Please find yourself in a comfortable and supported position.
If you are seated,
Please make sure that your upper back is supported.
This will allow your lower back to release.
If you are lying down,
You may want to have a pillow under your knees and a blanket nearby in case your body temperature drops as you become more and more relaxed.
Once you are settled in,
Allow your eyes to close.
Take a few deep breaths and invite yourself to let go.
Notice your forehead.
Notice if there is any gripping from all of the thinking,
The wondering,
The concern,
The inspiration,
All of the thoughts.
If there is any gripping,
Let it go.
After this meditation,
Notice if any of that gripping extends down into your temples,
The bridge of your nose,
Your cheekbones,
The flesh of your cheek,
Your jawline,
Your lips,
Your teeth.
Notice if there is any gripping anywhere in your face.
Acknowledge that tension,
Acknowledge that gripping with a deep breath in and on your exhale,
Let it all go.
Notice if any of that tension extends down into your neck,
Along the right side or the left side,
Where your neck begins to align with your shoulders.
Acknowledge any gripping,
Any tension,
Any residual tension.
Take a deep breath in and let it all go.
Feel the weight of your arms.
Allow them to fully hang down.
Release any gripping of your shoulders to your arms.
For right now,
You don't need your shoulders and you don't need your arms.
Notice if there is any gripping or tension in your chest,
Even with each inhale and with each exhale.
Notice if there is any room to release even more.
Is your breathing controlled?
Are you able to let go?
Let your body breathe on its own.
Watch the breath come into your body,
Gently filling up your lungs and let it leave your body when it's ready.
Looking towards the muscles in your chest,
The muscles around your ribcage,
The muscles in the center of your body.
Notice any gripping,
Any tension.
Acknowledge that tension.
Take a deep breath in.
Focus your attention on your back,
Your upper back,
Just below your shoulders.
Notice how your inhalation may expand your upper back and your exhalation,
Your back may gently contract.
Listen to the rhythm of your body,
The rhythm of your breath.
This is the conductor.
Noticing any gripping or tension in your upper back,
Your mid-back and your lower back.
Take a deep breath and on your exhale,
Let it all go.
Any tension,
Scanning for any gripping.
Focus your attention on your waistline,
Your hips,
Your hip flexors,
Your glutes,
Your groin,
Your root chakras.
Take a few breaths into each area,
Especially where there's any tension,
Any gripping.
Imagine the smile as you notice these areas of tension,
Acceptance,
Compassion.
And with a deep breath,
Acknowledge that tension,
Acknowledge any gripping.
Send a little gratitude to that tension for whatever purpose it served.
Gently wrap your arms around that tension and with a deep breath,
Inhale.
And on the exhale,
Let it all go.
Notice if there's any gripping or tension in your thighs and your quadriceps,
Your IT bands on the sides and your hamstrings in the back.
Acknowledge that tension.
Acknowledge any gripping.
Inhale with a gentle smile.
And on your exhale,
With a pool of gratitude,
Allow that tension and that gripping to fade away.
Continuing down each leg,
Passing by your knees,
Your calves,
Your ankles to your feet,
Each toe with your awareness.
These toes work so hard every day to keep us balanced,
Grounded,
And often confined.
Now is an opportunity to let each toe relax.
You have permission to let them all go.
If there is any area where you notice remaining tension,
Steer your breath towards it and take a few deep breaths in,
Acknowledging that tension.
In your mind,
Send a little hug to that tension,
A little gratitude for however that tension may have served you.
In your elbows,
Your forearms,
And your wrists,
Your hands,
Each finger.
Allow your entire body to relax.
You have everything you need right now to be exactly where you are,
To breathe on its own as it naturally comes into your body.
Maybe it pauses at the top of your inhalation and gently exhales,
Pausing again at the bottom of your exhalation before it gently inhales.
On your next inhalation,
Hear the words,
Relax the mind,
And on your next exhalation,
Hear the words,
Release the heart.
Inhale,
Relax the mind.
Exhale,
Release the heart.
Inhale,
Relax the mind.
Exhale,
Release the heart.
Exhale,
Release the heart.
On your own,
With or without that mantra,
And on your natural inhalation,
Inhale the following words,
And on your following exhalation,
Release the mind.
Exhale,
Release the mind.
Release your mind.
Relax your heart.
Exhale,
Release your mind.
Exhale,
Release your mind.
Take a few inhalations and exhalations on your own,
Using those words,
Or just breathing.
At the bottom of your next exhalation,
Take a moment to welcome its next inhalation.
Without your guidance,
Without your direction,
You are free to let go.
You have everything you need to accomplish anything you want.
To come back to your physical body,
Maybe you start to wiggle your toes,
Or maybe you just notice them.
Each beautiful toe that works so hard each day,
With each part of your body that wakes up from this deep meditation,
Spread throughout your body.
Feel the love from your toes,
And return it back to your toes.
Feel the love in your feet,
Your heels,
Your ankles.
As you breathe in love,
Breathe in space.
Allow your ankles,
Your calves,
Your knees,
Your shins to expand.
With that extra space,
Your blood has more room to flow,
Your energy can travel throughout your body more freely.
As you welcome back your quadriceps,
Your IT bands,
Your hamstrings,
Your legs.
Love.
Receive their love.
Welcome back your hips,
Your hip flexors,
Your glutes.
Fill them with love,
And receive their love.
Inhale space and welcome back your stomach.
Fill your stomach with love and space and generosity and compassion.
Acceptance.
Receive the love from your stomach,
Your gut,
Your liver,
Your kidney,
All of your muscles in your core.
Extending around your lower back.
Let there be space,
And let there be love.
So much love,
That it fills up your middle back,
Expanding your upper back and your lungs.
Your chest fills up with space and love and peace and compassion.
To travel up to your shoulders,
Creating space in your shoulders,
Welcoming back your arms and your elbows,
Your wrists,
Your hands,
And each finger that works so hard every day.
All of the gripping,
The motion,
The balancing,
The handling.
All the activity of your arms and your hands.
Send them love.
Send them space.
Allow your awareness to travel up from your shoulders to your neck,
Releasing any remaining tension that has crept up in your jaw,
Your mouth,
Your tongue,
Your teeth,
Your cheeks,
Your ears,
The bridge of your nose,
Your nostrils,
Your eyebrows,
Your eyelids,
Your forehead.
Fill your body with love.
Fill your body with space.
Fill your body with acceptance.
Fill your body with gratitude.
Fill your body with love.
Maybe you start to flutter your eyes.
Notice if the world around you looks any different.
Notice any changes in your own body.
Notice your perspective.
Notice the sounds of the world around you.
Notice how your body feels.
Notice if you feel strength within your peace and peace within that strength.
Be gentle with your body as maybe you stretch one leg and the other leg and maybe lift your arms up above your head,
Interlocking your fingers,
Leaning from one side to the other side.
Maybe there's an inhalation and exhalation as you let your arms rest back at your sides.
Maybe there's a gentle roll of your head to the side and then to the other side.
As you look around you,
Noticing your new life,
You have everything you need.
