The 14th Dalai Lama says that world peace begins first with inner peace.
The practice we will embark on this morning is called progressive muscle relaxation and it's one of the easiest access points I've found to entering into that state of inner peace.
Unlike traditional relaxation techniques that encourage deep rest,
This practice will help you wake up feeling refreshed,
Present and ready to embrace your day.
By mindfully tensing and releasing different muscle groups,
You will awaken the body while cultivating a sense of grounded vitality.
So now's the time to get yourself nice and comfy,
Closing down your eyes if that feels good for you,
And breathe deeply into your belly,
Feeling it expand in every direction.
And let the breath go and relax.
Breathing deeply into the belly,
Noticing if you're craving a longer inhale or exhale this morning,
And exhaling it all out slowly.
One more deep breath into that belly,
Suspending the breath at the top for a moment,
And letting the breath go with the exhale,
Settling into stillness.
Allowing the breath to return to normal.
Now we will gently activate different parts of the body,
Bringing in alertness and life force energy.
We'll start with the feet and legs first,
As starting from the bottom and working our way up is more enlivening and energizing.
So you can start by pressing your feet into the ground and activating your leg muscles,
Squeezing gently,
Hold onto it,
Hold those muscles tight,
Holding and squeezing,
One last final squeeze and release,
Feeling warmth and energy flowing into your legs.
Next,
We'll move into your center.
I'll invite you to lift up with your pelvic floor,
Tighten your glutes,
Tighten your stomach and lower back,
Making a brick of strength in your whole middle section.
Hold and squeeze,
Hold and squeeze for a few moments longer,
And release,
Noticing how you feel.
Moving up now to your hands and arms,
Making fists,
Engaging your hands and tensing all of your arm muscles.
Squeeze and hold,
And release,
Feel the energy awakening in your limbs.
And moving now into the shoulders and chest,
Shrugging your shoulders up to your ears,
As you tighten your whole chest,
Upper back and shoulders,
Holding and squeezing,
And let them drop.
Expanding your chest slightly as you inhale,
And softening as you exhale.
Moving now into the face and jaw,
Gently clenching your jaw and scrunching your face as tight as you can,
Hold it there,
Holding and squeezing like you are eating a lemon,
And release.
Feel openness and ease spreading through your face.
Now giving this treatment to your whole body at once,
Tighten your entire body,
Feet,
Hands,
Shoulders,
Core,
Face,
Holding steady here,
Allowing yourself to be with this discomfort,
Knowing it will end soon,
And that this will give you the gift of a more vibrant day.
Hold and squeeze,
And release.
Notice that wave of energy moving through you.
Inhaling deeply,
Filling every cell with fresh energy,
And exhale with a gentle sigh.
Placing a hand on your heart or belly,
Take one last deep breath in,
Feeling gratitude for this moment,
For this body,
For this day.
And when you're ready,
Gently wiggle your fingers and toes,
Flutter your eyes open,
Take a stretch,
And imagine yourself stepping into your day with clarity and vitality.
Remember,
You are wildly deserving of a magical day.
Go live it,
My friends.
