So just making sure that you're comfortable and if there's anything that you need,
Any final adjustments you need to make,
Just do whatever it is that you need to do,
So that you might even be able to forget that your body's there as you practice.
As your body begins to settle,
Just notice if there are any places where you feel any tension,
Any discomfort.
If you find somewhere,
Send a breath into that place.
So breathe into the discomfort and then exhale to feel that tension releasing.
Repeat this with as many parts of your body as you need to.
Breathing into any tension or any uncomfortable areas.
Feeling each exhalation carrying that tension away.
With each exhalation,
Your body becomes more relaxed,
More ready to carry you into your meditation.
And just send the awareness out to any sounds that you can hear in your environment around you.
Just let the awareness jump from sound to sound and just acknowledging that those sounds are there,
Without getting too involved in any one sound.
And know that the sounds are not going to disturb you.
They can only help to enhance your experience of relaxation.
If you have a sankalpa,
Just take a moment to recall and acknowledge your sankalpa.
Your heart's deep prayer will rest.
There's no need to force the sankalpa,
Just allow it to come naturally if it's going to come.
And if you don't have one,
Bring the awareness to the heart.
And just rest at the heart.
We're going to take a journey around the body.
So allow the awareness to rest at each body part as it's named.
Beginning at the right hand thumb,
Bring the awareness to rest at the right hand thumb,
The right index finger,
The right middle finger,
The ring finger,
The little finger,
The palm of the right hand,
The back of the hand,
The right wrist,
The right forearm,
The right elbow,
The upper arm,
The right shoulder,
The right side of the chest,
The right side of the abdomen,
The right waist,
The right hip,
The right thigh,
The right knee,
The lower leg,
The right ankle,
The right heel,
The sole of the right foot,
The top of the foot.
Each of the right toes,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Rest the awareness on the whole of the right foot,
The whole of the right leg,
The whole of the right arm,
The whole of the right side of the body.
Moving to the left side,
Bring the awareness to the left hand thumb,
The left index finger,
The left middle finger,
The ring finger,
The little finger,
The palm of the left hand,
The back of the hand,
The left wrist,
The forearm,
The elbow,
The upper arm,
The left shoulder,
The left side of the chest,
The left side of the abdomen,
The left waist,
The left hip,
The left thigh,
The left knee,
The lower leg,
The left ankle,
The left heel,
The sole of the left foot,
The top of the foot.
Each of the left toes,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Bring the awareness to the whole of the left foot,
The whole of the left leg,
The whole of the left arm,
The whole of the left side of the body,
And the whole of the body together.
Awareness on the whole of the body together.
The whole of the body together.
Bring the awareness to the breath.
Follow the breath as it flows in and out.
Watch the natural flow of the breath.
The chest rising on the inhalation.
Sinking on the exhalation.
Begin to count the breaths backwards from 27 to 0.
Like this.
Breathing in 27.
Breathing out 27.
Breathing in 26.
Breathing out 26.
Breathing in 25.
Breathing out 25.
And so on,
All the way to 0.
If you reach the end,
Or if you make a mistake,
Go back to 27 and start again.
Keep following the breath and counting.
Stop counting.
Notice how still your body has become.
Feel the body completely still.
Is it fast asleep?
Notice the stillness inside the sleeping body.
Awareness of the stillness inside the body.
The stillness inside the body.
Although the body appears to be still,
There is always movement happening.
The breath continues to flow in and out.
The heart continues to beat.
The blood circulates.
Bring the awareness to the movement inside the body.
The movement in the body that's always happening.
Rest on the movement inside the body.
Stillness and movement together.
Feel the body completely still,
Fast asleep and alive with movement at the same time.
Welcome the feelings of stillness and movement that are happening inside the body together.
Stillness and movement together.
Bring the awareness to the eyebrow centre.
Observe the eyebrow centre.
Notice any shapes,
Colours,
Patterns or just darkness.
Without getting too involved,
Just observe what's happening at the eyebrow centre.
Keeping the awareness at the eyebrow centre.
Going to name some different things.
Allow an impression of each one to arise as it's named.
Without forcing anything.
Just allow each one to come however it comes.
Starting with a snow-capped mountain.
A feather blowing in the wind.
A hummingbird.
The sun rising over the desert.
A butterfly.
A trickling stream.
Pebbles on the beach.
A swan.
Flowers in the garden.
An eagle soaring through the sky.
Footprints in the sand.
The full moon in the starry night sky.
Float the awareness down to the heart centre.
Rest here in the peace and stillness of the heart centre.
If you have a sankalpa,
Call your sankalpa.
Your heart's deep prayer or vow.
If you don't have a sankalpa,
Just keep the awareness at the heart centre.
Rest into the heart centre.
Very slowly begin to turn the awareness back outwards.
Notice any sounds that are present in your environment.
Just allow the awareness to jump from sound to sound.
Without getting too involved in any one sound.
Just observing what's there.
Feel the feeling of the air against your skin.
The feeling of your clothing or your blanket against your skin.
The feeling of your body resting into the surface beneath you.
Feel the breath flowing in and out.
Watch the breath flowing into the chest.
Into the abdomen.
Watch the breath flowing into the hands and the feet.
Animating the fingers and the toes.
When you feel ready,
Give yourself a stretch in any way that feels good for you.
Taking your time,
There's no rush.
When you're sure that you're feeling wide awake again,
Slowly blink your eyes back open to complete the practice.
