Ratio Breathing And Body Scan For Relaxation And Stress Relief

We start with ratio breathing, which this technique is helpful to reduce stress and anxiety. It also prepares the body for a whole relaxation. Then we do a full body scan, were we invite the release of tension where in the body is by focusing on our breath.

Transcript

Today we're going to do a little bit of breathing technique.

And one particularly that can help us to relax.

When we find ourself we have stress.

And when we have a little anxiety it helps us relax.

So once we do that then we're going to get ourselves ready for the.

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We go into the body scan and try to relax the entire body.

So let's settle in.

Whatever that settling is for you today.

Maybe sitting on a chair with upright position.

Or maybe sitting on the floor cross-legged.

Or maybe even lying down.

So if you are lying down put some pillow below your knees just to relax the knees as you're coming down.

So let's see if we can find that comfortable position that completely make us relax and settle in.

So let's prepare to close our eyes.

This reduce the visual stimulation around us.

And you're welcome to open them at any time if you feel like you want to open the eyes.

This is a great way of relaxing especially if you're doing this meditation at the end of day.

It prepare you to go nicely to sleep.

So let's bring our attention to our breath.

Our natural way of breathing.

And just allow the breath to relax here.

And eyes.

A nice breath.

Simple breath.

And perhaps you want to just stick your attention around the sensation around your nose as you're breathing.

Some people bring their attention to the movement of the chest or belly.

It doesn't matter where you're feeling that breath moving.

Just see if you can relax as you're breathing and focusing on your breath.

And see if you can feel the breath.

See if you feel how the breath feels when you're relaxed and you're breathing in and out softly.

See if we can rest just a little bit more focusing on our breath.

So we're going to start silently counting our inhalation and exhalations.

In a very quiet way.

It doesn't matter the pace of our counting if the inhale and exhale is not even or if they're even.

Just try to make it as smooth and natural your breath.

Now the number might change.

You might feel the inhalation is a count of two and exhalation maybe three or four.

It doesn't matter really.

We're looking at this one object which is our breath and we're trying to focus on counting.

And let's stay in this beautiful relaxation here focusing on our object which is our breath.

And now we're going to try to invite the exhalations to lengthen slightly.

Maybe you can double it or maybe just slightly longer.

So if you were breathing in for the count of two you can exhale for three or four.

Just make it comfortable.

Just slightly lengthen your exhale.

So now I'm inviting my exhalation to extend to four.

And I feel very comfortable even to the count of five.

It's your choice to extend to whatever number that you are not forcing and you're feeling comfortable.

Keep it easy and gentle and calm.

Just focus on that breath.

And let it be whatever it is right now the way you're breathing.

Continue inviting the exhale to be gentle and slightly long.

Now we're going to just notice the belly as we exhale.

We're really going to make sure it's emptying slowly and feeling it.

That's becoming empty that belly.

And before we invite inhale.

And feeling it rising.

And again very slow that exhale and lengthening and feeling that belly is emptying completely.

Make sure you're adjusting your breath length accordingly to your capacity and make it comfortable.

And see how that feels.

When you're really focusing on the breath and you're relaxing through the breath.

As we all know our breath becomes shallow for most part of the day.

This is a perfect time just to make a soft gentle smooth and very relaxed way.

And we know as we're relaxing the breath we're relaxing our sympathetic nervous system.

Our nerves relax.

Our body relax.

And you're probably releasing any tension you might hold in your muscles or anywhere in your body globally.

Notice how the breath becoming very smooth and soft.

Maybe a little long.

Now if you feel like your attention has shifted to some other thoughts,

Emotions or physical sensations.

That's okay.

Just bring it back to your object of concentration which is your breathing at this moment.

And stay with the breath.

And let all those thoughts sensation just to go and stay and keep space in between your saw and then.

Continue relaxing feeling the breath.

Feeling the focus of concentration which is your inhalation and exhalation and the sensation around that breathing and the feel of that breath.

So I invite you now just to come back to your normal breathing.

The way you breathe,

Naturally.

Inhalation and exhalation and just continue relaxing.

And notice how that feels.

And now we're going to continue nicely,

Softly breathing but bring our attention to our body scan so we can actually relax every part of our body.

So we are going to go systematically through the body.

So we can always check in and see the sensation in that part.

And then if you feel any tension there,

You're just going to breathe and as you exhale,

Let it go.

So let's start bringing our attention to our feet.

And you might notice a sensation around the area of your feet.

Could be a tingling sensation.

Maybe a soft feeling of movement.

Maybe you feel some pressure around your feet.

Maybe you feel nothing.

Maybe everything is neutral.

Just keep your mind there.

We take our attention to our ankles now and see if there is anything going on there.

Moving to the calf,

The shin.

See if you can detect anything.

Maybe everything is settled and relaxed,

Peaceful or maybe there's some tingling sensation around the area.

Just breathe.

And now moving our attention to our knees.

And feel how our knee is feeling right now.

Again,

Noticing if there's any sensation here.

Any pressure.

Any tension.

Any tingling.

Any tightness.

Just notice.

You might encounter sometimes on part of body that they are very quiet.

And that's perfectly fine.

We're just keeping the mind in that area and we're connecting with that feeling of stillness and peace if there is nothing.

And moving our attention to our upper legs and the back of the legs.

And you can feel your subtle movement of your breath as you're breathing in and out.

Or you might be feeling the pressure that if you're sitting on a chair,

You might feel the back of your legs touching there.

Just keep your mind there.

Absorb the sensation.

Now we're going to move to our hip region and see if there is any sensation there.

Any tingling.

Any feelings.

Maybe the sensation of touching the surface of the floor if you're lying down or your chair.

Just keep your attention there.

And it's nice to just have a little investigation going on there.

Maybe some curiosity.

But nothing really to judge.

Maybe you detect some pressure.

Or some sensation of discomfort of sitting or lying.

Maybe a little shift in movement will make that feel good.

So if you feel any sensation of tightness or tingling in your hip or legs,

I invite you with the next exhale just to soften a little bit more and relax a little bit more.

Keeping your mind there with the feeling of you allowing permission to your body to relax even more.

We're going now to take our attention to the lower back.

And the lower belly.

See how the lower belly and back feels.

Perhaps you notice that the belly is kind of softly moving with the breath.

And even if that movement is settled,

Just feel that movement there.

Perhaps you can feel the touch of your skin against your clothes as your belly is expanding.

And maybe you're feeling your lower back become neutral as you're exhaling softly.

Again,

Bring your attention there.

Now we're moving into the torso,

To the belly button.

And the middle back.

And we're going to our solar plexus and see how we feel there.

See if we are noticing any sensation here.

We normally hold tightness in our solar plexus and time and motions.

So if you have any sensation of tightness.

So just invite you to take a deep inhale.

The next exhale,

Just allow it to relax even more.

So let's not engage in any thinking of why those emotions or tightness are there.

Just let go of whatever it is and use that breath just to guide you through this beautiful relaxation for your middle,

Spine,

Solar plexus.

Perhaps by softening your breath,

You might feel a little more softening in that area.

And now we're going to make our way up to the upper spine and chest.

And see if we notice anything here,

Any tingling sensation,

Any tightness.

And as we're taking our attention to the chest,

Paying attention to the area around the heart as well.

And if you find that there's some tightness again,

I invite you to exhale and relax it even more.

Nice deep inhale.

A nice slow,

Long exhale.

And focus on that breath,

That object of relaxation.

So we face the sensation,

Whether it's pleasant or unpleasant,

The same feeling.

We just breathe,

Focus on our breath and allow the body to relax even more without questioning the sensations.

Please allow the things to be just the way they are,

With no judgment.

And now we're going to bring our attention into our shoulders,

Arms,

Our bones,

Our arms,

Wrists,

Fingers.

Let's just notice if we're holding any tension in your entire shoulder regions,

Arms,

Fingers.

Any tingling sensation.

Or maybe there is no sensations.

Now let's just take our attention to the entire torso.

Just make sure that every part of that torso is really relaxed.

If you find there is a part that needs a little attention,

You take a deep inhale and exhale,

Send it to that part.

And we try to allow the whole torso to be fully relaxed.

We're going to let go of any tightness,

Any tingling sensation.

And now we're going to move our attention to our neck region.

See if we sense anything.

Maybe there is no sensation.

Maybe everything is neutral.

Or maybe there are some sensations.

So let's just focus on that neck region and breathe in.

And nicely breathe out.

Allow it to relax.

And now we're going to move slowly to the back of the neck,

All the way to the back of the head.

Again,

Notice if you feel anything at the back of your head.

Any sensations.

The sides of your head.

Your ears.

Around the ears.

These areas are very hard to detect.

It almost feels like they are not part of the body.

Just focus there.

And if everything is neutral and you can't find anything,

Continue focusing on your object,

On your breath.

And at the back of your head,

The sides.

Now moving to the crown of the head.

And see if we feel any sensation there.

And almost imagining as you inhale and you're feeling the crown of the head slightly lifting.

And as you exhale and you're settling back to its own pace.

Again,

There are no sensations.

Maybe it's neutral.

Just continue focusing on that crown of the head.

And allow it to stay there.

Now we're going to move to our forehead now.

And between the eyebrow.

And see if we can relax this area.

And also let's notice if there is any sensation.

Any tightness,

Any tingling.

I invite you with your exhale,

Allow it to relax.

And almost feeling like the exhale is coming from your third eye and it's nice and smooth and long.

And as you're doing this,

You're feeling a bit of relaxation between your eyebrows.

And now we're going to move to our eyes.

The eyes suck in the muscles around your eyes.

See if you feel any sensation there,

Any tingling,

Any tightness.

Maybe they're soft and relaxed.

Maybe everything is neutral.

Now moving to our cheeks.

Now we're going to our nostrils.

Perhaps we can feel the breath,

The sensation of the air coming in,

Touching the skin around the nostrils.

And the temperature of the exhale as leaving the nose and nostrils.

And notice if there's any sensation here.

And moving to the jaw and tongue and lips.

And notice if there is any sensation.

Tightness,

Tingling,

Comfort,

Neutral.

Perhaps you feel your lips are dry,

Maybe a little moist.

You can feel your tongue relaxed,

Soft.

You can feel your throat completely relaxed.

Maybe there's some sensation there.

Now we're going to just have a look,

Feel of the entire head,

Including eyes,

Nose,

Lips,

Tongue,

Jaw.

We sense there is a part that it feels a little bit as tension in it.

I invite you to exhale from that part and allow it to relax even more.

As you relax in your tongue and jaw,

Focusing if there's any residual,

Any sensation in your body that needs a little bit of attention.

Just take your breath to the end of that spot and do a few exhales from that particular region or area that you're feeling discomfort,

You're feeling needs some attention.

Now notice how your body is feeling,

How your breath feels right now.

Soft,

Smooth,

Maybe more calm,

Maybe more relaxed,

Maybe more grounded,

Maybe more connected with every part of your body without any judgment.

So you may continue relaxing,

Lying down in this position.

Or you might slowly make some movement,

Gentle movement to your gaze,

Perhaps a gentle movement to your hip,

Gentle movement to the shoulder,

Just feeling slight movement to the body.

And then just feel how the body feels as you open your eyes now and just bring your sense to the entire body with eyes open,

Feeling the relaxation from the crown of your head to your toes.

And how soft and smooth your breath is and how calm everything feels without engaging in any thought and without judging the body.

So you might continue relaxing.

As we're coming to the end of our practice,

I want to thank you for your meditation today,

For your practice,

And have an amazing day.

Namaste.