A “Mini” can be as simple as taking a deep breath or two while counting, or breathing in calm and breathing out stress for 4 breaths, or it can be more elaborate, as in the imagery below. I personally like the tree for waiting in line.

Four Mini-Relaxations using Images from Nature

 You can use each of these simple relaxations on its own, or you can use one particular image as the basis of a longer relaxation.

Tree

 Stand and find a comfortable position with your feet about shoulder width apart, so that you feel very steady, like a tree. You can begin by breathing out deeply, and imagining that you have deep roots going deep into the earth and that you can breath out all your tension and stress down through those roots.

And as you breath in again, as a tree takes in minerals and nutrients from the soil, you can breath in energy from the earth up into your body, renewing your energy. So breathing out your stress, tension and breathing back in energy from the earth. As you continue, you might like to imagine your head and shoulders are like the branches and leaves at the top of the tree and as you breath out you are drawing in sunlight through the top of your head through your shoulders into your body. So you are breathing in and bringing in energy from the earth and as you breath out you are filling up with energy from the sun. Breath in energy from the earth and draw energy from the sun as you breath out. You can feel the steadiness of the tree, the flexibility, strength and groundedness of the tree. You are energized from the earth and from the sun.

 Waterfall

Imagine a beautiful pristine place in nature. You are standing under a clear, pure waterfall. The water is running down over your head and your shoulders, cleansing and washing away any stress and tension. If you like, you can breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth, feeling as if the stress is washing away as you breath out, feeling that your emotions are being cleansed, that your mind is becoming clear. Imagine the water is not only washing over your body but is actually running through your body, cleansing and stress within your body. You can feel that flowing quality of water, how it can flow around and through any obstacles in your life. 

Sun

 Imagine you are standing in the sunshine. The sun is warming, shining on your head and shoulders. Imagine, if you will, you can feel the sun within the center of your chest, radiating light forward to the front of your chest and backward to the back of your chest. As you breath in, bringing oxygen to that sun, it burns brighter with every breath. You can even breath in through your nose and out through your mouth, feeling as you are breathing in that bellows are fanning that fire, feeling the golden light emanating from your chest, feeling the confidence and radiance of the sun.

Air, Wind

Imagine You are like the wind, with no boundaries. The air is blowing away any stress and tension in your mind and body. Breath in and out gently through your mouth, making the sounds of the air and the wind, feeling that sense of freedom and expansiveness, losing your limitations.