Welcome to this breath-focused meditation for deep relaxation or sleep.
Sometimes the world gets a little overwhelming and the body tenses up.
That can manifest in pain,
Anxiety,
And inflammation.
It can be hard to reset the system when we're running around and don't take a moment to slow down and calm the body.
This meditation will allow the breath to help us to do that through a simple guided practice.
Please begin by finding a comfortable position for your meditation.
Lying down is especially recommended here and you can absolutely do this meditation to help you fall asleep at night.
Take a few deep breaths in through your nose and sigh out of your mouth.
Really fill up to the top of your lungs and sigh all the way out of your mouth.
Even this practice of sighing will begin to calm your nervous system.
Now begin to tune in to your natural breath without needing to change it at all.
Just notice what it's doing,
What it feels like.
Notice if your body needs to move in any particular way.
Maybe you have the urge to stretch,
Fidget,
Wiggle.
Your body may not have had the chance to process and express whatever you've been going through.
Maybe you even feel the need to hunch your shoulders up or clench your fists.
Allow your body to play through whatever movements might be sitting there,
Asking to be expressed.
If there's nothing in particular,
That's fine too.
It might come up at some point and you can allow it in that moment.
We want to allow stillness to come and meet us at its own pace,
Not before it's ready.
Take some time with this.
Simply allow your breath to be natural and gently meet any movements that your body wants to express.
Now having met the breath as it is,
Let's begin to adjust it.
Start by softly,
Gently stretching your breath.
Expand the inhale so that it gets a little bit longer.
Expand the exhale so that it gets a little bit longer as well.
Don't worry about how long and there's no need to go to your absolute max.
Just stay within a range that is comfortable for you.
Expand your inhale somewhat and expand your exhale somewhat.
Allow this to change as your system adjusts to what you are doing.
There's no rush here.
Now notice your body again.
Sometimes when we consciously release tension,
It becomes easier to breathe deeply and the body begins to settle into calm and relaxation.
I will invite your focus to different parts of your body and with each long soft exhale,
Imagine letting go of that part.
Feel free to take more than one breath for each part,
Using the exhales to gently relax the muscles in your body.
Your forehead,
Relax with your exhale.
The space around your eyes softening with each exhale.
Your jaw,
Your shoulders,
The center of your chest,
Your stomach,
Your lower back,
Your lower belly,
The space around your genitals,
Your pelvic floor,
Your hips,
Your entire right leg,
Your entire left leg,
Your hands,
Your feet,
Your whole body.
Feel yourself getting heavier and softer.
Now we will focus a little deeper in.
Bring your awareness to the breath rising and falling in your belly.
Notice how the belly expands forward as you inhale and deflates inward towards your spine as you exhale.
Stay relaxed.
There's nothing you need to do differently.
Simply noticing how the breath can expand outward into your side body on the inhale and deflate towards your body on the exhale.
You may even feel a little bit of movement around the lower back,
Expanding into your back body on the inhale and then deflating gently toward the core.
Your belly is like a soft balloon rising and falling.
The balloon also has a bottom.
This is your pelvic floor.
There's a little net or diaphragm of muscles around your genitals that can also move with the breath.
Imagine this as the bottom of that soft balloon.
It gently,
Naturally expands downward toward your feet as you inhale,
Deflating upward toward your heart as you exhale.
Again,
There's nothing that you need to do here.
If it feels good to keep your breath deep or even sigh,
Please do so.
The pelvic floor will naturally move when we're relaxed enough.
It needs no effort to do that.
This may be difficult to feel at first and that's alright.
Simply imagine the bottom of the balloon expands gently downward as you inhale,
Widening slightly and softly draws in and up as you exhale.
Take your time.
Imagining that gentle movement of the soft balloon,
Your entire belly and lower back,
Especially the pelvic floor,
With your inhale and your exhale.
Allow your breath to be as deep as feels comfortable.
Over time,
This part of your body will soften and respond to your breath,
Sending the message to your nervous system that you're okay,
Everything is alright right now.
Now is a time for healing and repair,
For relaxation and rest.
Continue on with this breath as long as you'd like.
Perhaps you're drifting off to sleep or simply taking a little time to relax during your day.
When this practice feels complete for you,
Gently move your body and make your way back into a softer,
Slower,
More relaxed sort of day.
Thank you for listening.
