A Grounded Practice For Completing The Day

As your day comes to a close, this evening body scan meditation offers an opportunity to slow down, release tension, and reconnect with your body through the breath. Beginning with awareness at the nostrils, the practice gently guides attention through the face, neck, shoulders, chest, lower back, hips, and legs, inviting each area to soften with every breath. As you settle into the support of the ground beneath you, you'll be invited to let go of mental activity and experience a quiet sense of presence. The meditation concludes with a gentle reflection on what completion feels like and an opportunity to set an aspiration before returning to your evening. This recording comes from a live Journey You Own Meditation Gathering, so natural pauses and references to shared practice may be present.

Transcript

Let's begin by noticing the breath and the inhalation. Experiencing the contact of the air as it enters your nostrils. Becoming curious to the sensation of breathing, Noticing. The texture, Temperature of the breath. With your next breath, Draw it deeply up your nostrils into your sinuses, Noticing the experience of the breath as it enters those areas of your face. Cheeks. Under the eyes. And with your exhalation, Letting go and sinking in. To this process of release. With your next breath, I invite you to soften the experience of the breath entering your face and your nostrils, The sinuses. For releasing any tension in your eyes. Space below your eyes and your eyebrows. Softening the eyelids. Noticing where you might be carrying tension in your forehead, The temples of your face, The jaw. Just inviting the breath. To gently enter these regions and release that energy that you might be carrying. Soften the muscles of your face in its entirety. Then with your next breath, Notice the experience of the muscles along your neck and your throat, The upper shoulders. Where we often carry tension. Invite the breath to settle in these regions. It's noticing the experience. If you notice any tightening, You might place a little more attention there and draw the breath to that area to soften the muscles. From your shoulders. Draw your attention to the breath in the lungs. Each inhalation and exhalation, The rise and fall of your shoulders. The ribs expanding and contracting. Noticing the experience of the breath from within the body itself. As you follow the inhalation and exhalation. And offer softening of your lower back. The muscles, Of course, Down to your hips. Just noticing how you are seated. And how the breath enters the abdomen and then resides in that lower abdomen as your lower back and hips support your weight. Invitation here is to notice the interplay of both relaxation and alertness that's carried in your abdomen. Pelvis and in your seat as you're seated. From your hips, Draw your awareness to your legs, Down through your thighs. All the way to the soles of your feet. Feel the support of the earth below you as you root yourself into the ground. Let go of all thoughts. Completely clearing the mind. And allowing yourself to sink into the experience of the body. Being supported by the Earth. By the ground below you. Notice how making space. To practice and complete your day. Is felt in your body. Is experienced by the breath. If you'd like, You can set an aspiration or intention for What completion looks like. The energy cycles of the breath feel like. And then when I ring the bell, I invite you to take three more deep breaths. Then we can return to our space together.