Sometimes, we need to wash ourselves clean of any emotions, stressors, and problems. Many workplaces will tell us to leave our personal problems at the door, but if you’re truly struggling, this can be hard to do. If you find yourself in a period of hardship and you’re having trouble letting go of some of your emotions, I’d love to share an exercise that’s been helping me to release anything and everything I’ve been holding onto. It can be incredibly helpful at any time, prior to any event, and you can craft your own timing with it, too. Perhaps, if you’re having a bad day, you can take an extended period of time to meditate for at least 30 minutes. Or if you just need a bit of separation, you can run a 15-minute meditation session. This is what I generally recommend when doing this exercise. 

As I begin this metaphysical cleansing, I like to hear the water flowing, either from the stream or falling from the sky as rain

The Expand app is the perfect tool to utilize for this purpose, as the background sounds in the Timer section are part of what makes this exercise so beneficial. To begin, set the timer for 15 minutes (or more if you need it), select the Relaxation & Healing signals, and set the background to either Rain or Mountain Stream. I find that either works well, but the key element in this exercise is water. 

As I begin this metaphysical cleansing, I like to hear the water flowing, either from the stream or falling from the sky as rain (depending on the sound chosen). If it’s a stream, I mentally follow the stream a bit until I find the perfect, serene spot. If I pick the rain, I follow a path until the perfect peaceful spot reveals itself to me. Then I imagine the flowing or falling water healing me, washing all over my body, cleansing out anything negative, any bad feelings or thoughts, and any pain or discomfort I may be experiencing. 

I felt its chill and rejuvenating energies, and finally fully immersed myself to let it wash away any negativity from my head down to my toes. 

I first stumbled upon this idea on a day I truly wasn’t feeling myself. I chose the stream as the background sound in the Expand app, visualized myself following the stream up to a serene spot where the water was calmer, and soaked in the joy and peace of that spot. I visualized myself stepping into the stream and felt the water rushing lightly by my toes. I felt its chill and rejuvenating energies, and finally fully immersed myself to let it wash away any negativity from my head down to my toes. 

...if you allow your imagination to open up and get creative, your mind will help you visualize the best way to help you to heal in that moment.

The next time I did this exercise, I did it with the rain background, and I felt each drop of rain falling, touching my skin lightly, and running down, washing off of me, taking with it any pain, insecurities, and negative thoughts. I feel that if you allow your imagination to open up and get creative, your mind will help you visualize the best way to help you to heal in that moment. For me, it was a visual representation of water as accompanied by the background sounds in the Timer. 

The more you play with the Timer section of the app and try different settings, the more you may discover about yourself and what works for you, but I highly recommend starting with using the idea of water as a tool for healing and refreshing your mind and soul. 

...the beauty of the Expand app is that you can craft your own experience in the Timer section...

Sometimes, our minds can correlate something like water, something we use to cleanse our physical bodies daily, with cleansing our spiritual being and our internal pains. I encourage you to try this out for yourself and see if you’re able to experience the calming piece that I get from this exercise. If not, the beauty of the Expand app is that you can craft your own experience in the Timer section, so feel free to put together your own experience that works the best for you. Regardless, setting aside time to relax and heal yourself in meditation is always a wonderful way to keep you refreshed throughout the day.