Soften the body,
Starting by relaxing through the back of the head,
Relaxing through the shoulders,
Through the right arm and the left,
Through the mid-back,
The low back,
The back of the hips,
The back of the right leg,
The back of the left,
The right foot,
The left foot,
The whole back of the body,
Heavy,
Soft,
And held.
Whenever you breathe in,
It's not just through the nose,
But through the front of the face,
Through the front of the chest,
Through the belly and the pelvis,
The tops of the legs,
The tops of the feet,
So that when you exhale,
You feel the back body soften and settle.
When you breathe in,
You receive through the whole of the front of the body.
When you exhale,
You release through the whole of the back of the body.
Breathing in for a count of 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Breathe out for 5,
4,
3,
2,
And 1.
Breathe in for 5,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Breathe out for 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
And 1.
In for 5,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
And out for 7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
In for 5,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
And out for 8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
And 1.
In for 5,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Exhale now 8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
And 1.
In for 5,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Exhaling for 9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
And 1.
In for 5,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Exhale 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
In for 5,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Exhale 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Proceed through the front of the body,
The face,
The chest,
The belly,
The pelvis,
The legs.
Relax through the back,
The back of the head,
The back of the neck,
The right shoulder,
Right arm,
Left shoulder,
Left arm,
Torso,
Right leg,
Left leg,
Feet.
Inhale 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Exhale 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
In for 5,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Exhale 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Inhale 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Exhale 10,
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Freely breathe in and take a long,
Deep breath out.
And again,
Just a free breath in and a long,
Deep breath out.
Become aware as you start to relax the breath,
Allowing the free inhale and exhale to return.
Become aware of a feeling of heaviness in the body.
The body's so heavy that to lift a finger would be a great effort.
More and more weight of the body coming into the earth.
Feel as though the back of the body could extend down into the earth.
So heavy.
And then become aware of a feeling of lightness in the body.
The body buoyant.
The body open and soft and light.
So much so that you could feel as though the body could just float up an inch or two off the floor.
And you hold in an awareness of both those qualities in the body at the same time.
Heavy.
Light.
Rooting down.
Reaching upward.
Become aware of all the activity in your body.
The cardiovascular system at work.
Oxygenated blood.
All the fluids and the prana that is flowing to every cell in the body.
Become aware of the effort in the digestion.
The movement through the stomach and the bowels.
The neurological impulses,
Senses,
Communication.
All the work,
All the energy.
Going on in the body right now.
Now,
Can you call to mind the quality of stillness in the body?
Space.
Effortlessness.
Quiet.
Still.
Now,
Try to hold both qualities at the same time.
An awareness of the activity and an awareness of the stillness in the body at the same time.
Becoming aware now of a quality of stillness in the body.
Becoming aware now of a quality of darkness in the body.
A shadow.
A cloud passing over the face of the sun.
A starless sky.
Darkness that is deep and cool.
And then as the cloud continues through the sky,
The sun comes back out.
Can you find the quality of lightness in the body?
Of brightness in the body?
A full moon.
This glowing brightness.
This dark stillness.
This lightness.
This dark stillness,
Alive in the body at the same time.
Our life and our world is full of these dualities,
These opposing qualities.
And our work is to find both of them in us so that we can develop the quality of equanimity in the face of it all.
And I feel the balance that exists in my body,
This natural state of harmony.
And I receive what I need and release what I don't in equal measure.
When it feels like one is out of balance,
Can I be the counterweight to that balance?
Can I be the one to hold the center?
