Make yourself comfortable.
Eyes open or closed.
Standing seated or lying down.
Positioning yourself in a way that your shoulders can be open.
Allowing for maximum breath.
Settling into a position that is most comfortable.
With the least tightness.
The fewest spaces for holding or clenching.
Just letting go.
Coming into quiet and relaxation.
Noticing where you are as you begin this meditation.
Without judgment.
Just a gentle and generous awareness of how you have entered this space.
Physically,
Emotionally,
And spiritually.
Check in with yourself.
Ask,
Are you okay?
And validate any answer that comes up for you.
There's no right way to enter into meditation.
There's no perfect time for it.
Come as you are.
And from that space of just being in meditation,
See if you can be here more fully and deeply.
Settling in.
Finding quiet that is not silent.
And attending to the small or significant sounds around you.
Even inside you.
Casually and kindly noting.
With the curiosity of a scientist or an artist.
What is your breath as you begin?
Labored?
Calm?
Slow?
Shallow?
Whatever you experience,
Even if you don't name it,
Is an excellent place to begin.
Letting go.
Coming into a deeper stillness.
Expand your breath so it fills more and more of your chest.
Filling you deeper and deeper.
Exhaling slower and more slowly again.
Becoming more placid.
And less disturbed.
Like a secret lake in a clearing.
Slowing down.
Feel your face and scalp.
The skin of your head.
Notice where it is at this moment.
Imagine wrinkling your scalp.
Squeezing the mask of your face or lifting your ears.
Hold them in that pressured position and then let go.
Letting go of things you hold onto.
Letting go of roles you play.
Or worries you obsess over.
Returning to breathing.
Squeeze your neck and shoulders.
Tighten those muscles a little.
Don't tighten so much you cramp,
But just make them taut.
A little bit longer.
And then let them dissolve.
Letting go.
Washing away the tension.
Breathing in.
And out.
In deeply.
Out slowly.
Find your arms,
Your elbows and wrists,
Fingers and other muscles.
Without squeezing or cramping,
Just put some tension into the musculature and the skin.
We can make it just a little taut.
Alert.
And then let go.
Relax.
And surrender.
Letting go.
Using your inhale to increase the relaxation.
And your exhale to let go more fully.
And your back and torso all the way to your belly,
Including your spine.
You may already have a little bit of tension there.
Or you can artificially create tension by holding those spaces taut and tense without clenching.
Hold it.
And then relax,
Almost slouching.
Letting go.
Letting go of expectations.
Desires.
As you let your body go.
As you breathe,
Scan your body to make sure that the upper half of your body is loose.
Surrendered.
And if there are still places of holding,
Guide your breath there to remind those spots that we're letting go.
Or saying goodbye just for the moment.
Note your hips and groin and buttocks.
Find a tightness in your pelvic floor and the fascia around your hips.
Holding.
Drawing in.
And then releasing.
Softening.
Just letting go.
Letting go of plans.
Letting go of demands.
Escaping.
Bring your breath all the way down.
And so gently out.
Your thighs and knees and calves.
Hold them.
Make them strong.
One more moment.
And then release.
Soft.
At ease.
No place to go.
Nothing to run to.
Nothing to back away from.
Just letting go.
And you're breathing.
Filling your entire body with oxygen.
And letting go of carbon dioxide.
All that's left is your feet and toes.
Grasp with them without clenching or cramping.
Hold them steady.
With the firmness of muscle tone.
And release.
Become soft.
Letting go of any identity placed upon you.
Any external or internal requirements.
Settling in.
Surrendering.
Letting go.
Continue to breathe.
Using your breath to scan your body.
Drawing breath into any spaces that are still tight.
And letting them go.
With your exhale.
Becoming softer.
More supple.
And free.
Scanning your body with that generous awareness.
Giving it all permission to release.
Each part.
And the whole.
Letting go.
Continuing to breathe,
And you can continue this at your own pace.
Or come back when you're ready.
Opening your eyes and returning to present awareness as it suits you.
Blessings.
