Welcome.
This is a simple breathing and relaxation meditation.
I invite you to get comfortable in a chair or lying down,
Relaxing your hands in your lap or out at your sides.
And if you're comfortable doing so,
Closing your eyes.
And the first thing we do is become fully present in our bodies.
Noticing where we are in space.
Noticing any physical sensations that we feel outside of ourselves.
For example,
If you're outside you might feel a cool breeze on your face.
You might be distinctly aware of the warmth of your head,
Your hair,
Or if you're wearing a hat on your scalp.
You might feel the chair or the ground beneath you.
In this moment,
Notice all the external sensations,
Hot and cool,
Heavy and light,
Whatever they are for you.
Now begin to tune inward and do that same mindful activity,
But this time noticing what you're feeling inside the body.
For example,
If you feel any tightness in your shoulders,
Any feelings in your belly or low back,
Gently scan your body,
Noticing what's happening on the inside.
And for some people that might be feeling or hearing their heart or hearing their breath.
In this relaxed space,
Simply become aware.
And now we draw our awareness specifically to our breath.
Gently breathing in and out through the nose.
And we notice all the qualities of our breathing.
For example,
When we inhale,
We might feel a cooling sensation on our nostrils and it might feel warm on the exhale.
We might notice our ribcage and our belly expand on the inhale and gently contract on the exhale.
For some of us,
We might notice the sound of our breathing as we inhale and the sound as we exhale.
We might feel the air as it flows through the back of the throat as we breathe in and as we breathe out.
Notice all the qualities of your breath and relax your mind.
Resting in this place of calm,
Allowing your thoughts to float by.
And the final piece of this meditation is as we breathe in and as we breathe out,
Gently scanning the body from head to toe.
And if we notice any areas of tension,
We imagine we're breathing in well-being and exhaling,
Relaxing those areas as if the tension is melting away.
So beginning at the top of the head,
Inhale and exhale.
Follow it down,
Noticing your face,
Noticing your neck and shoulders.
Inhale well-being and exhale,
Relax the face,
Relax the neck,
Relax the shoulders.
Moving down into your arms,
Inhale well-being,
Relaxing your arms out through your fingertips.
Inhaling into the upper back and chest,
And exhale,
Relaxing.
Inhaling into the belly and relaxing the belly on the exhale.
Inhaling into the low back,
Health and well-being.
Exhale,
Relax the low back and hips.
Inhaling into the legs out through the toes.
Exhale,
Relax.
I'm going to be quiet for a couple of minutes.
As you continue this practice of inhaling well-being,
Notice where the air goes.
And as you exhale,
Relax those areas as if this simple act of breathing is healing and unwinding any areas of tension.
Relax your mind and relax your breath.
Once again,
Noticing where your body is in space,
Being fully present.
You can open your eyes whenever you're ready.
Thank you for joining me.
