Descent And Ascent

A grounding practice that takes your attention on a journey down the back of the body and up the front, softening tension as you go. Particularly helpful for activating the relaxation response and coming back to a sense of calm after a demanding stretch.

Transcript

This is a meditation called Descent and Ascent. Getting into a comfortable position for this practice, A position that feels supported and stable, Whether you're sitting in a chair, Standing up or lying down. And just taking a moment to arrive here. Letting go as best we can of what's happened up to this point in the day. And also, To whatever degree possible, Letting go of events that are going to be happening later. And then bringing attention, Which is probably somewhere up in the head, Behind the eyes, Listening to my words or having been on screens or devices. Letting that attention drop down through the body until it comes to rest at the points of contact, Under the soles of the feet, The back of the legs, The bum, The back or any other part of the body that's in contact with the surface supporting you. Just letting attention gather and rest here, Like pools of water. Noticing what's here at these points of contact. What sensations can you feel? And seeing if it's possible to notice the stillness beneath the body and seeing if we can adopt, Borrow some of that stillness for ourselves. So in this practice, We're going to be going on a journey down the back of the body, That's our descent, And then coming back up the front of the body, That's our ascent. Tuning into the body can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, Activate the relaxation response, And help us to feel more grounded and present. And now letting those points of contact between body and the surfaces that are supporting us be in the background of our field of awareness, And moving attention to the crown of the head. If you're sitting, Perhaps tucking the chin ever so slightly so that the crown of the head is pointed toward the ceiling, Back of the neck lengthens and the airways open up, And setting an intention to return to the points of contact or the sense of the body as a whole, Whenever you notice that the mind has wandered away. So coming back to the crown of the head now, And then shifting attention down the back of the head, To the back of the neck, On the next out-breath, Let it go of the back of the neck, Coming to the shoulders, The tops of the shoulders, The back of the shoulders, Shoulder blades. If you encounter any tension as we journey through the body, Seeing if it's possible to soften some of that tension with the breath, Allow some of that tension to drop down through the body into the surface you're on, And not being too concerned or worried if that tension remains. Continuing to trace attention down the back of the body, To the middle of the back, The back of the ribcage, Noticing the subtle movement of the ribs, Expanding and contracting the cycle of breath, And shifting to the lower back, The lumbar area, Continuing to trace attention down to the underside of the thighs, Coming to that soft crease behind the knees, Tracing attention down the calves, To the heels, Returning to the soles of the feet, In contact with the floor, Shoes, Socks, And then wrapping attention around to the tops of the toes, Top of the feet. The mind may have wandered countless times already and that's okay, It's perfectly normal. Each time it wanders, We just gently, Kindly, But firmly, Bring our attention back to the part of the body that we're in, Which at this moment is the top of the feet, And shifting attention to the front of the ankles, The shinbone area between ankles and knees, And then moving to the kneecaps, Top of the thighs, Space between kneecap and hips, Moving to the front of the pelvic area, The abdomen, The abdomen, Noticing the movement of breath here in the belly, Tracing attention up to the chest, The surface of the chest, And the interior of the chest, Sensing the lungs filling and emptying themselves of air, Maybe even sensing the heart beating in the centre of the chest, Not to worry if you can't feel it, Rest assured it is there, Beating away, And moving up to the collarbones and the front of the shoulders, Throat area, The front of the neck, Shifting attention now to the face, Noticing its features, Mouth, Cheek, Nose, Eyes, Coming up to the forehead, And wrapping attention around to the top of the head, And closing the loop as you trace attention back to the crown, And from there, Letting your awareness be larger, Broadening out, Filling the entire body, Those points of contact come back into the field of awareness, And resting here until you hear the sound of the bells,