Sometimes we hold tension without even noticing.
The body braces against a busy day and then forgets to let it go.
So over the next few minutes we're going to find that holding and gently release it.
I'm Chips O'Carrick and I invite you now to find a comfortable position,
Sitting or lying down,
Whatever feels good.
This is your time.
Gently closing the eyes or keeping them open with a soft gaze,
Whichever feels good right now.
And let's start with one slow breath,
Breathing in through the nose and a long,
Easy breath out.
Another breath in.
And as we breathe out.
Allowing the whole body to settle,
Just a little.
And if the mind wanders off,
That's perfectly normal,
As soon as you realise just gently coming back to the body.
Let's bring our attention to the hands now.
Often we're gripping without even realizing.
So let's do the opposite for a moment and grip on purpose.
Are gently squeezing the hands into soft fists holding for a second and now letting go completely.
And noticing the difference,
The looseness,
Maybe the warmth coming back into the fingers.
Now moving up into the shoulders For so many of us,
This is where the stress of the day collects itself.
So let's lift the shoulders up towards the ears and on the out breath,
Allowing the shoulders to drop letting the shoulders fall further than we expect.
And now the jaw.
So much holding lives here and we rarely notice.
Allowing the teeth to part just slightly.
Letting the jaw be heavy and loose.
Softening the space around the eyes too.
Moving down to the chest now.
Sometimes stress sits here as a tightness,
As a held breath.
So breathing in gently.
And on the exhale allowing the chest to soften and open.
Now the belly.
We often hold the belly tight all day without noticing.
So letting the belly be soft now.
Rising and falling with the breath,
Without holding.
Take one more slow breath in.
And allowing the whole body to soften on the way out.
The hands.
The shoulders.
The jaw.
The chest.
And the belly.
All a little looser than a few minutes ago.
And now beginning to come back.
Allowing the breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Maybe gently wiggling the fingers.
Gentle roll of the shoulders.
And noticing how the body is feeling now.
Maybe it's a little more open.
A little more at ease.
And gently opening the eyes if they were closed.
A softer body can carry you through the rest of the day with a bit more ease.
You're welcome to come back here anytime you need to unclench.
Have a wonderful rest of your day.
