By Lynda Light, M.Ed.

1. Stay present. Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down. Now take three deep breaths to relax the body and clear the mind. Pay close attention to the in breath and the out breath.

2. Imagine being somewhere in nature. With your eyes closed, imagine a place that makes you feel comfortable and peaceful; perhaps the ocean, the redwoods, a pasture or sitting at a campfire in the mountains.

3. Embody the experience. Use all your senses to stay in the experience as if it is really happening. Stay in the experience for as little as 3 or up to 30 minutes. When you feel distracted by thoughts or sounds, take a deep breath and return to your imagery.

4. Stretch slowly. Now open your eyes. Notice how you feel as you come out of this meditation. Allow this relaxed and refreshed feeling to stay with you into your day.

Practice this guided-imagery meditation once per day for four weeks and see what a difference it makes. For more information about meditation classes, call 1-800-SCRIPPS.