Settle yourself into a comfortable position.
Allow your body to be supported.
There is nothing you need to do right now.
Take a slow breath in and a long,
Easy breath out.
Allow your eyes to close if that feels comfortable.
Let your attention begin to turn inward.
We'll gently move awareness through the body,
Not to change anything,
But simply to notice.
Notice and to allow relaxation where it's ready.
Bring awareness to the natural rhythm of your breath.
Don't change it at all,
Simply notice where you feel it most clearly.
In the chest,
Or the tummy,
Or the nose.
No need to breathe in any special way.
Just let the breath breathe itself.
With each exhale,
Allow yourself to sink a little deeper into the surface beneath you.
And now bring your attention to your feet.
And notice any sensations present.
Warmth,
Coolness,
Tingling or stillness.
Perhaps a sense of heaviness,
Where they make contact with the ground.
And imagine the breath flowing down into the feet and out again,
Releasing tension.
Allow the feet to soften and move your awareness gently into your ankles.
Breathing in and out here.
And slowly up into the calves and the shins.
Let the muscles of the lower legs relax.
There's nothing they need to hold right now.
And bring your attention to your knees.
Each joint,
The cartilage and ligament.
And the muscles of the thighs.
Allow these large muscles of the legs to become heavy,
Loose and at ease.
And bring awareness now to the hips and pelvis.
Somewhere where many of us hold unconscious tension.
And with your next few breaths,
Invite this area to soften.
And allow it to release any gripping or holding.
Allow the whole of your lower body to feel grounded.
Supported.
Safe.
And now gently bring your awareness to your belly.
And notice its natural rise and fall with each breath.
And you might say to yourself,
It's okay to soften here.
And let your belly relax.
And bring your attention up into the chest and heart area.
Notice the steady rhythm of the breath.
And the heartbeat beneath.
And allow the chest to open.
To be soft.
No need to protect or to brace.
Just breathe.
And now think of your spine.
Bring your awareness to the lower back.
And the mid back.
And the upper back.
Imagine the muscles along the spine gently melting.
Imagine breathing space back in between each vertebra.
And imagine your spine lengthening and relaxing.
And now that it's allowed to rest.
And bring attention to your shoulders.
Notice if they're lifted or tense.
We carry so much here.
As you exhale,
Bit by bit allow the shoulders to drop away from the ears.
Let them be heavy.
Let them sink down.
Feel how your chest opens as your shoulders relax.
And the breaths can become easier and deeper and more free.
And now follow your awareness into your upper arms.
Down the back.
Biceps and triceps.
And into the joints of your elbows.
And your forearms.
Allow the arms to rest fully.
And let your wrists relax.
All these tiny hard-working muscles.
It's time for them to loosen.
Notice your hands,
The palms,
And the fingers.
Let your hands soften completely.
Uncurling.
Releasing anything that they've gripped to the back.
Stay.
And now bring gentle awareness to the neck and throat.
And allow this area to soften.
Notice your jaw.
If it's clenched or tight.
Allow the teeth to part slightly.
Let the tongue rest easily in the mouth.
Soften the cheeks,
The eyes,
The forehead.
Allow the space between the eyebrows to smooth.
Now expand your awareness to the whole body at once.
From the feet to the crown of the head.
Notice the body as a single field of sensation.
Breathing and resting.
And if thoughts arise,
That's okay.
Gently return your attention to the body and the breath.
And rest here for a few moments,
Doing nothing.
Being supported.
And now that your body is completely relaxed,
Allow yourself to arrive here.
Not a destination,
But back into yourself.
Feel the surface beneath you.
Solid and supportive.
And notice the rhythm of your breath.
Like waves returning to shore.
You are not behind.
You are not late.
You are exactly where you need to be.
With each breath out,
Sink a little deeper into rest.
Let the outer world fade.
Sounds soften.
Thoughts slow.
You are home in your body.
You are home in this moment.
You can stay here as long as you want.
Breathing and resting.
You have come home to stillness.
And that is enough.
There is nothing more you need to do.
Nothing more to focus on.
If sleep comes,
Allow it.
And if not,
Simply continue resting.
And when you're ready,
You can slowly bring this practice to a close,
Or drift naturally into rest.
Thank you so much for sharing your space with me.
Have a wonderful rest.
