call in a Council member… This might be an archetypal energy or a spirit guide… Maybe even some form of the goddess… Just imagine now calling in a balanced energy with some higher wisdom to share with your hurting part… And then observe with compassion… How does this higher guide assist your hurting part?... What wisdom does it speak or share?... And you are simply witnessing… allowing the wisdom to be communicated… and received…