Finding a comfortable position,
Preferably lying down on the floor for this practice,
And inviting your body to be as comfortable as possible.
Perhaps a cushion under your head,
A cushion or rolled up towel under your knees,
Allowing your arms to lie loosely by your sides,
Slightly away from the body,
Palms facing up,
Resting your legs out straight in front of you and allowing your feet to fall outwards.
As we begin this practice,
Seeing if you can let go of any thoughts about the future or past and giving yourself this opportunity for complete relaxation.
Bringing your attention to the heart area and just listening in to what you need most right now from this practice or in your life in general.
It may be greater calm,
Relaxation,
Capturing your desire in one or two words,
And perhaps just silently noting this desire as a dedication for this practice.
This practice is an invitation to allow the body to relax as a way of helping to stabilize and calm the mind.
Gathering your attention now by taking a deep breath in and then gently and slowly releasing the breath.
Taking another deep breath in and then gently releasing the breath,
Allowing the exhalation to be long and slow,
And now allowing the breath to settle into its own natural rhythm.
Being aware now of the areas of pressure where you feel your body making contact with the ground.
The heels.
Carves.
Back of the hands.
Shoulders.
Back of the head.
Noticing the feeling of the whole body supported and allowing a sense of relaxing,
Releasing.
Perhaps noticing the temperature of the body,
Areas of warmth or coolness.
Just noticing.
Noticing any movements in the body from moment to moment.
Perhaps the subtle movement of the breath.
The chest.
The belly.
Starting with the in-breath and gently falling back with the out-breath.
Perhaps sensing the upper back as it presses gently into the ground with each in-breath and then releases with each out-breath.
With each breath relaxing more and more deeply.
With each out-breath allowing your whole body to relax.
Release.
Letting go of any tension or holding that's in the body with each out-breath.
You may notice the mind wandering off into stories or thinking.
This is not a problem.
This is what the mind does.
When you notice the mind has wandered off,
Just simply releasing the thoughts with each out-breath and bringing your attention back to the sensations of the body from moment to moment.
Bringing your attention now to your face.
The forehead.
Bring the forehead to be open and soft.
Relaxing and releasing all the muscles around the eyes.
Bringing your attention to the cheeks and the jaws.
Seeing if you can relax and release the jaws.
An area where we hold a lot of tension unconsciously.
And even allowing the tongue to be soft and relaxed.
And moving your attention now to the neck and throat.
Allowing the neck and throat to be relaxed.
Moving your attention to the shoulders.
Feeling the shoulders from the inside out and softening the shoulders with each out-breath.
Letting go of any tension or holding in the body as this relaxation spreads and flows down the length of both arms.
Sensing the arms.
Making them to be soft and relaxed.
Moving your attention to the hands.
And releasing and relaxing the muscles of the hands.
And perhaps just as you relax the hands you may become aware of any sensations that may be present.
Tingling,
Pulsating or maybe nothing at all.
And now bringing your attention to the chest.
The belly.
With each out-breath releasing and softening in the belly.
Allowing the breath to breathe itself.
Just allowing the body to do what it already knows how to do without your efforts to control it.
And now moving your attention to the back,
Upper back and lower back.
Releasing and relaxing through the full duration of the out-breath.
Moving your attention now down through the pelvis.
Feeling the volume of the legs.
Softening and releasing all the large muscles of the legs with each out-breath.
Letting go completely.
Moving your attention to the feet.
Perhaps noticing sensations of coolness or warmth.
And just letting go of all the muscles in the feet.
And now letting your awareness permeate the whole body.
Attending the whole body from the inside out.
Moving to the flow of sensations throughout the body from moment to moment.
And if the mind wanders into thinking,
Simply releasing the thoughts with each out-breath and bringing your attention back to the changing sensations within the body.
Just resting here in stillness from breath to breath.
And now moving your attention to the back,
Upper back and lower back.
And just letting go of all the muscles in the body.
And now letting go of all the muscles in the body.
