Hello and welcome.
This meditation aims to help you release tension in your body while you gently scan it.
By bringing awareness to areas of tension enables us to begin to intentionally relax.
It's as if we're giving ourselves a mental massage.
Make any adjustments you need to,
To be comfortable and let's begin.
Take a deep breath in,
Notice any tension in your shoulders as you breathe out,
Letting your shoulders soften and moving away from your ears.
Take another deep breath in and a longer breath out and repeat.
Deep breath in,
Longer breath out.
Begin to notice your body soften on that out-breath.
Notice all the points of contact with where you're sitting or lying.
If you haven't already,
Just gently close your eyes.
Allow your breathing to fall into its normal rhythm.
Notice your breath.
It's normal as you meditate for your breath to slow.
Now,
Shift awareness back to your body.
Notice how it feels.
Are you warm,
Cool or just comfortable?
Are you feeling lighter,
Heavier,
Softer?
And now,
As if shining a spotlight on each part of the body,
We begin to scan from top to toe.
Starting at the top of your head,
Notice any sensations,
Any pulsing,
Anything pleasant,
Unpleasant,
All sensations,
Just notice them.
Moving downwards,
Become aware of any tension in your forehead.
Is there a frown or a furrow that could be softened?
Gently move the eyebrows up and down and when the movement stops,
Feel any tension wash away.
Allow your cheeks to go slack and gently move down to the jaw to allow it to feel loose and free.
Gently move it side to side,
Loosening that tension,
Allowing it to float away as if it was butter melting in the sun.
At the base of the skull are two large muscles running down the neck and across your shoulders.
Begin to scan these muscles,
Looking for any knots and niggles.
When you find one,
Gently breathe into that area of tension,
Allowing the breath to expand and dilute it.
As you breathe out,
Release the tension,
Allowing it to flow out with the breath.
It's like giving yourself a mental massage.
When you clear an area of tension,
Search for another.
Breathe into that tension,
Expand,
Dilute and release.
So moving down,
Feel the rise and the fall of your chest.
Notice as you breathe in,
The chest rises and lifts.
As you breathe out,
The chest settles,
Contact with where you sit or lie increases.
So on your next out breath,
Allow your abdomen to completely soften.
Notice how this changes your position.
So feel the weight of your buttocks against the chair or mat.
Feel the back of your legs,
Your feet on the floor.
Check your body out as a whole.
How does it feel?
Don't be surprised if thoughts still come.
If there's something really persistent,
Acknowledge it and let it go.
You can deal with it later,
After you've had this time for yourself.
So scan over your whole body,
Looking for any remaining tension.
Notice how your body feels right now.
When you find an area of tension,
Just breathe into it,
Expanding,
Diluting,
Massaging it with the breath.
So allow the breath to carry the tension away,
Releasing.
Keep scanning,
Releasing.
Bring awareness to any sensations that you are feeling.
You might feel tingling,
Warmth,
Pulsing on the skin.
Notice the feeling in your hands and in your feet.
So you and now as we come to the end,
Bring a little movement into your fingers and your toes.
You might want to take a stretch and open your eyes.
And when you're ready,
Fully connected,
Gently move back into your day.
Now You
