Welcome to systematic relaxation.
Find a comfortable position,
Preferably laying down.
Make sure that your neck is supported and that you're warm.
Allow yourself to settle into this position.
Notice where your body rests,
Either on the bed or on the floor,
In a chair or on a sofa.
Notice the body settling in.
Notice where the back of the head touches the hips and the back of the legs.
Allow your breath to move naturally without force.
Allow all the muscles of your face to release,
Softening your jaw,
Tension around the mouth and the eyes,
Softening the forehead,
And then swallow,
Softening the throat.
Allow yourself to be undisturbed by any noises or sounds around you.
Draw an imaginary line from my voice to your ears.
Any other noises outside the sound of my voice disappears.
You are not required to make any movements during this practice.
Just follow along,
Bringing your awareness to each part that I mention.
Make a conscious promise to stay awake during this practice of relaxation.
Though your mind may drift in and out during this practice,
That is okay.
Our practice begins now.
Soften any tension around the center of the body,
Allowing the navel center to rise and fall easily.
Settle your attention at the center of the chest.
Moving to the right shoulder,
Right elbow,
Right wrist,
Right thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger.
All five fingers together.
Top of the right hand,
Palm of the right hand,
The whole right hand,
Right wrist,
Right elbow,
Right shoulder,
Center of the chest,
Right hip,
Right knee,
Right ankle,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
All five toes together.
Top of the right foot,
Bottom of the right foot,
Right ankle,
Right knee,
Right hip,
Center of the chest,
Left shoulder,
Left elbow,
Left wrist,
Left thumb,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Fourth finger,
Fifth finger.
All five fingers together.
Top of the left hand,
Palm of the left hand,
The whole left hand,
Left wrist,
Left elbow,
Left shoulder,
Center of the chest,
Left hip,
Left knee,
Left ankle,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe.
All five toes together.
Top of the left foot,
Bottom of the left foot,
Left ankle,
Left knee,
Left hip,
Center of the chest,
The hollow at the throat,
Tip of the chin,
Right cheekbone,
Left cheekbone,
Tip of the nose,
Right eye,
Left eye,
Center of the forehead,
Top of the head,
Back of the head,
Back of the shoulders,
Back of the hips,
Back of the legs,
Back of the ankles,
The whole back body,
The whole back body,
The whole front body,
The whole front body,
The space between the front and back body,
The space between the front and back body,
The whole body,
The whole body.
Feel the body breathing itself,
Abdomen rising,
Abdomen falling,
Abdomen rising,
Abdomen falling.
Continue this breath for 20 rounds.
If you lose your place,
Go back to one.
Bringing your awareness to the entire body.
Resting,
Healing,
Restoring.
Imagine a soft golden glow over the body,
Holding you here as you rest,
Allowing your body to do what it needs to do.
Without your conscious control,
Allowing the body to do its job.
Allow yourself to deeply surrender,
Keeping your awareness with the body.
Imagine the body fully supported here,
Resting deeply.
The breath easy.
Bring back sounds around you,
Sounds beyond my voice,
Sounds in the room and outside.
Allow yourself to rest here as long as you would like.
When you are ready,
Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes gently,
Not to disturb the body as you move out of this posture.
If you're laying down,
Bend the knees and roll to your side,
Taking time before you sit up,
Keeping your eyes closed,
Taking a moment to smile,
To feel restored and renewed,
Ready for the rest of your day,
Or perhaps a good night's sleep.
Thank you for listening.
