Namaste,
My name is Jillian and this is a meditation for you to find total rest and relaxation.
At the end of the meditation there will be just a few moments for you to be on your own and the class will end with the sound of a bell.
Arrive in this practice physically by making sure you are in a safe and comfortable space.
I would recommend this meditation to be done lying down on a yoga mat or your bed especially if you are about to sleep.
Arriving mentally by taking a few cleansing breaths,
Filling up in through the nose and opening through the mouth,
Sigh it out.
Take two more of these here,
Filling up more and more each time and maybe holding it for a moment at the top.
Allow your breath to come back to a natural slow and mindful pace in and out through the nose.
The rise and fall of your chest is the focus of your mind.
Now let your mind drift away from your breath and notice what else is happening in the physical body and what is most prominent.
Is there tension in the body or stress being held somewhere through physical discomfort?
Now observe the more subtle things happening.
Observe where your body is connected to earth or your seat,
Your clothes,
The temperature of your skin,
What moves as you breathe.
Maybe your stomach is gurgling or there's cramping,
A headache,
Or if there's nothing,
Can you feel that sense of ease in your body already?
Now direct this attention to your toes.
Even with your eyes closed,
Can you feel their presence where they are in space?
Taking a deep breath in,
And let it go.
Relaxing your toes,
Your ankles,
And letting your feet fall naturally.
Bring your awareness up your legs,
Around your calves,
Your knees,
Your entire thighs.
When repeating in your mind,
My legs and my toes are relaxed.
Moving up the body,
Bring your awareness to your hips,
Where they're resting on your mat,
Your surface,
Supported and grounded.
My hips,
My legs,
My toes are relaxed.
Moving up to the belly and the low back,
Softening the muscles,
Letting go.
My belly,
My hips,
My legs,
And my toes are relaxed.
Moving up to the ribcage,
Feeling your breath expanding through the lungs.
My lungs,
My chest are relaxed.
Softening through the neck and the shoulders,
To the wrists and the fingers.
My hands,
My arms,
My shoulders,
And chest are relaxed.
Moving up to the neck,
The base of the skull,
Where your head is maybe resting on a mat or a pillow.
Up to your jaw,
Unclenching your teeth,
And sticking the tongue from the roof of your mouth.
Relaxing across the forehead and in between the eyebrows.
My jaw,
My cheeks,
My forehead,
Bringing your awareness to your entire body as a whole.
My body is relaxed.
