Welcome,
This is an evening wind down meditation for when the day has been full,
Your mind has been active and your body is ready to let go.
It's an invitation to shift out of doing and into being,
Reconnecting with the deep sense of steadiness and calm that lives within you.
If you're ready for bed now,
Please lie down and let yourself be fully supported.
Or if you're not quite there yet,
You can find any comfortable seated position that allows your body to soften and your attention to turn inward.
Take a moment to settle.
Let your arms and legs rest naturally.
Let your face soften.
Your eyes softly close.
Your shoulders drop.
Feel the support of the surface beneath you.
Let your body begin to release any tension it's holding.
Let your thoughts begin to slow.
Take this time to arrive.
Now bring your attention to the flow of your breath.
Simply notice as the breath moves in and as it moves out.
Begin to lengthen your breath.
And without forcing,
Allow your exhales to become slightly longer than your inhales.
Do this a few times at your own pace.
Extending the breath helps you mentally downshift into rest,
Inviting a sense of calm and clarity.
As you settle in,
Let your breath soften the edges of your day.
Dissolve any remaining stress or tension.
And let yourself land fully in this moment,
Just as you are.
Now bring awareness to your feet.
Feel them resting on the floor or the bed.
Begin to inhabit your feet as if you are inside the inner space of your feet,
Feeling them from within.
Now your ankles.
Feel the inner space of both ankles at the same time,
Balancing your awareness across the left and right sides.
Now your lower legs.
Your knees.
Feel the inner space of both knees at the same time,
Softening,
Relaxing.
Your upper legs.
Now your pelvis.
Feel the inner space of your pelvis from front to back and side to side.
Bring your attention into both hip sockets,
Deep within the pelvis.
Now your midsection.
Feel your midsection from the front to the back and to both sides,
Softening any tension.
Breathing.
Move into your chest.
Explore this space fully,
Inhabiting the entire area of your chest.
Now your shoulders.
Feel into both shoulder sockets at the same time.
Continue down your arms,
Into your elbows,
Your wrists,
And into your hands.
Feel into both hands and all ten fingers,
Releasing any tension,
Letting go.
Shift now into the inner space of your neck,
And soften your neck from the inside out.
Feel the space behind your face,
Softening your forehead,
Your eyes,
Your cheeks,
And your jaw.
Now the top of your head,
The sides of your head,
And the back of your head.
Feel the entire space of your head,
Soft and at ease.
Now come to be inside your whole body at once.
Feel your body breathing.
Now feel as if your breath is expanding to fill the entire inner space of your body.
As if your whole body can inhale,
And your whole body can exhale.
Let yourself rest here,
Quiet and still,
Feeling the subtle sensations of your breath moving through your body.
The whole body fills on the inhale,
And the whole body empties on the exhale.
I will leave you here,
In this place of grounded presence.
Stay as long as you'd like,
Or drift into sleep whenever you're ready.
