Medical Moment
with Lindsay Wright, LMFT

Today I will be taking you through a guided visualization exercise. Guided visualization can help manage stress and anxiety, regulate our breathing and feel more relaxed in our bodies.

To start, let’s settle into a comfortable position, either seated or lying down. Close your eyes, or relax them into a softened gaze. Take a moment, scanning from the top of your head, down to your toes, taking note of any tension that you may be holding within your body. When you find an area that is holding tension, take a deep breath in, and breathe out, letting any stress go with your breath. Notice how your body is becoming less and less tense.

Once your body feels relaxed, and all the tension has drained away, begin to imagine that you are sitting on a beach, near the ocean. The ocean before you is calm, the water is clear, and the surface is clear, with only very small ripples being created by a light breeze.

Take a few moments to notice how the gentle waves push up against the shore, and take some good, deep breaths, in and out. Begin to take in all of the details of the beach and the ocean.

It’s early morning, and the sun is only beginning to rise. Notice as the light begins to dance across the waves, and as the sky begins to shift through different colors, and birds dip through the sky, beginning their day, just as you are. The sand is soft, the air is pleasant, with a slight breeze, and you can feel the sun beginning to hit your cheeks. The waves make a soft crashing sound against the shore, and palm fronds softly bounce in the breeze. The air smells fresh and clean.

Focus in on the waves, and begin to sync your breathing to the rhythm of the waves that you are visualizing. Breathing in and out, in and out. As the waves pull back breath in, and release as they slowly spread across the sand. Continue to relax, enjoying the peacefulness & the solitude. This is a calm and safe place just for you, and you can stay here, watching the waves for as long as you want. When you feel ready, you can open your eyes, knowing that you can carry this sense of calm with you throughout your day, and that you can always return to the beach that is in your mind to watch the waves.

This is a challenging time for all of us, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need support. I can be reached by calling the Telluride Medical Center at 970-728-3848, or if you are a patient of Telluride Medical Center, by messaging me through the Telluride Medical Center portal.

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call The Center for Mental Health’s crisis line at 970.252.6220.

Be well,

Lindsay Wright

Lindsay Wright | Behavioral Health
Telluride Medical Center