For this relaxation,
Finding yourself a comfortable position,
Either lying down,
Perhaps with a cushion beneath the knees,
Or even sitting in a chair.
Resting your hands by the sides of your body or on your lap.
Seeing any last minute adjustments as an act of kindness,
Of care towards yourself.
And beginning to close the eyes fully or partially.
Dropping down to the body,
Allowing the awareness to rest in the body.
Possibly awareness that is wide,
Receptive,
Embracing.
The type of awareness that says I'm here for you.
Simply noticing what is present for you right now in your emotional landscape.
Are there particular sensations in the body?
What's the state of your mind right now?
Simply noticing what's present without needing it to be any different.
And perhaps taking a moment to acknowledge this period of relaxation.
To give permission to the body to rest.
And as the body comes to stillness,
Letting the mind know that it is also welcome to quieten.
That right now you can put down any future worries or projects.
It is okay to rest.
To take these moments to come home to ease,
To kindness.
Letting go of anything that doesn't need to be held onto right now.
And beginning with a few deep breaths.
Starting to fill the lungs from the bottom of the belly,
Right to the top of the chest.
And exhaling an extended out-breath.
Doing this a few times.
Deep inhale.
Followed by a long exhale.
And with each out-breath,
Inviting a surrender.
A release.
Starting to notice the points of contact with the body and the ground or the chair.
Back of the head.
The shoulders.
Backs of the arms.
Spine.
Hips.
Abs of the legs.
The heels.
Feeling the ground support from beneath the body.
The support from the earth beneath you.
And knowing that this support is always here for you.
Holding you.
And with the out-breath,
Allowing yourself to sink a little deeper into the ground below.
Allowing your muscles to release a little with gravity.
Beginning with the right foot.
Noticing each of the individual toes.
The sole of the foot.
The top of the foot.
The heel.
Noticing any sensations of the right foot.
Moving to the left foot.
The toes.
The sole of the left foot.
The top of the foot.
The left heel.
Now holding an image of both feet in your mind.
Allowing them both to rest.
Perhaps acknowledging how much your feet do for you.
Carrying you every day.
Making you where you need to go.
Giving permission for both feet to rest.
Maybe even imagining wrapping a warm towel around both feet.
Allowing the muscles of the feet to melt a little.
To relax.
Beginning to scan up the right leg.
Starting with the right ankle.
Noticing how the front of the ankle joint feels.
The back of the ankle.
Scanning up through the lower right leg.
Noticing any sensations in the shin bone.
Or the calf.
Noticing how your right knee feels right now.
Then noticing the upper right leg.
The bones and muscles of the thigh.
Noticing the left ankle.
Any sensations in the left ankle joint.
The left lower leg.
The left knee.
The left upper leg.
And holding an image of both legs in your mind.
And allowing them to rest.
Perhaps sending both legs some gratitude for all that they do.
Allowing you to walk in nature.
To run or dance.
Allowing both legs to be held by the ground beneath.
Noticing any sensations in the hip joints.
In both of the buttocks.
Can these muscles melt a little into the earth?
Moving round to the front of the pelvis.
Allowing this area to rest.
Beginning to scan up the back.
Starting with the lower back.
Noticing any sensations in the spine.
Or in the muscles of the lower back.
And if there are any areas of tension or tightness.
Seeing if you can bathe those areas with your warm attention.
Almost like the sensation of slipping into a warm bath.
Perhaps allowing those muscles to touch a slight sense of ease.
Of release.
Scanning up through the middle of the back.
And through the upper back.
Noticing the ground supporting the back.
Allowing the back to rest.
Beginning to notice both hands.
The thumbs of the hands.
The individual fingers.
The tops of the hands.
The palms.
Noticing if there's a tingling or warmth in the hands.
Perhaps taking a moment to acknowledge both hands.
For the amount of freedom that they give us.
They allow us to cook.
Write.
Paint.
Maybe taking a moment to send thanks to both hands.
And allow them both to rest.
Noticing the wrists.
Any sensations in the wrist joints.
Scanning up through the lower arms.
Noticing the muscles.
Any sensations in the bones.
Noticing both elbows.
And the upper arms.
And with the image of both arms in your mind's eye.
Allowing them to rest.
To release a little.
Giving your awareness to the shoulders.
Often the shoulders carry much tension for us.
Seeing if you can allow both shoulders to be fully supported by the ground beneath.
Allowing the earth to share some of what we carry with our shoulders.
Starting with each out breath.
The shoulders can release a little bit more into the earth.
Almost like bathing the shoulders in warm water.
Allowing these muscles to melt a little.
Nothing to do but rest.
Noticing the back of the neck.
Any sensations in the spine.
The muscles supporting the spine.
And these muscles release a little.
And the neck.
Feel at ease.
And noticing any sensations in the back of the head.
The scalp.
And beginning to notice any sensations in the face.
In the small muscles of the face.
The forehead.
Around the eyes.
The cheeks.
Around the mouth.
Allowing these muscles to rest.
Feeling the throat and the front of the neck.
Can the throat remain soft and open?
Looking down to the chest.
Noticing any sensations of the chest.
And also noticing if there's a flavour of an emotion present.
And if there is,
Just allowing that to be there.
Giving it plenty of space.
Being held gently by your kind awareness.
All is welcome.
Moving down to your belly.
Noticing any sensations in the belly.
Perhaps noticing the gentle rise and fall of the belly with the breath.
Can the belly soften?
Rest.
Perhaps beginning to notice the gentle movement of the breath in the belly.
Feeling this gentle rhythm.
Noticing your attention on the breath in the belly.
And from this point of attention,
Gently expanding your awareness to include the whole of your body.
Getting a sense of your whole body lying or sitting here.
Resting.
Breathing.
Once again,
Feeling the entirety of your body supported by the earth beneath.
Maybe embracing this whole body with a warm and kind awareness.
Perhaps even sending some gratitude to this body that has been your loyal home ever since you were a little baby until now.
For whatever measure of health your body holds.
Acknowledging that it has tried to be your home the best way it knew how.
Acknowledging this body and allowing it to fully rest to release into the ground.
And when you're ready.
You can begin to make small movements to start bringing life into the body.
Maybe wiggling a few toes or fingers.
Maybe stretching certain areas of the body.
Taking a whole body stretch if that feels like is what's needed right now.
Perhaps taking a moment to turn on one side and to rest there for a few moments.
And now you can either slowly come up to sitting or you can continue to rest.
Whatever feels right for your body right now.
Or move through subtle stress from the cold body.
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