This meditation practice is best done lying down,
But you may also wish to do it seated.
Lie down on your bed,
On a mat or on a rug in a place that you'll be undisturbed and gently close your eyes and notice if there are any adjustments or distractions that you could eliminate before you begin your practice.
And what can you do now to bring yourself fully in to the present moment,
Physically making yourself more comfortable?
What are you letting go of as you arrive here?
How does 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.
I'll give you a few moments to set your intention now and welcome the space around you,
Opening all your senses to the space around you.
Feel the touch of air on your skin,
Any lingering smells or fragrances in the air.
Notice any sounds,
The sounds close by,
The sounds further away,
And any colours or images behind your eyelids,
And now the tongue and tastes.
And notice the space all around you,
The space in front of you,
Behind you,
To the left,
To the right,
And allow everything that you hear,
Think,
See,
Or feel be just as it is.
And notice what's present now,
This simple feeling of being open,
Body open,
And now invite the sensations of ease,
Peacefulness,
Safety,
Calmness into the body,
Fully relaxing here,
Simply being,
Nowhere to go,
Nothing to do.
Bring your attention to the breath and the body,
Take nice slow deep breaths,
Take a deep inhale and feel your belly rise,
Exhale and let your belly sink,
Continue to breathe and relax as I count down from 10 to 1,
10,
Feel your head and neck sink into the mat,
9,
Relax the muscles in your face,
8,
Feel your shoulders and shoulder blades melt into the mat,
7,
Relax your arms and hands releasing any tension,
6,
Feel the back of your ribs touch the mat,
5,
Let your lower back relax into the mat,
4,
Feel your buttocks sink into the mat,
Relax your pelvis,
Legs and thighs,
2,
Feel your calf muscles on the mat,
1,
Let your feet fall out to the side,
Continue to breathe deeply,
Take a deep inhale and as you exhale let your entire body fall completely heavy into the mat,
And again,
Deep inhale and exhale,
Completely letting go,
Let your body fall heavy,
Sinking deeper and deeper,
Letting go,
Bring your attention to the entire physical body lying on the floor,
From the top of your head to the tips of your toes,
Feel the body become heavier and heavier,
The legs are heavy,
The arms,
The head,
The back,
The whole body melts letting go,
Now notice what happens to the body as I invite you into exploring the sensations that are present,
If one emotion doesn't feel right,
Skip it and choose another emotion,
This is your experience,
Your time to be open and curious,
What does happiness feel like in the body?
Notice all the sensations that make up happiness,
Lightness,
Warmth,
Aliveness,
What sensations are present for you?
What does sadness feel like in the body?
Notice all the sensations that make up sadness,
Heaviness or tightness,
A feeling of being knotted in a specific part of the body,
Or the whole body feeling blocked,
What sensations are present for you?
What does confidence feel like in the body?
Notice all the sensations that make up confidence,
A feeling of spaciousness or being energized,
What sensations are present for you?
What does being vulnerable feel like in the body?
Notice all the sensations that make up feeling vulnerable,
Tightness or contraction,
What sensations are present for you?
What does playfulness feel like in the body?
Notice all the sensations that make up playfulness,
Heat,
Excitement,
Tingling sensations,
What sensations are present for you?
What does irritation feel like in the body?
Notice all the sensations that make up irritation,
Restlessness,
Jumpiness,
What sensations are present for you?
Now let all of these emotions go and remember a time when you felt relaxed,
Bring to the forefront of your mind the feelings associated with that time,
Remember it as vividly as you can and welcome the feelings of relaxation into your body,
And notice what's present now,
And set the intention to notice what's happening outside of your meditation practice,
To notice how each emotion generates different feelings and sensations in the body,
Remembering emotions are physiological chemicals,
And when we sit with the emotions for 90 seconds they'll pass naturally,
This ability to stay present to each experience will support our body awareness and somatic vocabulary,
Giving us more insights into how we can support our mental health and well-being,
And begin to take several deeper breaths and bring some gentle movement into the fingers and toes,
Begin to blink your eyes open and closed,
Coming back to your wide awake and alert state.
