Hey,
It's Adam.
This meditation is designed to engage your sense of touch,
Guiding you through a gentle self-massage that will increase awareness of the moment,
Relax your body,
And focus your mind.
A friendly reminder here that the mind is designed to wander,
So when that very thing happens,
Perhaps just take a moment to notice where it went if that feels okay.
And then when you're ready,
Gently guide yourself back to the meditation at hand.
To start today,
I encourage you to find a comfortable seat.
This exercise will likely work best on a cushion on the floor,
But feel free to make any adjustments you need.
Wherever you are,
Make sure you've found a spot where you can be uninterrupted,
If that's possible,
For the duration of this exercise.
To begin,
I invite you to take a few breaths through your nose,
Filling up your lungs,
And then sigh out the air from your mouth at a long,
Slow pace.
Good.
Let's do that again.
Fill up your lungs through your nose and take a nice,
Long sigh out.
Maybe one more time,
But this time bring your shoulders up to your ears on the inhale,
And gently float your shoulders down on the exhale if that feels okay.
Okay,
Just kidding,
That felt good,
So let's do that one more time if that works for you.
Shoulders up,
And out,
Floating down.
From here,
Feel free to continue this movement of your shoulders a few more times,
Or settle into stillness as you breathe naturally and slowly,
Whatever feels right in this moment.
Good.
To begin the self-massage,
Please take a look at your feet.
Take a few breaths to just notice what you see.
Our feet do so many things for us on a daily basis,
Providing stability and movement regularly.
Because of the weight they usually carry,
They can be in need of attention.
So when you're ready,
Consider giving them just a gentle massage with both of your hands.
If it's alright,
You can keep your eyes open if you do so,
Just engaging your sense of sight along with touch during this part of the exercise.
Use whatever pressure feels best for you as you continue to breathe gently and calmly.
You're welcome to keep giving those feet a good rub while you breathe,
Or you can also move on to your calves and shins when it feels right.
Now just the same exercise here,
Rubbing the muscles along your calves and shins,
Finding the areas that need some attention right now.
Perhaps you'll consider noticing what you see while you work little circles into the tissues,
Hopefully relaxing your legs bit by bit.
And while you're here,
Breathe,
And perhaps consider all the things your calves and shins allow you to do on a daily basis.
Alright from here,
You're welcome to proceed up to your thighs.
These large muscles can be strong as well as tense,
So feel free to apply as much pressure as you need or not,
But just see if you can't find the right balance of that pressure to encourage these tissues to release just a bit.
Take all the time you need here as you breathe in and out.
Next I want to encourage you to explore your midsection a bit.
Feel free to connect with your belly,
Side body,
Low back,
Middle back,
Or chest.
This is a larger section of the body typically,
So take your time finding what feels best for you in this moment.
Our lower backs can be very tense,
So be as gentle as you need,
Massaging into those areas with pressure that suits you today.
Take lots of time if needed to work out any kinks that might be present here,
And breathe nice and slow.
Now you may have thoughts about this particular section of your body that aren't all positive,
And that's okay.
Perhaps also think about how many vital functions happen in this part of your body,
And consider offering this section of you a little love in this moment,
If that's alright.
Moving up to your neck and shoulders.
This area can be a doozy,
So take lots of time here to carefully and mindfully explore whatever tension might be present here.
If a self-massage isn't effective for you here,
Feel free to instead gently let your head fall to one side or the other.
Maybe make tiny little neck circles if that's okay.
Whatever you do,
Take all the time you need to gently work on this part of your body,
While you continue to breathe.
I could spend all day right there,
But if you're ready to move forward,
I encourage you to take some time rubbing your temples,
Forehead,
Cheeks,
Jaw,
And skull.
Sometimes we forget this part of our body and massages,
So just take a little time to soothe these areas.
They can get very tense,
Especially during the work day or other stressful situations.
Maybe try some tiny circles on your temples,
And maybe a light tapping across your forehead and down your jaw.
You have lots of time here to see what needs your attention,
And just double check that your breathing is still nice and slow.
Finally,
We can move down to your upper arms,
Forearms,
Wrists,
Hands,
And fingers.
One side at a time,
Just work out any tension you can.
No rush at all here.
Just enjoy the feeling of massaging the tissues here slowly and mindfully.
I don't think I need to tell you all the amazing things our arms and hands do for us regularly,
But if it's okay,
Just consider how much you do with this part of your body,
And maybe just allow a little gratitude to happen in this moment.
And that's it!
That's the exercise for now,
So if you're not done,
Just keep going.
Just ignore me.
Let your body sensations guide you.
But if you are complete here,
Consider taking a mindful moment to notice how your body feels now compared to how it felt before.
What areas feel looser,
And what areas might still need more love and attention,
Whether it's through the massage or just some gratitude.
You can always return to this meditation and do it all again,
Or just focus on what you need today.
Please know that I am so grateful to you for taking time with me today and prioritizing yourself in this moment.
I really hope you have a wonderful day.
