This meditation practice is best done lying down.
So lie down on your bed,
On a mat,
In a place that you will be undisturbed,
And gently close your eyes.
And notice if there are any adjustments or distractions that you could eliminate before you start your practice.
And what can you do now to bring yourself fully into the present moment,
Making yourself more comfortable?
Notice if there's any tension in your jaw,
Neck,
Shoulders,
Upper back,
Abdomen,
Hips,
Legs.
And what are you letting go of as you arrive here?
There's a mindset shift as you begin your practice,
Letting go of the external distractions of the world.
You have chosen to be here in this moment.
How do you want to use this time?
Feel into your response,
And I'll give you a few moments to set your intention now.
And begin to open your senses,
Welcoming the environment around you,
Touch,
Temperature,
Sounds,
Smells.
And notice the space all around you,
The space in front of you,
Behind you,
To the left,
And to the right.
Allow everything that you hear,
Think,
See,
Or feel be just as it is.
And notice what's present here,
The simple feeling of being open,
Body open,
Mind open,
Heart open.
And begin to feel the spaciousness of the body,
The body light,
Relaxed,
Spacious.
Notice the space around your head,
Neck,
Shoulders,
Chest,
Hands,
Fingers.
And notice any sensations in the hands,
And the spaces between the fingers.
Now notice the space around the abdomen,
Hips,
Thighs,
Back of the knees,
Ankles,
Feet.
And sense the space around the toes,
And the sense of the space in between the toes.
And now send your breath all the way down to the soles of your feet on the exhale.
Inhale,
The breath rises all the way to the crown of the head.
Continue to do this for the next few minutes.
Now let that go,
And we'll begin to inquire into stress.
What does stress feel like in the body?
Notice all the sensations that make up stress.
And if this is difficult,
Imagine a period of time when you were stressed.
Invite that memory into your imagination now.
What sensations are present for you in the body when you're stressed?
What are the first signals of stress in your body?
Tightness across the chest.
Your heartbeat quickens.
Your breath is shallow.
Maybe agitation in the fingertips.
Keep inquiring into the sensations of stress in the body.
All of us are unique.
Not everyone will have the same answers.
What does your body need when you are stressed?
More rest,
Sleep,
Exercise.
And now as stress continues for a period of time,
A few days,
Weeks or months,
What happens to your body and mind?
A headache?
Bloating?
Maybe your sleep is interrupted.
Notice the signals the body gives you when you're stressed for a period of a few days or a week.
And what does your body need now?
Rest.
Sometime off.
Sleep.
A better health routine.
And notice the impact of stress,
Not just on you,
But your relationships,
Your loved ones,
Coworkers,
As well as your work,
Your productivity,
Your health.
Inquire into and notice,
What is stress costing you?
A little bit of stress now and again is normal.
But is stress a big factor in your life?
Does it impact your quality of life?
And the intentions you have for your life and your relationships.
And notice what might make you stressed.
The future.
Can we be 100% certain about the future?
Or is this an illusion?
Will we have all the information?
Or is this an illusion?
Are we always in control?
Or is this an illusion?
We can make plans,
But we do not know for sure they will happen.
We can plan a barbecue and it rains.
We have no control over the weather.
But we can control our response.
And notice how stress impacts you,
But doesn't change the situation.
And now notice the space feeling of the body.
The space around the body.
This spaciousness.
And invite the sensations of relaxation into the body.
Maybe a time at the beach.
A time when you felt open,
Calm,
Relaxed.
Notice how you can choose.
You can choose to consciously create a feeling of calmness,
Openness,
Relaxation in the body and mind.
And now let's set the intention to notice what's happening outside of your meditation practice.
And times where you can make the conscious choice to create some space between your stress and the root cause of your stress.
To support your mental health and well-being.
And begin to take several deeper breaths.
Bring some gentle movement into the fingers and toes.
And slowly begin to reorientate yourself to the room.
Blinking your eyes open and closed.
Coming back to your wide awake and alert state.
