This meditation has been created to help you soften and let go of tension.
Take this chance now to pause.
Take this time to let your body come to a slower pace,
A still pace.
A pace where movement is not essential and you can simply be for a few minutes.
Choose a comfortable position,
Lying down,
Seated on a chair or on the floor or wherever you are most comfortable.
The most important thing here is to be in a position where your body can be fully supported by the surface you are resting on.
Let yourself be held.
Let your body know that it is okay to rest for a moment.
It is safe to do so now.
Let your body know that it doesn't have to hold on right now.
Just for these few moments it can be at ease.
Now take three long slow breaths in through the nose and exhale the breath out through the mouth,
Taking with it any tension or resistance to this practice.
Breathe out to let go of the day so far.
And then gently let your breath come to a light and rhythmic pace.
Let the breath slow and settle into a natural flow in and out through the nose.
Gently,
Tenderly,
Slowly.
Now bring your awareness to the temples and the backs of your eyes and notice if you are holding tension here.
On your next exhale,
Invite this tension to soften.
Physically allow this part of your body to soften.
And now sweep your awareness to your jaw.
Notice if you are holding tension here,
Gripping or clenching the teeth.
On your next exhale,
Invite a softness to wash over the jaw and into the neck,
Down towards your shoulders.
Physically releasing any tension.
Now bring your focus to the shoulders.
Notice if they are hunched up around your ears.
Notice if they're carrying too much.
Are you compensating for the weight that you are carrying by holding and bracing against them?
Physically invite them to soften,
To slide down the back away from the ears.
And then follow the energy down towards your fingertips.
Bringing your focus into your hands now.
Are they gripping and holding tension?
Holding onto things that they don't need to hold onto?
Invite them to open,
To soften and physically release the tight grip that they might be holding.
Now shift your awareness to your chest.
Is it holding tension?
Is it hunched?
Can you invite it to soften and open a little more?
Physically let this tension melt away.
And then sweep your awareness down to your belly.
And notice if you are holding tension here,
Are you holding the belly in?
Invite it to soften now.
Physically let the belly be soft.
And now bring your awareness to the pelvis and the hip sockets,
The buttocks and the upper thighs.
Are you holding tension here in this part of the body?
Can you invite a sensation of heaviness here to allow this part of you to be fully supported?
Can you physically invite this part of the body to soften?
And now finally bring your awareness down to your feet and notice if the toes are curled and scrunched together.
Can you invite a soft spaciousness here to let the feet spread wider?
To provide you with a greater surface area for you to ground yourself with.
Can you physically let the feet soften now?
Now use your awareness and your intention to sweep up and down the body like a cleansing wash of a tension to notice any areas that are still holding tension.
Invite these parts of you to soften.
Tell these parts of you that it is safe to soften.
Now be with this tender space a few moments longer,
This softness.
And now notice the surface that you're resting on.
Notice how your body is positioned in space and start to reawaken.
Rub the palms of your hands together and generate a little heat between them.
Then place them over a part of your body that needs just a little extra care in this moment.
Let the warmth settle in,
Bringing comfort,
Support and safety.
And when you are ready,
Open your eyes and continue your day but with a new sense of awareness,
Knowing that you can activate this restful softness by simply inviting the tension to release.
