Welcome to a moment to unwind,
A meditation dedicated to resting your body,
Calming your mind,
And soothing your emotions.
Find a comfortable position,
Whether sitting or laying down,
And gently close your eyes if that feels good for you,
Allowing your body to settle in,
Making any adjustments as needed,
And see if you can start to gently turn your awareness or attention in to the external world,
To simply fade,
All the things to do to quietly,
Patiently rest in the background for now.
Let's begin by connecting and becoming aware of your breath,
Simply noticing its natural rhythm,
Its ebb,
And its flow,
Observing the inhalation and the exhalation,
And bringing your awareness to the effortless process of the body breathing itself,
And just observing your body breathing as a whole,
And noticing what it's like to have this breath,
This gift,
And now see if you can take a slow,
Deep breath in,
In a way that feels comfortable for you,
Belly to expand,
And see if you can hold it just for a brief moment,
And then exhale,
Slow,
Allowing any sense of tension or stress to start to melt,
Trickle away,
Or loosen its hold,
And practicing again this pattern with each breath,
See if you can let yourself sink deeper into relaxation,
Feeling a sense of ease washing over you,
And now bring your attention to your body,
To settle,
To find maybe some bit of stillness,
Noticing the sensation of being supported by gravity,
And the surface that you are on,
Noticing your body as a whole,
Noticing the sensation of being in body scan,
But first take a moment to notice any general areas of tension or discomfort,
And see if you can allow your breath to assist you with these areas,
To soften,
To release,
As we begin a more directive body scan,
Start by bringing your awareness to your feet,
Feel the sensations in your toes,
The arches of your feet,
The heels,
Imagine each breath is flowing through your feet,
Bringing a sense of gentle relaxation and comfort,
And allowing,
Permitting any tension or discomfort to melt away,
These feet that carry us through our days,
Take a lot of impact,
And it's ok for them to be relaxed,
Awareness to your legs,
Feel the weight of your thighs,
The muscles in your calves,
And your knees,
See if you can envision or sense a warm,
Soothing energy flowing through your legs with each breath,
Releasing any tightness or fatigue,
Legs to completely relax and let go,
Now bring your attention to your hips and your lower back,
Noticing any sensations or areas of tension or holding,
And again while utilizing your breath,
Visualize that tension dissolving,
Like a gentle receding from the shore,
Feel your hips being soft and at ease,
Shift your focus to your abdomen and chest,
Feel and observe the gentle rise and fall of your breath,
And if it feels comfortable,
See if you can allow your breath to reach deep into your belly,
Expanding it with each inhalation,
And as you exhale,
Release any stored tension or tightness,
Feeling a sense of relief and relaxation,
And perhaps spaciousness in your core,
And bringing attention to your hands and your arms,
Notice any sensations,
Imagine each breath flowing through your hands and your arms,
Bringing a gentle release of any tension or heaviness or fatigue,
And feel a sense of lightness and ease as your hands and your arms completely relax,
Now shift your awareness to your shoulders and your neck,
Notice any tightness or stiffness in these areas,
And again with each breath,
Imagine your shoulders dropping away from your ears,
Releasing any burdens or stress,
Let the breath soothe and soften,
You're free of tension,
Release its hold,
Moving your attention to your face,
Noticing any areas of tightness,
Noticing the muscles around your eyes and your jaw,
And with each breath again,
See if you can evoke a sense of relaxation and softening,
Feeling a sense of tranquility and peace spreading across your entire face,
And taking a moment again to acknowledge your body as a whole,
As a vessel of relaxation,
Of peace,
And a sense of gratitude for all that you've shewed through this existence,
And again,
Connect with the gentle rhythm of your breath flowing through your body,
Nourishing every cell and bringing a deep sense of rest and rejuvenation,
Which is likely needed,
Now let's shift the focus to the mind,
Wonderful,
Beautiful,
However,
Imagine your mind as a clear expansive sky,
Free from any clouds or disturbances,
As thoughts arise as they usually do,
See if you can just acknowledge them without judgment,
Drift away like passing clouds,
And see if you can bring your attention back to the spaciousness and stillness within your mind,
Embracing a sense of calmness,
And if your mind begins to wander again as it usually does,
See if you can gently guide it back to your breath,
Each inhalation brings in fresh revitalizing and clear energy,
And each exhalation releases any mental tension or concerns,
As you continue to breathe,
See if you can give your mind the permission to be a bit more quiet,
Even if it's just a bit,
Becoming more tranquil and at peace,
And fully present in this moment of relaxation,
Now bring your awareness to your emotions,
Noticing any feelings that may be present with you,
Judgment,
Maybe joy,
Or there may be sadness,
There may be tranquility,
Maybe restlessness,
But see if you can acknowledge the experience of these emotions without judgment or resistance,
But see if you can hold them with compassion and care,
And visualize your breath flowing through your heart center,
Enveloping your emotions in a warm,
Portative,
Compassionate embrace,
And breathing into a felt sense of calmness and acceptance,
Washing over you and through you,
Nurturing your emotional well-being,
Breathing in and breathing out,
And take a few more moments on your own to rest in this deep state of relaxation,
Body and your emotions are at ease,
Even if it's just for this moment,
See if you can allow yourself to fully surrender to this moment of restfulness,
Knowing that it's okay,
And that you deserve this time to unwind and rejuvenate,
Resting,
Breathing,
Restoring,
And being at ease.
As we near the end of this meditation,
And when you are ready,
Slowly begin to bring your awareness back to your physical body,
To the room that you're in,
Your fingers and toes,
Allow yourself to gently stretch your limbs,
Take a deep breath in,
And take a moment to express gratitude for this dedicated time that you've given yourself.
Most of us have a tendency of doing so much that we often forget to take time like this for self-care and relaxation,
But it's needed,
And see if you can carry this sense of restfulness and tranquility as you go about the rest of your day,
Knowing that you can return to this state of deep relaxation whenever you need it.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes,
Feeling restored and ready to embrace the world with a renewed sense of calmness and well-being,
For it's when we're able to provide ourselves these opportunities for rest,
We can engage with the world a little bit differently,
And we can be more present.
Again,
Thank you for taking the time and making the time to practice this meditation.
Feel free to use the remainder of this time to continue resting for as long as you'd like.
May we all be well,
May we all be happy,
And may we all be free.
