Welcome to today's meditation.
It's not always easy to take time out of the day to care for ourselves,
Especially when we've got lots of stress and tension in the body.
But simply by showing up we've already taken an important step towards creating space and letting go.
In the following session we're going to spend some time relaxing the body with some controlled breathing and then we're going to do a science-backed progressive muscle relaxation technique that will help us let go of physical stress and tension in the body.
We'll end with a visualization exercise helping us to release any stress,
Tension or negativity that may still be lingering.
I invite you to find a comfortable position now.
You might choose to sit with your back supported or you might want to lie down allowing the surface beneath you to hold your body completely so you can fully let go.
If it feels comfortable you can gently close the eyes or you can leave them open with a soft gaze.
I invite you now to bring awareness to the breath,
Noticing the inhale and noticing the exhale.
Without trying to change anything about the breath we're simply noticing how the body is naturally breathing.
Now we might notice an urge to direct the breath or to control the breath in some way and that's completely normal.
For now seeing if we can simply allow the breath to flow exactly as it is,
Allowing it to move freely,
Moment by moment.
How is the body breathing right now?
Is it slow or rapid?
Deep or shallow?
Maybe we're breathing into the chest or perhaps into the stomach.
Is the inhale longer than the exhale or is the exhale longer than the inhale?
There's no need to change anything,
We're just noticing the breath as it is.
Now we're not so much watching the breath as we're experiencing it,
Feeling what it's like to breathe.
Maybe we can feel the cool air entering the nostrils as we breathe in,
Noticing the lungs,
The chest,
The stomach expanding.
And then as the breath changes direction we might notice the body softening,
Relaxing,
Gently releasing.
We're letting go of tension,
Letting go of any resistance.
And if the mind begins to wander or if any restlessness arises in the body,
That's completely normal.
Whenever we realize that we're lost in thought or distraction,
We simply bring our awareness back to the breath,
Back to that next inhale,
Back to that next exhale.
As we breathe in we might imagine breathing in calm,
Ease or lightness.
And as we breathe out we imagine letting go of tension,
Negativity or heaviness.
With each breath in we're inviting in something supportive,
Something nourishing.
And with each breath out we're releasing anything we no longer need.
Sometimes when stress and negativity build up,
They show up in the body as tightness or restlessness and this can make the breath feel short or uneven.
But when we slow down the exhale,
Just slightly,
We let the body know that it's safe to relax.
This works by activating the vagus nerve which signals the parasympathetic nervous system,
Your body's natural relaxation system.
It lets the body know that it's okay to release tension and let go.
For the next minute or so I invite you to gently lengthen your out-breath,
Making sure that the exhalation is longer than the inhalation.
A simple way to do this is to count the breath.
For instance,
We might breathe in for a count of three and breathe out for a count of six.
Let's try it together for a couple of rounds and I'll let you do some on your own,
At your own pace.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Now it's up to you what you count to,
Whatever feels comfortable.
There's no need to be precise and if counting feels unnatural you can simply focus on making the exhale a little longer than the inhale,
Imagining that with each out-breath you're releasing a little more tension,
A little more stress,
A little more negativity.
Let me be quiet for a few moments so you can take a few breaths on your own.
And as we continue to breathe,
Let's notice how the body is responding.
Is there any sense of heaviness easing?
Any tension softening?
Are the forehead and the jaw relaxed?
Are the neck and the shoulders soft?
Is the stomach at ease?
Already some of us might be starting to notice small shifts,
Perhaps a sense of spaciousness opening up or feeling of warmth or tingling spreading through the body.
Maybe we can notice the body beginning to release,
Letting go of stress,
Negativity or any weight we've been carrying.
Breath by breath.
And now,
Whenever we're ready,
Allowing the breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Noticing how the body is breathing now.
Is the breath softer?
Slower maybe?
We're just noticing.
We're feeling the cool air entering the nostrils as we breathe in.
Noticing how the lungs,
Chest and stomach expand.
And as we breathe out,
Noticing the warm air leaving the nostrils.
Feeling the body soften,
Relax and let go.
With each out breath,
We might imagine releasing more of what no longer serves us.
Letting go of tension.
Letting go of anything we don't need to carry in this moment.
If we notice the mind wandering,
Perhaps to the past,
To worries about the future or even to everyday thoughts and to-do lists,
That's perfectly normal.
The mind tends to drift,
Especially when we're holding stress or negativity.
This is simply the mind's way of trying to process or fix things.
But often,
This kind of thinking can add to the weight we're carrying.
So as soon as we notice that our mind has wandered,
Gently guiding our attention back to the breath.
There's no need to judge ourself or feel frustrated.
Instead,
We can see this as an act of kindness.
Gently,
Patiently,
Bringing our focus back to this moment.
Back to that next inhale.
And back to that next exhale.
Breathing in calm.
Breathing out tension.
Softening a little more.
Releasing a little more.
Now that we've connected with the breath,
Let's take some time to bring our awareness to the body.
Stress and negativity can often show up in the body as tension or heaviness.
And today,
We're invited to gently release that by moving through the body,
Part by part.
For this section,
We'll be practicing a progressive muscle relaxation technique.
If it feels comfortable,
I invite you to gently tense and then release each muscle group we focus on.
But if tensing doesn't feel right,
We can simply imagine the muscle tensing and releasing.
Allowing the body part to relax naturally.
Or even just noticing any sensations that are present.
Whichever option feels right for us is perfectly okay.
We can either imagine the muscles tensing or we can simply bring awareness to the sensations.
Let's begin by bringing our awareness to the feet.
If it feels good,
Gently tensing the muscles in the feet by curling the toes under.
Holding a little bit of tension for a few seconds.
And then releasing completely.
Allowing the feet to soften and relax.
Taking a moment to feel the feet softening,
As if they're melting into the surface beneath us.
We're noticing sensations in the soles of the feet,
The tops of the feet,
The heels,
The toes.
What are we noticing here?
Perhaps there's a sense of warmth,
Coolness or tingling.
Now bringing our awareness to the lower legs,
The calves and shins.
If it's comfortable,
Gently tensing the lower legs by pulling the toes up towards the knees.
Holding for a moment,
Feeling the tension and then letting go completely.
Allowing the lower legs to soften and relax.
Noticing any sensations here.
Allowing the lower legs to soften.
Feeling the weight of the lower legs becoming heavier,
Sinking into the surface beneath us.
Shifting our awareness now to the legs,
The knees,
The thighs,
The hamstrings.
If it feels good,
Gently tensing the muscles in the upper legs,
Maybe by straightening the legs or squeezing the thighs together.
Holding the tension for a few seconds and then releasing completely.
Allowing the thighs and hamstrings to soften and relax.
Noticing any sensations,
Warmth,
Heaviness or tingling.
Allowing the upper legs to feel heavy and at ease,
Fully supported by the surface beneath us.
Now moving our attention to the hips and pelvis.
These areas often hold tension without us even realizing it.
If it feels comfortable,
Gently squeezing the muscles in the hips and the glutes.
Holding the tension for a moment and then letting go completely.
Allowing the hips to soften and sink a little deeper into the surface.
What sensations are present in the hips?
Maybe a sense of tightness or release or stillness.
Allowing the hips and pelvis to feel supported and at ease.
Now bringing our awareness to the back,
The lower back,
The shoulder blades,
The spine.
If it feels okay,
Gently arching the lower back just a little to create some tension.
Holding for a few seconds and then releasing.
Allowing the entire back to relax and soften.
Moving our attention now to the belly.
If it feels good,
Gently tensing the muscles in the belly by pulling it inward.
Holding tension for a moment and then releasing completely.
Allowing the belly to soften.
Noticing the belly rising on the inhale,
Softening on the exhale.
Moving to the chest now.
Perhaps gently tightening by taking a slightly deeper in-breath.
Holding it for a moment and then exhaling fully.
Allowing the chest to soften and expand naturally.
Noticing the gentle rise and fall of the chest and belly as we breathe.
Allowing the whole front of the body to open.
Making a little more space for ease and letting go of anything heavy.
Now shifting focus to the shoulders.
If it feels comfortable,
Gently squeezing the shoulder blades together or shrugging the shoulders up towards the ears.
Holding that tension for a moment and then releasing completely.
Allowing the shoulders to drop and soften as if they are releasing a heavy weight.
For the neck,
Only if it feels good,
Very gently pressing the head back into the surface beneath us.
Holding that tension for a moment and then releasing.
Allowing the neck to soften and lengthen.
Noticing any tension dissolving here,
As if the shoulders and neck are letting go of everything they don't need to carry.
Now bringing our awareness to the arms and hands.
Maybe we can gently tense the arms by curling the hands into fists.
Holding that tension for a moment and then releasing completely.
Allowing the arms and hands to soften and relax.
Feeling the arms and hands resting fully,
Completely at ease.
And now let's bring our awareness to the face and the head.
If it feels comfortable,
Gently scrunching the muscles in the face,
Wrinkling the forehead,
Squeezing the eyes closed,
Clenching the jaw,
Holding that tension for a moment and then releasing completely.
Allowing the face to soften.
Imagining a warm wave of ease washing over the face.
Noticing the jaw releasing,
The cheeks softening,
The eyes resting in their sockets.
Feeling the entire face softening and letting go.
The forehead smooth and relaxed,
The scalp at ease.
We might even notice a gentle smile spreading across the face.
And now I invite you to expand your awareness,
To include the entire body,
From the top of the head to the tips of the fingers and toes.
Maybe we notice a sense of softness or relaxation spreading through the body.
Maybe there's a warmth or tingling or a feeling of lightness or heaviness.
Whatever we're experiencing is perfectly fine,
There's no need to force anything.
We're simply resting here,
Allowing the body to be just as it is.
Letting go of any stress or negativity with each breath.
Knowing there's no rush,
No need to make anything happen.
Just allowing ourselves to rest in this moment,
Exactly as we are.
Now that we've spent some time observing the breath,
The body,
I invite you to take this moment to gently explore the idea of letting go with a visualisation exercise,
Helping us to release any stress,
Tension or negativity that might still be lingering.
For some of us,
Visualisation might feel natural,
Like imagining a picture or scene in the mind.
But for others,
It may feel challenging or not quite right to visualise,
And that's perfectly okay.
If visualising doesn't come easily or it makes you feel uncomfortable,
You're welcome to simply focus on the sensations of the breath or the body.
But if it feels within your reach,
I invite you to imagine a small stream flowing gently nearby.
The water is clear and calm,
Sparkling in the light.
This stream represents a safe space,
A place where we can release anything we no longer need to carry.
As we breathe in,
You might imagine drawing in calm,
Ease or lightness.
And as we breathe out,
You might imagine stress or tension leaving the body,
Flowing out like a soft mist or whisper of smoke.
Carried effortlessly into the stream.
If we like,
We might even give it a colour,
Making it easier to see as it leaves us.
And as the stress or tension touches the water,
You can imagine the stream carrying it away,
Dissolving it completely into the current.
Whether we're imagining the stream,
Focusing on sensations,
Or simply breathing,
Let's allow this process to feel easy and effortless.
And if there's a particular area of the body that feels tight or heavy,
Maybe the chest,
Shoulders,
Jaw,
You might imagine stress flowing directly from that area into the stream,
Or softening with each exhale.
Feeling the lightness growing within us,
As if space is opening up where tension used to be.
And if the mind feels clear and the body feels light,
We can simply rest here,
Enjoying the stillness.
With each breath,
We're inviting ease,
Peace and freedom into the body and mind.
Breathing in calm and clarity.
And breathing out,
Releasing all that feels heavy.
And as this practice comes to an end,
Knowing that you can come back here any time,
This place of relaxation and release,
Let's take a moment now to notice how the body feels and how the mind feels.
Maybe we notice a sense of lightness or maybe the breath feels a little softer.
Perhaps the body a little more at ease.
Or perhaps you're still holding on to some stress or tension and that's perfectly okay too.
Some days are easier than others and the most important thing is that we've shown up for ourselves today,
Creating this space for care and kindness.
Now if you're feeling tender,
Tired or overwhelmed,
I encourage you to be gentle with yourself.
Try to take it slow and if possible,
Leave anything that can wait until tomorrow.
Allow today to be an opportunity to nurture yourself,
However that looks for you.
Whether that's resting,
Taking a slow walk or simply doing something that brings you joy.
Letting go isn't always easy and sometimes it doesn't happen all at once.
It's a practice of returning to ourselves,
Moment by moment and releasing what no longer serves us.
And it's important to remember that life's challenges,
Our stress,
Emotions and even negativity are all part of being human.
Some days feel lighter while others weigh us down and that's okay.
Letting go doesn't mean erasing what we've been through.
It means creating space for growth and new possibilities.
Let's begin to bring small movements back into the body.
Perhaps we can wiggle our fingers and toes or gently roll the shoulders.
We might like to stretch the arms or legs or simply take a deep breath in and out to reawaken the body.
And whenever we're ready,
Gently opening the eyes,
Slowly allowing the light back in and taking a moment to notice the room around us.
Congratulate yourself for taking time out to care for your mind and body today.
I hope this sense of lightness and freedom you've cultivated here stays with you as you move through the rest of your day.
Or if you're listening to this before bed,
Sweet dreams.
