Hi,
This is Paige.
Today's embodied meditation is meant to help you turn in,
Whether you're using it as a seasonal ritual to move toward the quiet of deep winter or as a way to mark the shift in your day from outward focus to sleep.
We'll start with a little bit of gentle seated movement,
Transitioning from outer stimulation to inner resources.
And then we'll finish with a guided relaxation with the option of lying down so you can simply drift off to sleep if you like.
To begin,
You can be sitting anywhere in any way that's comfortable.
You could be cross-legged on a cushion or a small stack of blankets on the floor.
You could be in a chair,
Even in bed.
It might be helpful to eventually have something to lean forward on as we get into the practice.
If you're in a chair,
That could be the surface of a table nearby.
Otherwise,
A supportive stack of pillows or a yoga bolster in front of you will do.
Settle in.
Let your breath be natural and easy.
Begin to swivel your head slowly in one direction as if you're turning your head to look over one shoulder.
Then let it slowly swivel through center and over the other direction as if you're gazing over that shoulder.
Let the movement be slow and soothing as you swivel through this another few times.
Allow it to be a physical representation of turning from all that's been consuming your attention and energy to a more quiet,
Still,
Inward-focused time.
Head one more time,
Gently swiveling one direction and slowly coming through center and swiveling the other direction.
Then let's move into some half-neck circles.
You could drop your chin to your chest.
Let one ear drift over toward its shoulder.
You might tip your chin up toward the sky.
You might even rock your jaw a little bit side to side.
Let your chin drop all the way back toward your chest.
Other ear toward its shoulder.
You could tip your chin up.
You could rock your jaw.
Take yourself through another couple of these half-neck rolls,
Further moving out of a busy,
Brain-oriented thinking place in your head and down and in,
Into your body,
Into more deep and subtle places of nourishment and wisdom.
As you're ready,
Bring your head back through center and back upright.
Let's move into some seated cow and cat movements and breath so you can simply rest your hands on your thighs,
On your knees,
Wherever they're comfortable.
When you're ready to inhale,
Lengthen through your spine.
You might even gently arch through your spine as you open up through your whole front body.
When you're ready to exhale,
Very gently begin to round in.
You might feel that rounding in your low back,
Then your middle back,
Then your upper back as your chin drops and your head drops.
Again,
Back and forth like that as you inhale,
Lengthening through your spine.
You might gently arch.
You might broaden through your collarbones.
As you exhale,
Let it be an easy,
Soothing turning in.
A few more,
Inhaling,
Lengthening through your spine.
As you exhale,
Drawing in,
Rounding in like a full body ritual,
Calling yourself,
Coaxing yourself in and home.
Inhale,
Lengthening,
Maybe broadening through your collarbones,
Maybe a little arch to your spine.
Exhale,
Slow motion,
Drawing,
Gently rounding in.
One more.
Inhale,
Feel your spine lengthen,
Feel your front body open.
Really enjoy,
Maybe even lengthen out your exhale as you round low back,
Middle back,
Upper back,
Drawing in.
And all the way back up through upright,
Through center.
If you're sitting cross-legged,
You could switch the cross of your legs or switch how you're sitting if something else would feel comfortable now.
Let's begin to gently fold forward toward some support.
That could be a table surface,
A stack of pillows.
You could even stand a bolster on one end.
It's not about how deeply you're folding in,
Just the energetic action of beginning to hinge at your hips and turn inward.
If the shape that you move toward lends itself,
You could bend your elbows,
Rest your elbows on your support,
Your pillows or the surface,
And then rest your brow in the heels of your hands.
Allow the pressure on your brow and on the front of your brain to feel calming,
Soothing.
You may find your breath naturally slowing a bit.
Let the shape and the gentle pressure on the front of your brain encourage that part of your body where much of your waking life planning,
Decision-making,
And managing happens.
Letting that front of your brain get quiet and still.
Remaining folded forward any amount.
If you'd like,
You could explore a gentle side stretch.
You could just walk your arms,
Maybe even taking your props with you if you have pillows or a bolster in front of you,
Over to the right just a bit,
Breathing into the left side of your body.
After another nice,
Full,
Soothing breath there,
You can walk your arms,
Walk your props back through center,
And then over to the left any amount,
Continuing to fold in,
Breathing into your right body.
Another full,
Soothing breath there.
Peacing your way back through center.
Settle in again for a full breath here.
Then begin to slowly climb your way out of the fold,
Just piecing your way back up to upright.
Then as we move into a guided relaxation,
You're welcome to stay sitting if that feels comfortable for you.
You're also welcome to begin to lie down.
You can lie down on the floor with props.
You could lie down right in your bed.
It might be nice to have some support under your head or behind your neck.
It'd be nice to have a pillow beneath your knees and let your legs drape over it.
As you find yourself settling in,
Let your brow line and your entire forehead smooth.
Let it smooth tall and wide,
From your eyebrows up to your hairline and from the center of your forehead all the way out to your temples,
Turning in.
Allow your brain to relax.
Let your brain be heavy and sink so that it's cradled by the back of your skull.
If you're lying down,
It's even cradled by the earth,
Further turning in.
Feel your eyes get a tiny bit heavier and heavier and less engaged.
Let them sink back into their sockets,
Heavy,
Deep.
Further turning in.
Let the same thing happen to your inner ears.
You're listening naturally,
Effortlessly turning inward.
Allow the bones of your face to release all effort to soften all the sense organs of your face,
Turning in at rest.
Release all effort in the back and the sides of your neck.
Feel your shoulders fall heavy,
The release of outward focus seeping from your shoulders,
Down your arms,
Even into your wrists,
Your palms,
Your fingers and thumbs,
Turning in.
Feel the entire back of your rib cage resting more deeply back.
If you're lying down,
Resting into the earth.
Your lungs then being cradled as they drop back.
Your heart resting on the bed of your lungs and ribs,
Turning in.
Your breath naturally slowing.
Attention and breath dropping into your belly,
Dropping down into your hips,
Down into the heaviness of your legs at rest,
All the way to the heavy bones of your heels,
All the way into your feet and your toes.
Breathing,
Turning in.
In a moment,
The music will fade.
Please rest here as long as you like,
Perhaps even drifting towards sleep.
Bonds have been made.
You
