This is a really yummy practice that I do almost every evening to release the day.
Sometimes I do it right before I go to bed but it's a great evening meditation.
Or anytime you feel like you're carrying too much of a load and you want to put your feet up and take that time to release and let that load drain out of your body.
So it's a physical and metaphysical practice and the simplest way of doing this is to put your feet up.
I'm going to talk you through some options for that but the idea is we want our legs to be a little higher than our heart so our heart really doesn't have to do a lot of pumping a lot of work it's supported by gravity and that means we could put our legs up over some cushions or a bolster or over the edge of our sofa or a chair or if you're a yogi and you know how to do legs up the wall pose safely then that's another option.
I'm going to teach you the simplest option.
This involves lying down and just swinging your legs up over a couple of pillows,
A bolster,
Maybe two bolsters to get a little height.
You can experiment and explore or some cushions or a pile of folded blankets or towels and just make sure that the back of your knees the skin there at the back of your knees is making contact with the support because that's going to help your lower back release.
The other thing is to make sure if you need to and you might well need to,
I always do,
You have something underneath your head neck and shoulders so that you can comfortably release down into the ground or the bed or the sofa whatever you're lying on.
But basically you're putting your feet up in some way and in a way that as I said your legs are raised.
So let's begin.
Once you've set yourself up you might pause this we can begin and the first thing to do is to begin to land in your own precious body not arguing with it or trying to fix it or whip it into shape but just simply saying I'm coming home.
Feeling your breath moving in and out of your precious body and how your body's been working hard for you and thanking it and that's your whole body including your heart and your feelings and your mind and all it's been doing to plan and think things through and to solve problems.
You can thank your body for working hard for you and now it's time to let that go.
You've done enough you can take this break knowing it will support you incredibly and magically.
So what a good thing to do bringing your awareness into your body in the shape of your body how your body is totally supported.
There's nothing you need to hold on to although it can take a while to release the sensation of needing to hold but begin to let yourself know that everything is supported for your body to completely release.
To let go.
Notice and feel how delicious that in-breath can be creating more space on the inside of you and how your out-breath is a release and a settling.
So your breath offers waves of sweet release and relief as you breathe in it's a relief to feel the inside of yourself becoming more spacious and more present and the outside quietening and as you breathe out that sweet relief of letting everything drop and let and be held.
Your heart doesn't need to pump so hard to bring oxygen around your body in this position.
Gravity is helping.
There's a grounding energy as your breath flows naturally and effortlessly downwards and you feel your legs draining of heaviness.
You can feel that draining.
Draining of all your legs have been holding in their busy day emotionally,
Physically holding you up,
Holding things up.
Just enjoy that feeling of releasing through your legs and the way your breath is offering waves of release and gravity melting you into the earth.
So your muscles are like butter melting off the bones and your skin is like a sheer curtain draping over the form of your body.
Soft and light.
This is a completely passive release of your lower body.
There's nothing for you to do here.
It's all simply happening.
Your nervous system is regrouping and you're coming home to that safe,
Calm place.
That beautiful,
Wise place.
Usually our feet are the lowermost part of our body but with your legs above you now your heart is the lowest part and your head and this can be a welcome opportunity to invite new perspectives and let your body breathe with them.
As you let go of your day,
The old thoughts,
The old conversations and what you've been doing and where you've been,
What newness can come into the new space created?
What would you like to welcome and invite in right now?
Some fresh new energy,
Some thoughts,
A daydream,
Something beautiful for you or helpful.
Bring that in and let your body breathe with it.
As you inhale you are welcoming in energy and you can choose what you're welcoming in and as you exhale you are distributing that energy throughout your being and good things are happening here.
You're resetting and rebalancing and a lot of background healing processes are happening for your mind,
Your body and your heart while you simply be using no effort at all but just sliding back,
Releasing back into your original form which is completely supported and enjoying those delicious waves of release and of relief.
Letting the old day or the old phase wash through you and feeling the fresh energy flowing in.
Doing absolutely nothing now,
Letting yourself melt and spread out like butter in the sunshine on a wall energetically.
Release holding to anything at all,
Simply melt.
Continue to enjoy the sensations of the draining of the heaviness,
Feeling of tingling and lightness as your blood flow circulates healthily,
Brightening your body on the inside and relaxing your mind.
You're in a good place,
Enjoy it for as long as you like.
