Hi,
Welcome to Lasting Impact.
I'm Laura Hayes.
We're here for a five-minute relaxing meditation using a simple body scan exercise.
So set yourself up in a comfortable seat.
Maybe relax your arms down by your side,
Or rest your hands on your lap,
And you can stay seated or you can lie down if that's more comfortable,
Whatever feels good for you.
Now close your eyes or cast your gaze downward,
Minimizing distractions that may arise around you,
And start to tune into your breath,
Just noticing the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe in and out.
Take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in and a long,
Slow breath out.
Do that again.
A long,
Slow,
Deep breath in and a long,
Slow breath out.
Now return to your natural breathing and settle in.
As we move through the body,
We'll intentionally bring a softness and release to those areas of the body that are holding tension.
If your mind wanders,
No big deal.
Without judgment,
Just bring your focus back to your easy breath and try to visualize your physical body becoming more and more relaxed.
So starting at the top,
At the crown of your head,
Start to feel your body relax.
As you exhale,
Start to soften through the face,
Releasing that space between your eyes,
The muscles in your forehead,
The muscles around your eyes,
Your jaw,
And your lips.
As you breathe out,
Move that relaxation over your neck,
Down through your trapezius muscles or the tops of your shoulders,
Around to the backs of your shoulders,
Down your arms,
Your forearms,
Wrists,
Hands,
And fingers.
As you breathe out,
Relaxing through your chest,
Your upper back,
Down and around to your lower abdomen and your lower back.
As you breathe out,
Feel your hips making contact with the earth below.
Feel grounded and supported,
Releasing any tension in your hips,
Your glutes,
Exhaling and breathing relaxation down to your thighs,
The backs of your legs,
Around your knee joints,
Your lower legs,
Feet,
And toes.
Let your body feel completely at peace and relaxed.
If your mind is starting to wander,
Simply come back to your breath,
The inhales and the exhales,
Noticing the rise and fall of the chest.
If you're doing this meditation in bed or just before sleep,
Feel free to drift off.
Otherwise,
Start to deepen your breath and bring some awareness back to your physical space,
Some sounds and sensations around you.
Bring some small movements back into your body.
And as you inhale deeply,
Feel yourself relaxed and refreshed.
Thank you for sharing your time with me.
Until next time.
