Walking to the Waterfall-Visualization Technique.

Sit comfortably and move your awareness to your breath.  Breathe naturally.  Notice as your breath comes in and goes out.  When you are ready, move your attention to the top of your head and become aware of a soothing golden light coming down through the top of your head and moving slowly down your body. 

Follow it as it moves to the level of your eyes.  Let any tension you feel there flow into the stream of light.  Follow the light as it moves to the level of your throat.  Let any tension there flow into the light.  Repeat this process at the level of your heart and shoulders, your belly button and elbows, your pelvis and wrists, your knees and fingers, your ankles and toes.  Notice as the light continues to move, out through your feet and deep into the earth.  Continue to focus on your breath and the light moving into and out of your body.

When you feel fully relaxed and still, picture/sense/feel a trailhead in front of you.  Begin to walk on the path in front of you.  Notice the ground under your feet and the landscape around you.  Notice the weather and any sounds that are there. 

As you walk along, pay particular attention to any parts (Managers, Firefighters or Exiles) that come up.  From the fullness of the light in your heart, look at or sense each part.  Gently reassure each part and find out what it needs from you to continue walking on this trail.  Let the parts know that you will be back in just a little while.  Find a place in the landscape that is safe and fun for your parts and help them get settled there before you continue your walk.

As you continue to walk on the trail, notice that there is a waterfall up ahead of you.  Let it fill your awareness as you move closer to it.  When you get there, step into the waterfall.  

Be in the waterfall for awhile.

When you are ready, step out of the waterfall.  Notice what parts or beings are there to greet you.

Practitioner:  

I first ask my clients about the parts they meet when they leave the waterfall.  It may take them awhile to remember or decide it is okay to disclose their experience.  They will also generally want to talk about their journey to the waterfall.  It is important, I believe, to attend to the parts that were willing to step back for this journey and to welcome them back before the end of the session.  I also think it is helpful to remind my clients that extreme feelings experienced in the body or thoughts and fears such as “I can’t do this” or just floating off (dissociating) are sensations that are coming from parts.  The objective during the walk toward the waterfall is to acknowledge these parts and show them how they can step back and let the client lead from Self, rather than trying to devalue or push them away.