In this practice,
You will train the skill of relaxing your body and mind via releasing effort with a softening breath.
Settling into your practice posture,
Comfortable and attentive,
Eyes open or closed as you prefer.
We begin with noticing how it feels like to be you,
Right here,
Right now.
Any sounds,
Sights,
Smells,
Tastes,
Bodily sensations or mental phenomena such as thoughts,
Whatever it may be,
Gently being with them.
Good.
We continue with relaxing our body.
Starting out with diaphragmatic or lower belly breathing,
Taking controlled and gentle inhales.
Starting in the lower belly,
Inhaling,
Lower belly inflates,
Exhaling,
Naturally deflates.
Inhaling,
Lower belly inflates,
Exhaling,
Deflates,
Relaxing.
Inhaling,
Inflates,
Exhaling,
Shoulders drop,
Deflates,
Relaxing.
Inhaling,
Exhaling,
Relaxing.
Continue breathing into your lower belly and relaxing on the exhales.
Good.
Allow your breathing to flow freely again without any guidance and continue with noticing any releasable effort within your body that may manifest as bodily tensions such as in your eyes,
Jaw,
Shoulders,
Hands or anywhere in your body.
Once noticed,
Taking advantage of the natural relaxation on every exhale,
Releasing effort within the whole body or that particular part.
Inhaling,
Body inflates,
Exhaling,
Shoulders drop,
Body deflates,
Relaxing.
Inhaling,
Inflates,
Exhaling,
Shoulders drop,
Body deflates,
Release,
Relax.
Continue practicing in this way,
Releasing effort on every exhale.
As you continue releasing effort and relaxing on the natural exhale,
Notice the pleasure that may become available to you on every letting go,
On every release of effort.
Noticing how nice it feels to relax.
Continue inhaling and exhaling as the eyes soften,
The jaw softens,
The shoulders drop,
Body deflates.
There's a relaxing letting go.
On the next exhale,
Body softens,
Relax,
Enjoy,
Smiling into how nice it feels to let go,
To soften.
Good,
We will continue with relaxing the mind.
Bring your awareness to the exhale on the tip of the nose,
Your nostrils,
Gently feeling the air flowing out.
Continuing the exhale,
Relaxing your whole body as we did before,
While putting an emphasis on the softening of your eyes and the frontal lobe of your brain,
The area just behind your eyes.
This may be experienced as the eyes becoming heavy,
Falling asleep,
Softening of the mind or surrendering,
Giving up.
Inhaling and exhaling slowly and gently through the nose,
Relaxing the body,
Softening,
Inhaling,
Exhaling soft and slow,
Exhale through the nose,
Softening your gaze,
Relaxing the frontal lobe of your brain,
Relaxing,
Inhaling,
Exhaling,
Relaxing the eyes,
The area just behind your eyes,
Letting go,
Surrendering.
Continue softening in this way.
As you continue relaxing and releasing effort on every exhale,
Notice the release of effort,
The relaxing of mind during the exhalation.
This may be experienced as giving up thinking,
A relief or stillness.
Be curious,
What happens when I release effort within my mind,
When I relax the frontal lobe of my brain.
As you continue softening,
Notice the pleasure that may become available to you on every release of effort,
On every letting go of tension,
Thinking.
Inhaling,
Exhaling,
Releasing effort within the frontal lobe,
Softening,
Inhaling,
Exhaling,
Mind softens,
Body softens,
Relaxing,
Inhaling,
Exhaling,
Softening,
Letting go and noticing how nice it feels to relax,
To soften,
Smiling into with your eyes how nice it feels.
Continue practicing in this way,
Noticing the effort within your body or mind,
Letting go with a few gentle exhalations,
As many as you want and smiling into enjoying how nice it feels to let go.
This will educate and chant your mind that letting go,
Releasing of effort is preferable over the opposite,
Holding onto.
Every noticing of effort,
Letting go and smiling into bit by bit will teach your mind to prefer and automate letting go,
Relaxing.
Continue practicing in this way for a while.
Notice effort,
Soften releasing effort and smiling into how nice it feels to release let go of effort until it lasts and repeat,
Recognizing,
Softening,
Enjoying,
Good.
Allow your attention to move freely again.
How does it feel to be you right now?
This may be experienced as any sounds,
Sights,
Smells or tastes,
Bodily sensations or mental phenomena such as thoughts,
Whatever it may be,
Gently,
Softly observing,
Being with whatever experience arises.
As we transition out from this practice,
A reminder that softening,
The releasing,
Relaxing of effort within your body or mind is available to you in daily life.
Thank you for practicing,
Take care.
