Relaxing the hands down at the sides,
Palms facing up.
You might like to place a cushion under the knees and a thin cushion or maybe a soft back book under the head.
Breathing in and out with each out breath.
Letting go just a little bit more.
Letting the earth hold your body.
Letting your muscles release,
They're working.
Letting them relax.
Letting the face relax,
The shoulders.
Taking a deep breath in here and breathing out.
Letting go and we'll do that again.
Breathing in long and slow.
Feeling the chest expand and lift and breathing out.
Breathing in and as you breathe out,
Giving yourself permission to relax,
To let go.
Once more,
Breathing in long and slow and as you breathe out,
Allowing the whole body to follow the breath and release.
Whole body to relax and to let go.
Noticing those parts of the body,
The rest on the earth,
These points of contact or connection.
Gently guiding your awareness here.
Not the idea of the body but the felt sense in this moment of this body and the earth.
Bringing awareness now to the toes.
We're going to tighten the toes,
Tighten the feet,
Tighten the calves and the thighs.
As you breathe in,
Tightening through the legs,
Tightening the glutes as tight as you can go.
Tight,
Tight,
Tight.
As you breathe out,
Letting go.
Letting the whole of the legs release.
Bringing awareness to the arms and the hands.
As you breathe in,
Making the hands and the fists as tight as you can.
Tightening the lower arms,
The upper arms,
The shoulders as tight as you can.
Tight,
Tight,
Tight.
Contracting the muscles and then breathing out,
Releasing,
Letting go.
Bringing awareness to the abdomen now.
As you breathe in,
Tightening the muscles of the abdomen and as you breathe out,
Release.
Coming to the chest,
Breathing in,
Expanding the chest,
Breathing out,
Letting go.
Guiding your awareness to the face.
As you breathe in,
Tightening all of the face,
As tight as you can,
Screwing up the face and then breathing out,
Releasing.
And now we're going to do the whole body.
As you breathe in,
Tightening the toes,
The feet,
The lower legs,
The thighs,
The glutes,
The tummy,
The chest,
The hands,
The arms,
The shoulders,
The face.
Tightening everything as tight as you can.
Contracting all the muscles,
Engaging every part of your body as you breathe in and then breathing out,
Letting go,
Releasing.
Melting into the earth.
Breathing in once more and with the next out breath,
Letting go a little bit more.
With each out breath,
Releasing,
Relaxing,
Letting go.
And we're going to do a short compassion practice now in this still,
Relaxed body.
As you rest here,
Gently guiding awareness to the breath.
This gentle movement of the body,
Even in stillness,
The waves of the breath continue.
Sensing how it feels to breathe.
And now you may like to bring in your imagination a little bit here.
Perhaps imagining you could breathe in a golden light.
Maybe you feel this drawing into the chest,
Expanding out.
So begin to find a compassionate breath,
A kindly breath.
Imagining you could breathe in this kindly breath,
Feeling this warmth,
This kindness.
Fill the lungs,
This compassionate breath.
With each breath that you breathe in,
Breathing in this warmth,
This kindness.
Letting this fill the body.
Every part of the body is filled with this breath of compassion,
This kindly breath.
Perhaps you feel this physically in the body.
Maybe you sense a tingling,
A warmth.
Maybe this is an idea.
Or maybe you see this in the mind's eye,
This golden light.
Or perhaps simply saying to yourself,
Compassionate breath,
Kindly breath.
Whatever works for you today.
Breathing in this warm,
Kind breath.
And as you breathe out,
Sending this breath replenished out into the world.
Sending this kindness out.
Breathing this kindness in and sending it back out.
Sending kindness out into the world.
Almost like breathing in a wish of kindness,
Of compassion to yourself.
And sending a wish,
A wish of kindness out into the world.
Taking a few moments in your own time to sense this kindly breath as you breathe it in.
And then as you send a kindly breath out into the world.
This kindly breath,
This breath of compassion,
Which has been waiting for you.
Which is so glad you're here.
Which is always here for you to return to.
Who's always wishing you well.
This compassionate breath,
Which you can return to whenever you wish.
Breathing in this well-wishing for yourself.
And if you choose to,
Sending compassionate breath out into the world.
And as we begin to come towards the end of this practice,
Knowing this breath is always here for you to return to.
This warmly affectionate breath,
Beginning to release the awareness of this breath.
Letting it go,
Knowing its effects will remain.
And once more,
Noticing the parts of the body which rest on the air.
These parts that make contact,
Connection.
Sensing this pressure of the body held by the air.
And bringing awareness to the hands.
You may like to rest the hands on the body now,
Maybe the abdomen,
Perhaps the heart.
And thanking yourself for being here.
Thanking yourself for carving out this time in your day to do something in your own deepest well-being.
And thanking also all of those around the world who are practicing with you right now.
Knowing that their practice will follow them into their day like a perfume.
Perfuming all those they come into contact with.
And thanking also all those who came before,
Who practiced,
Who learned,
Who taught,
Who shared,
Who kept the fire alive.
And as we come towards the end of the class,
Knowing the effects of your practice will stay with you.
Taking a deep breath in and out.
Beginning to move the fingers and the toes.
If there's any stretching,
Any movement the body needs,
Finding this now.
Namaste.
