I'm Kate James and this is the soothe your nervous system meditation.
During this practice we'll focus on relaxing the body and mind to soothe and heal your nervous system.
You may like to do this meditation lying down with a pillow beneath your head,
A bolster or cushion to support your knees,
A blanket over you for warmth and an eye pillow if you have one.
Make sure you feel completely comfortable so you can soften into a deep state of rest and now allow your body to arrive into stillness.
Let your attention shift away now from the busyness of your life.
Let go of thoughts and planning and start to move into the quiet space of just being right here in the present moment.
Feel the air against your skin.
Notice the sounds around you and be aware of the subtle rhythm of your own breath and heartbeat.
Begin to observe the movement of the breath,
The inhale and the exhale,
Allowing each to gently guide your awareness fully into your body.
As you continue to breathe you may like to introduce Ujjayi breathing on your exhale to help quiet the mind and soothe your nervous system.
To do this very slightly constrict the back of your throat keeping your mouth closed so that you hear a soft whispering sound on your exhale.
Let each breath be steady and soothing.
Now begin to extend the breath,
Breathing in a sense of calm and quiet,
Breathing out and letting go of all of the demands of the outside world,
Relieving you of your roles and duties,
Releasing any worries or stress,
Allowing yourself to feel completely free of any expectations or pressures.
As you offer yourself this time to relax,
As you deepen your breath feel it rising and falling in your body,
Soothing and calming your mind.
And now you might like to repeat these words under your breath.
It's safe to let go now and allow myself to deeply relax.
Now bring your awareness to your head and your face,
Imagining a gentle wave of relaxation,
Softening the little muscles around your eyes,
Releasing any tension in your mouth,
Letting go of any tightness in your jaw,
Moving to the center of the chest and resting your awareness on your heart space.
As you hold your attention on the heart you might begin to sense a gentle and loving presence,
Soothing any worries or fears,
Allowing you to feel completely nurtured and safe.
Now move your awareness to your shoulders,
Into your arms and your wrists,
Into your hands now and fingers and all the way down to the fingertips,
Moving up to the solar plexus,
Your abdomen and hips,
Bringing awareness to the thighs,
Your knees,
Your ankles and feet.
Be aware of your back now,
Bringing a gentle energy from the base of your spine to your neck,
To the back of your head,
The crown of your head and into the center of your forehead.
As you rest your awareness on the forehead,
Become aware once again of a quiet and loving energy that exists within you and around you,
An open and unconditional support that holds you in a warm embrace.
Allow yourself to relax now into the safety of this loving presence and again repeat your intention.
It's safe to let go now and allow myself to deeply relax.
As you rest here in this deep state of stillness,
Let yourself be bathed in this open awareness and begin to sense your connection with the earth.
Move your attention to the base of your spine and feel the supportive energy of the earth rising up to meet you now and imagine you can draw this grounding and calming energy into the whole of your body and your entire nervous system,
Softening and soothing any tension.
Call this softness into your heart and let yourself open now to a true sense of healing.
Let this grounding and calming energy flow through your chest,
Into your throat and your neck,
Move it into your face and your head,
Filling your mind now with a deep sense of stillness.
Feel this grounding and healing energy within you,
Beneath you,
All around you,
Your mind,
Your body and your entire nervous system,
Softening and healing.
All of you now completely relaxed and again observe the movement of the breath,
The inhale and the exhale,
Allowing your breath to gently guide you back into your body.
Feel the support of the surfaces beneath you and start to bring some small movements to your fingers and toes.
Take another in-breath and a long slow sigh out and when you feel ready gently open your eyes.
