Getting out of your own way.
Deep relaxation practice for beginners.
Welcome to mindfulness meditation.
My name is Robin Albertson-Rehn.
This session is a deep relaxation practice to allow yourself to settle your body and mind,
To get out of your own way and allow your body and mind to relax,
Rejuvenate and reset.
Get comfortable.
Allow yourself to find a relaxed position,
Laying down horizontally on the floor,
On your bed,
Or perhaps sitting up.
You may want to cover yourself with a blanket,
Allowing yourself to settle in here.
As human beings,
We spend a great deal of time in our own heads,
Thinking,
Planning,
Wondering,
Worrying,
Ruminating.
Sometimes that planning is fun or important,
But sometimes we just want it to stop.
So this mental body scan practice is a great technique for helping yourself to fall asleep at night,
Or to fall back to sleep if you wake up in the middle of the night.
With your next in-breath,
Bring your attention to the bottoms of your feet.
As you exhale slowly through your mouth,
Allow your feet to flop out to the side,
Or cross one leg over the other.
As you inhale again through your nose,
Bring your awareness to your heels,
Noticing how they are grounding you to the surface beneath you,
Connecting you to your space,
The room,
The floor,
The carpet.
On your next in-breath,
Bring your attention to your ankles.
No need to shift or move anything,
Just bringing your awareness there.
Breathing in and bringing your awareness to your shins and calves,
Perhaps aware of the texture of the surface beneath you,
Noticing the slight bend in your knees,
Bringing your awareness to your quadriceps and thighs,
Perhaps becoming aware of the fabric of your own clothing,
Textures or temperatures there,
Relaxing your hips,
Focusing your attention at your core,
At your belly,
Allowing your stomach muscles to actually expand as you breathe in,
And then pulling your belly button back towards your spinal column as you breathe out,
Staying here with your attention at your core for two more inhales and two more exhales,
Breathing in and expanding,
Breathing out and contracting,
Shifting your awareness to your chest and lungs,
Noticing the rise and fall of your ribcage as you breathe in and out,
Keeping your attention here at your chest and lungs,
Inhaling and exhaling,
Breathing in and letting it go,
In and out,
Relaxing your shoulders,
Noticing the weight of your arms,
Bringing your attention to the palm of your left hand,
The back of your right hand,
Your thumbs,
Your fingers,
Seeing if you can be aware of your fingertips,
Then drawing your awareness up to your neck and throat,
Taking a moment to swallow,
Recognizing that you've probably done that hundreds of times today without having to think about it,
Relaxing your jaw,
Allowing your teeth to separate slightly and your tongue to float to the top of your mouth,
Bringing your attention to your nose,
Breathing in any fragrances or aromas around you,
Noticing the heaviness of your eyelids,
Tuning into sound with your ears,
Noticing sounds outside of your space,
Inside of the space,
Maybe even the sound of your own quiet breathing,
Relaxing your forehead and bringing your attention to the top of your head,
Your scalp or hair,
To the back of your head,
Noticing where it's resting,
Taking a moment to appreciate all the workings of your body,
At whatever level of health or fitness you may be in at this point in your day,
Or week,
Or athletic season,
Taking a moment to be grateful for your place on this planet,
Just exactly as you are,
With all your complications,
All your challenges,
All your celebrations,
Gratitude for all the people in your life,
With their complications,
Challenges,
And celebrations,
For this space right here,
Right now,
This is your space,
This is your space,
This is your space,
You may want to bring some movement into your fingers or toes,
Slowly rolling over to one side if you're lying down,
Taking in a deep inhale and coming to a seated position,
Wherever you may be,
Keeping your eyes closed for another moment or so,
Perhaps setting an intention for the days and the week ahead,
An intention being a word or phrase to guide you,
Whether it be pause,
Or listen,
Or remember to breathe,
Whatever it is,
Tucking it away in your heart,
In your mind to carry with you,
Slowly blinking open your eyes to readjust to the light in your space,
Expanding your gaze to take in objects in the room,
Noticing shapes and patterns,
Breathing in deeply through your nose and releasing slowly,
Perhaps smiling at yourself,
Giving a little thank you to yourself for allowing for this gift of self-care.
Until next time,
Be well,
Thank you.
