We're going to begin the practice with a wide child's pose.
So come onto your hands and knees.
Bring the big toes together and open your knees out wide.
Sit down onto your heels.
Stretch the arms and hands out in front of you.
And bring your forehead down to rest on your mat or onto your mattress if you're in bed.
If you want to support your body here,
You can place a pillow or a block onto your heels.
If you find it challenging to sit all the way back onto your heels,
And you can support your head by stacking your arms.
And resting your forehead onto your forearm.
Or by supporting your forehead with a block or a pillow.
Make sure that you're resting comfortably.
And feel your body relaxing into the pose.
We're going to be staying in each of the postures for three minutes today.
Send your awareness over your body.
And notice if your muscles are clinging anywhere.
Perhaps around the thighs.
And send the mental message to those muscles to relax.
Bring your awareness to the sensations you feel inside the body.
Observe what your body's feeling here.
Watch the feelings that arise inside your body as your body begins its release from the day.
And if there are any areas that feel tight or uncomfortable,
Send the breath into those areas.
As you inhale,
Send the breath into that area of tension.
And as you exhale,
Feel the breath carrying that tension away.
Welcome the deep release that every exhalation brings to your body.
Now slowly walk the hands in to bring yourself back up.
And make your way to lying on your back for a reclining twist.
Come to lying with your feet flat to the mat or the mattress.
Let hip distance apart.
And with the knees facing up towards the ceiling.
Bring your arms out in line with your shoulders.
With the palms facing upwards.
Making a T-shape And now gently drop the legs towards the left side.
Just allow them to fall naturally towards the left.
And if they're hanging in the air and you don't feel comfortable in the twist.
Place a pillow under the left leg to support the leg.
You can keep the head facing straight up.
Or turn to look over the right shoulder.
And relax Continue to breathe into any areas of tension.
As the exhalation carries away physical tension.
Mental and emotional stresses are also released.
Calming your mind for the night ahead.
Slowly come out of the posture.
Bring the knees back up to the centre.
And keeping the feet apart,
Drop the knees together.
Take some breaths here to observe any effects from the posture.
And we will go to the other side.
So now drop the legs towards the right side.
Placing a pillow under the right thigh if that's the most comfortable for you.
Keep the arms out in line with the shoulders,
With the palms facing upwards.
Turn the head to look over the left shoulder if it's comfortable.
Or keep the head looking straight up.
Relax into the twist.
Breathe into any tension.
And permit your body to release.
Slowly come back up Bring the legs back to the centre.
And the head back to the centre Keeping the feet apart,
Drop the knees together.
And take some breaths to observe how your body feels.
And observe how your mind feels.
And from here,
Let's move into reclining butterfly.
Bring the soles of the feet together.
And allow the knees to open out towards the side.
You can support your thighs with pillows here.
And either rest your hands onto the thighs or bring the arms up over the head.
But if the arms are over your head,
Be sure to keep the arms relaxed with a slight bend at the elbows.
Close your eyes.
And relax into the posture.
Make sure that the thighs are relaxed.
The hips are relaxed.
And observe the sensations that arise as you rest here.
Slowly coming out of the posture.
Bring the hands to the outside of the thigh.
Push the legs back up.
And prepare for shavasana.
If you're ready to fall asleep.
Make sure that you're comfortable in your bed and well supported by your pillows and your bedding.
And if you're lying on a mat.
Take a blanket to cover yourself with and make sure that you have enough layers on to feel warm and comfortable.
If it feels good for you to lie in Shavasana.
Bring your legs apart so that the feet are a little wider than hip distance apart.
And bring your arms to your sides with the palms of the hands facing upwards.
If Shavasana isn't comfortable for you to relax in,
Find another position that you do feel comfortable in.
You can come back into reclining butterfly.
Or bring the feet apart and the knees together.
Find what works for you.
Taking any support that you need for yourself.
And now close your eyes.
And before you enter into your relaxation.
Take a moment to make an intention for the night ahead of you.
Perhaps for deep and peaceful sleep.
Or for a quiet,
Peaceful evening.
Acknowledge your intention.
And now feel your body beginning to relax I'm not going to talk you out of Shavasana today.
So if you're ready to fall asleep,
Permit yourself to drift away and welcome sleep as it comes.
And if you're going to return to your evening.
The music will play for a few minutes at the end.
And when it stops,
You can quietly reawaken and come back to your evening.
To encourage deep relaxation of the body and the mind.
I'm going to talk through different parts of the body Just let the awareness rest at each part as its name.
And allow the awareness to travel around the body with my voice.
We'll begin at the right hand.
Bring the awareness to rest at the right hand thumb.
And the right index finger.
The right middle finger.
The ring finger and the little thing the palm of the right hand the back of the hand The right wrist.
The right flora.
The right elbow.
The upper arm.
The right shoulder.
The right armpit.
The right side of the chest.
The right side of the abdomen.
The right ways.
The right hip.
The right side the right knee.
De la abuela the right angle the right heel.
The soul of the rake.
The top of the right foot.
Each of the right tones.
One,
Two,
Three.
And the left hand thumb.
The left index finger.
The left middle finger.
The last ring.
The last literal thing.
The palm of the left hand.
The back of the left hand.
The left ray.
The left forearm.
The left elbow.
The upper arm.
The left shoulder.
The left armpit 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 angle.
The left heel.
The sole of the left foot the top of the left foot.
Each of the left toes one.
Three.
Oh.
Bring the awareness to the right toe.
The left toe.
The right heels.
The left here.
The back of the right knee.
The back of the left knee.
The right button.
The left button.
The spine.
The right shoulder blade.
The left shoulder blade.
The back of the head the top of the head.
The forehead the right eyebrow.
The left eyebrow.
The eyebrows and the right eye.
The left eye The right ear.
The left ear.
The right chin.
The left cheek the nose.
The tip of the nose.
The upper lip.
The level it the chain the jaw.
The right collarbone.
The left color there.
The space between the collarbone.
The right side of the chest.
The left side of the checks.
The centre of the chest.
The Navel the lower abdomen.
The right hip.
The left kit.
The right knee.
The left knee.
The right angle the left angle.
The right to.
The left toe.
The hole of the right leg.
The whole of the left leg of the legs together.
The hole is the right arm.
The whole of the left arm.
Both of the arms together.
The whole of the right side of the body.
The whole of the left side of the body.
The whole of the body together.
The whole of the body together.
The whole of the body together.
