Hi there,
I'm Kate Hubert from Mindfulness Movement and Meditation.
Thank you so much for joining me for this meditation.
You can use this meditation for deep relaxation.
You can use it as a restorative practice or you could use it to fall asleep at night if you're having a little bit of trouble getting to sleep.
You could do this meditation either sitting in a chair or you could do it lying down.
So whatever posture you choose,
Just make yourself comfortable,
Spine straight,
Not tense,
Arms and legs uncrossed.
Settle into a position and let's begin.
Take a nice strong deep breath in through the nose and out through your mouth.
And then we'll return our breathing to in and out through the nose.
Don't control your breath,
Just work with your own natural rhythm.
Simply close your eyes and just become aware of your surroundings.
Perhaps the temperature in the room,
The contact between your body and the surface that you're on.
There could be some sounds close by or far away.
It could be traffic or birdsong.
Could be the soft noises of your home or environment.
The sound of my voice,
The music.
Just notice,
Don't judge it or rate it.
Just notice and notice how if you don't hold on to it,
It will just fade away all by itself.
Change,
Changing,
Fading away.
Now begin to turn your awareness within.
Notice the sensations in your body.
Perhaps the sensations in your face.
Notice any tightness,
Maybe some softness.
Notice the sensations around your eyes and small muscles around your mouth.
Your jaw,
You may like to wriggle your jaw around a little bit,
Allow it to settle into a comfortable position.
Drop your chin just a fraction down toward the chest to lengthen through the back of the neck.
Notice the sensations here.
Notice if there's tightness in the back of the neck.
With your next out breath,
Just allow that to soften.
Move your awareness down through the upper back and mid back and your lower back.
Feel the rise and fall of your chest with each breath.
Let the chest be broad and the heart soft.
Move down through the solar plexus and the belly and notice if there's any sensations there.
Could be some tightness,
Maybe some gurgling,
Tingling.
With the next out breath,
Let the belly be soft and just notice the gentle movement of the belly with each breath.
Belly in,
Belly out.
Belly in,
Belly out.
Just notice,
Don't control it.
Just notice it,
Just notice.
Move down through the hips,
The pelvis,
The thighs are beginning to relax as are your lower legs and your feet.
Let the feet be very,
Very heavy and soft.
Your arms are relaxed and resting comfortably.
Just notice the sensations in the body.
Could be some warmth,
Some tingling.
Notice the sense of softening and release with each out breath.
And notice,
Just notice how these sensations will change and move away just like sounds if we don't hold on to them.
Just notice,
Just notice.
Take your awareness now to your breath.
Wherever it's the strongest for you and that could be the softness and the coolness of the incoming breath and the gentle softness and warmth of the returning breath.
Perhaps it's the rise and fall of the chest with each breath.
Just rising,
Chest falling.
Your ribs expanding and contracting to the sides,
To the front and to the back.
Or it could be your belly.
Rising and falling,
Rising and falling with each breath.
Don't control it.
Just keep your focus and awareness on your breath.
Just notice.
Just let your whole body let go and soften a little more with each breath.
Letting go.
Softening just a little bit more.
Be aware of the thoughts as they come and go across your mind.
Just be the observer of these thoughts.
We can't stop them,
Nor do we want to.
We just don't want to be hooked up in the whirlpool of thoughts.
Let them come and let them go like a video running in the background.
Know the thoughts are there.
Keep your focus and awareness on your breath.
The sensations in your body.
Continuing to soften with each out breath.
Letting go.
Letting go.
Letting go.
If you get a strange ache or pain,
Then give your body the attention it's asking for.
Mind loves distractions.
So you can name that ache or pain.
It could be shoulder,
Elbow,
Hand,
Knee.
Let's name it.
With the next out breath,
Let it go.
Let it soften.
Let it go.
Turn your awareness to your breath.
In and out through your nose.
Rising and falling of the chest or the belly.
Belly in,
Belly out.
Letting go.
Letting go.
Softening a little more with each out breath.
If you do get caught up in a thought,
Well that's okay too.
Noticing this is a very important part of the practice.
So notice that.
Unhook from it.
Return your focus and awareness to your breath.
Noticing the softness of the breath.
Noticing the softness in your body.
Letting go.
Stay with your eyes closed as we now prepare to leave this meditation.
If you choose to stay in this meditation for a little while longer,
That's absolutely fine.
If not,
Let your next breath in be a little stronger and a little deeper.
Feel the change in the sensations in your body with this much stronger in breath.
Take your time.
Very,
Very gently begin to wiggle your fingers and your toes.
Can roll your head very,
Very gently from side to side to break the thread of concentration.
Begin to turn your awareness once more to the environment around you.
Noticing the sounds in the room.
Sensations in your body.
Sounds outside the room.
Just take your time.
When you're ready,
You can open your eyes and continue with the rest of your day or evening.
Thank you so much for joining me.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
