Just make sure you're sitting or lying comfortably with your arms and legs uncrossed and your hands at rest and allow your eyes to close.
First of all I want you to listen.
Listen to the sounds.
My voice is one of those sounds.
If your attention wanders that's okay,
Just bring it back gently to the sounds.
And now extend your awareness to your thoughts.
Your thoughts are a bit like the sounds in that they come and they go.
You may be thinking in words,
You may be thinking in pictures,
You may be thinking in a mixture of the two.
Just imagine that you can see your thoughts passing by on a large screen,
Just like the credits after a film and just watch each thought go by.
And now let go of the images on that screen and continue to be aware of your thoughts passing.
And so you have your attention on the sounds and on your thoughts.
And now extend your attention to your body.
Your body,
It's your way of being in the world.
Just notice if any parts of your body are more relaxed than others.
And notice if your body is holding any tension.
Keep your attention inside your body.
It may wander to your thoughts or to the sounds.
But that's okay,
Just bring it back gently to your body.
Now take a deep breath as you begin to relax.
You can relax as much or as little as you'd like to.
Firstly,
Relax the muscles of your face.
Imagine a mask slipping off and all the muscles of your face are relaxing.
All the muscles just behind your face are relaxing and you're letting go of any smiles,
Any frowns you've been wearing.
You're relaxing your face until your face is communicating nothing at all.
It's just being.
Now allow that relaxation to spread into your scalp and down into your neck.
And as each muscle relaxes,
You can feel that part of your body just becoming a little bit heavier.
And allow the relaxation to spread into your throat,
Relaxing that part of you that makes a sound out there in the world.
Just let that part of you become silent and still just for a while.
And allow the relaxation to spread into your shoulders and down your arms,
To your elbows,
Forearms,
Wrists and hands and fingers.
There is nothing that you have to do right now.
Your shoulders,
Arms and hands may feel heavier or lighter and more and more relaxed.
Allow that relaxation to spread down now into your chest,
Breathing easily and calmly.
Relaxation spreading down into the muscles of your stomach,
Down into the gut.
Relaxation spreading all the way down your spine,
From your neck and upper back,
Down and down to your lower back,
Down towards the chair,
Feeling heavier and heavier and more and more relaxed.
And allow that relaxation to spread down into your thighs,
And spreading into your knees and calves,
Feeling heavier and heavier and more and more relaxed.
And allow the relaxation to spread into your ankles and into the muscles of your body.
Feel your legs and feet becoming heavier and heavier and more and more relaxed.
And there is nothing that any part of your body needs to do right now.
You can leave your body resting from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.
And all the while that you are resting your body is going deeper and deeper into relaxation.
And you are still aware of the sounds and still aware of your thoughts and aware of your body resting.
And it doesn't matter whether you are resting deeply or lightly because as you rest two things are happening automatically.
They happen to everyone.
The first is that your mind and your body are busy in this rest releasing tension.
And this goes on automatically.
You don't even have to think about it.
So when you come out of this relaxation you will feel the absence of tension.
And in its place you will feel calmness and relaxation.
And the second thing that is happening automatically is that your mind and your body are learning to relax.
So as well as being able to rest now you will be able to keep this relaxation with you because you are learning how to do it right now.
And now that you are relaxed I'd like you to use your imagination in a really positive way.
Imagine a beautiful place in your mind.
A safe place.
Maybe a place you have visited before.
It may be your own bedroom but wherever it is just go there in your mind.
Imagine that you are there right now.
Just take a look around you.
Smell the smells.
Hear the sounds.
Look and take in your surroundings.
Just take a moment now to explore this place.
This place is your place where you can feel completely calm and completely relaxed.
Just imagine it.
Take in the colours.
Take in the sights.
Any smells.
Any sounds.
Just absorb yourself in this place.
And feel the calmness that it gives to you.
And you can return to this place any time you want to.
You can experience the calmness and relaxation that you feel now.
This safe place is a gift that you give to yourself.
A place you can go to in your mind any time.
And this calmness and relaxation that you feel now you can take it with you into your daily life.
Any time that you want to feel more relaxed you can just imagine yourself in this place.
Feeling the good feelings that you feel whilst here.
And now just let go of this image in your mind and bring yourself back to the room to the sounds to your thoughts to your body.
And just let yourself be in the present moment just for a while.
That's right maybe focusing on something in front of you.
Something that you'd like to just look at noticing.
Its shape,
Its colour,
Its purpose.
As you just adjust yourself and come back opening your eyes feeling relaxed and refreshed.
Namaste.
