Chillaxing with Otters (guided imagery)

This is not your classic water imagery of a person having a bath in a lake. I personally struggle with that kind of imagery; doing it all dressed feels unnatural, getting undressed or changing clothes doesn’t feel safe at all. Imagining my body in clothes appropriate for bathing brings up emotions that are not helpful for the exercise. Some people don’t know how to swim, for some imagining their body in contact with water is triggering instead of relaxing. I just don’t see why this would be a good idea when the goal of the exercise is to relax and calm down.

That is why we will do something slightly different and imagine that we can take our awareness and share the mind of an otter. Otters are amazing swimmers, they also have the ability to effortlessly lay on the water and float, they even sleep in that position. If you can’t imagine how an otter acts in the water I would recommend watching a few YouTube videos like this or this. They are utterly trustworthy swimmers and very cute.

With DID this exercise will be more effective if you do it together in synchronization. You could each have your own otter to swim with or share one or some of you share and some have their own. This can make the last part of the exercise a meaningful experience for all of you. Only do this with parts who are willing to join.

 

 

Find a position that feels comfortable and stable so that nothing gets in the way of your relaxation.If you wear glasses you might want to take them off. You can do this exercise while you are sitting and also while laying down, whatever feels safe for you. Maybe you want to move around a little to make sure that you are as comfortable as you can be. When you are ready you could close your eyes or soften your gaze and take a few deep breaths.

 

Then your imagination can lead you to a protected place where there is water. That might be a lake or a river or maybe it is even the sea. If you don’t want to be in nature you might find a pool or some other place that is inviting and peaceful.

Listen to all the small noises the water is making as it gently moves, there might be a rushing or a murmuring or a gurgling or water lapping against stones. Maybe you could hear birdsong too.

When you look around you could notice that there are trees that offer a home for birds and shade to rest in, maybe there are happy bushes or lush grass or little flowers. The sky is light and blue above you and the temperature is just right. Take your time to look around and breathe in the fresh, clean air. When you pay close attention you might even be able to smell the clear water.

 

If you want to, you can search for a place where it is easy to get close to the waterfront; there might be a beach or a hidden pier or whatever comes to your mind. And as you approach, you can see that a family of otters is at home there. They are floating and playing and having a good time. They are not shy at all and some of them might even come to greet you.

Maybe they even know you already because you have been here before.

One of the otters kindly invites you to share their experience. It is easy. All you have to do is to breathe calmly while you focus your mind on the mind of the otter. Then you could soon notice their thoughts about how much they trust their fellow otters and how cozy it feels to just lay in the water and float. You could feel the thick fur that is keeping you warm and the water that carries you all by itself. Everything is just right in this little paradise of gentle waves and cozy sunshine.

 

Sometimes there is tension in the face and then you might start washing your little face with your paws, dipping them in the water and gently rubbing them all over your furry face. If you like you could do that movement now, rubbing your jaw, gently brushing over your cheeks and forehead and relaxing all the little muscles in your face….. You can dip your paws in the water and wash away all the tension or pain while you can feel your jaw loosen and the forehead straighten. Even the tiny muscles around your eyes can relax now.

If there was any tension in your back it is dissolving now, as you let your body get heavy and feel how the water is holding you up. You could roll around in the water like it was made of soft cushions and every time you roll, more tension is released from your back. So you roll again, and feel how much more relaxed your body gets each time…. as you roll again….. as often as needed…. and feel your body get warmer and softer and heavier… until you can come to stillness and relax deeply.

 

And when you are fully relaxed, you can simply lay back and let yourself drift a little. Notice the mild sunshine, how blue the sky is and all the comforting little noises around you. Maybe you want to close your eyes and just be there for a while, peaceful and safe. Take as long as you want, to enjoy your deep relaxation. You can be care-free and gently move with the water and then a minute might feel like an hour, and you can feel restored and refreshed.

And if you want to be for yourself in this place, that is ok, the water is here just for you.

And maybe you would enjoy the company of your otter friends. They could remind you of people you love or have other parts of you traveling with them. Then the soft waves could make you drift closer together without any effort at all, everyone floating in deep relaxation and when you are close enough you could take each other paws and link together, so you can’t drift apart again. Then you could share your rhythm, breathing deeply as the water sways you, while you are fully relaxing back into your cozy fur. You can feel the love and fellowship and the deep connection in this peaceful place and know that you belong.

Stay here as long as you like and as long as it is comfortable for you.

 

When it is time to leave, you can ask your otter to swim to the shore again, where your mind can return to your body. It is just as relaxed as the otter was. Maybe you want to thank the otter for letting you travel with it for a while before you start to move around a little, move your fingers that are not paws anymore, shake out your legs and then look around in the room to arrive back in the Here and Now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to @diewahreLuca for letting us use your otter pictures, they are cute as a button.

 

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