Good evening,
And thank you so much as always for joining me.
Just go ahead and make yourself nice and cozy,
Preferably lying down so you can relax as much as possible.
You can close your eyes if you like,
Or keep an unfocused gaze in front of you,
Whichever you prefer.
And just feel your head,
Shoulders,
Belly,
And full body slowly relaxing and letting go.
Hopefully you had a beautiful day,
Despite any pain that you may have felt.
I'm so sorry if that was the case.
The good news is,
You're here now and will be sure to end the day off right,
Just like you deserve.
Body scans are some of the best ways to unplug and recalibrate after a long day,
And just allow some relaxation to seep into our otherwise busy day.
So just lay back and enjoy.
As you lay here,
We'll just begin doing some deep belly breaths just to allow us to fully arrive here,
In this moment.
So when you're ready and at your own pace,
Just do a deep belly breath in through the nose,
Expanding the belly.
Two extra quick inhales to fill all the way up,
And a long sigh out through the mouth.
Again at your own pace,
When you're ready,
Just take a nice deep belly breath in through the nose,
Expanding the belly.
We'll do two extra quick inhales to fill all the way up,
And a nice long sigh out.
Great job.
When pain defines our day,
It's hard to imagine being in any other state,
But don't worry,
You're in the right place.
Let's just start by bringing your attention to your breath,
Feeling the gentle rise and fall of your chest and belly with each inhale and exhale.
You can even gently place a hand on your belly,
And just try to watch as the belly rises higher than your chest,
Not forcing it,
Just watching and noticing.
As you continue breathing deeply,
Imagine a bright white wave of relaxation filling your being as you gently inhale in through your nose.
Watch as this light moves from your head slowly down your body,
Softening every inch of you.
Feel your eyes getting heavier and heavier as your body arrives into this moment of complete safety.
Hopefully feeling serene and at peace in the stillness,
We'll just direct our attention to our head,
Notice any sensations,
And gently let go of any tension or stress that's caught here.
Allow the brow to release,
And the jaw to soften,
And gently let go,
And while breathing in and out,
Notice how softening the face and head is having a chain reaction to the rest of your body,
Soothing and relaxing it.
We'll now move our focus down to your neck,
Shoulders,
And arms.
Watch as that healing light surrounds these areas,
Dropping your shoulders,
Softening your hands and arms,
Allowing any lingering tightness or stiffness to dissolve with each breath in.
As we scan our chest and abdomen,
Watch as the light fills these areas up with each bead of our heart.
Feel the warmth of relaxation spreading through your body,
Soothing any areas of discomfort.
And when we're ready,
Without forcing it,
We're going to simply notice our pelvis and back without judgment,
Not fixing anything,
Just noticing.
Watch as that healing light starts to wash over and around these areas,
Moving between all sensations,
Gently absorbing them.
While remaining compassionate and kind towards ourselves and everything we're enduring,
Especially if we're in pain,
We'll just use our non-judgmental awareness to tune into these parts,
Softly and kindly.
Pain science lives and breathes on the research that tells us that investigating pain without judgment is one of the greatest tools we have to ease it.
Allowing the brain to process the sensations is information instead of threat.
Be very gentle with yourself if this is challenging,
It's not easy work.
We'll just start by asking ourselves a few questions about the sensations,
Gently trying to neutralize them.
And while breathing deeply in and out,
We'll just gently ask ourselves things like,
Where are these sensations located?
Are they at the surface or deep inside?
Are they moving or are they still?
Is there a shape and size to the sensation?
Are the sensations light,
Heavy or weightless?
Maybe there's a color or several colors to them.
Is there any movement,
Vibration,
Pulsation or sound?
Perhaps there's a gentle or soft animal that we can imagine here instead.
As we notice the sensations,
Gently try to see that healing light wrap around them,
Removing their power.
Watch as these sensations change from a red to a soft blue color,
As the pain hopefully starts to ease with every breath in and out.
We'll now bring our attention to your thighs,
Knees and down to your feet.
Imagine that soft healing light gently touching these areas,
Bringing comfort and relief.
Stretch out your toes and relax your feet.
And just allow your entire body to feel so light while completely melting into the surface below.
And as we lay here for a few more moments,
Just try to gently bring to mind three things that went your way today or brought you some bit of joy.
Even the small things like a cuddle with a pet,
A hot cup of coffee or a relaxing shower.
Anything to remind us that micro-moments of joy still exist in our day,
Even when there's pain.
Just lean in now and watch as your heart fills with softness and even more light.
And before we return back to the room,
We'll just take a nice deep belly breath in through the nose,
Expanding the belly.
Two extra quick inhales to fill all the way up,
And a nice long sigh out.
And feel free to just remain in this state if you're going to fall asleep,
Otherwise you can gently open your eyes whenever you're ready.
As you rest in this state of relaxation,
Remember that Sophocles once said,
Sleep is the only medicine that gives ease,
While the Dalai Lama once said,
Sleep is the best meditation.
So enjoy your easeful medicine and extended meditation as you drift softly to sleep.
Good night,
Be well and sweet dreams.
