Relaxation For Back Care And Well Being

A guided relaxation practice using the power of the breath to bring awareness, softness and release to the spine, muscles of the back and the whole body. A deeply restful practice best done lying down comfortably on your back with knees bent or a bolster under the knees to support the lower back.

"Heart Alignment" composed by Music Of Wisdom and licensed from Meditation Music Library.

Transcript

Welcome to this relaxation for back care and well-being. It's best practice lying down, Either knees bent, Feet on the floor, Or legs extended with maybe a bolster or rolled up blanket or towel under the knees to support the lower back. And before we begin, I'd like to. . . Remind you that you can give yourself permission to move whenever needed if you need to make yourself more comfortable. So coming to settle on the surface that you're resting on, Maybe just noticing. The muscles of the back, The spine, How they're feeling, What parts are touching the mat, What parts aren't. And then let awareness come to the breath. No need to shape the breath at the moment. Just be aware of your in-breath. And aware of the out-breath, Coming and going. And then I invite you to begin to use the power of your breath to take your awareness up and down the spine. So let the awareness start at the base of the spine as you breathe in. Awareness flows up the spine a little way. And as you breathe out, Awareness travels back down to the base of the spine. So with each breath in a slight expansion up the spine on the in-breath. And as you breathe out, Softening, Releasing. Focus on the breath flowing along your spine. With each breath, Awareness rises up from the base of the spine. And then the breath flows back down. It's like a subtle sensation, A wave of breath flowing along your spine. Breath in, Awareness rises up the spine. Breath out, Awareness flows back down to the base of the spine. You might begin to notice or be aware of the muscles of the lower back lengthening or softening. Maybe the muscles of the upper back releasing and letting go a little more. You might even be able to be aware or visualize the flow of the cerebrospinal fluid bathing the spinal cord. Maybe you'd prefer to imagine a light, A warmth or an energy flowing up and down the spine. Bringing with it a sense of ease and comfort. And the next time your awareness comes to the base of the spine, Allow your out breath to flow down the right leg, All the way down to the right foot. As you breathe in, Awareness flows back up the right leg to the right hip. Out-breath awareness travels back down to the right foot. Allowing the whole right leg from the hip to the foot to soften, Release and let go. Then next time awareness flows back up to the right hip, Take the awareness across at the level of the hips to the left hip. And as you breathe out next, Let the out breath travel all the way down the left leg to the left foot. Breathing in from the left foot, Back up the left leg. Just doing that a couple of times. Breathing in and out, Up and down the left leg. Allowing the whole left leg to release, Soften, Let go. And then next time awareness comes back up to the hip. Take the awareness back to the base of the spine and breathe in and out, Up and down the spine a few times at your own rate. Breath just flowing along the spine, Sense of freedom and ease in the spine, The muscles of the back. And the next time the breath comes up to the top of the spine, Let the awareness travel across to the right shoulder. And as you breathe out, Let that breath travel down the right arm all the way to the right hand. Breathing in, Right hand back up the arm to the right shoulder. Breathing out down to the right hand. Allowing the whole right arm to soften, Release and let go. Awareness then travels across the shoulder girdle to the left shoulder. And when you're ready to exhale next, Allow that out breath to travel all the way down the left arm to the left hand. Breathing in all the way back up the left arm to the left shoulder. Of breaths up and down the left arm. Allowing the whole left arm to release, Soften and let go. Next time awareness comes back up to the left shoulder, Take it across to the middle of the back as you breathe in, Up the back of the neck, The back of the head. Maybe lengthening the back of the neck a little. Maybe tucking the chin in. Maybe allowing the head to just soften. Onto your mat or maybe your cushion. And then let all visualizations go, Let all awareness go. You just allow your breath to flow freely. Feeling a sense of freedom and stillness. And from this place of stillness, Maybe see or imagine yourself moving freely, With confidence, Flexibility and strength. Allow yourself to rest in this stillness and silence. For a couple of minutes and then you'll hear my voice again. Then I invite you to begin to draw your awareness back into your physical body as it rests here. Maybe taking some slightly fuller and deeper breaths. Imagine with each breath that you can breathe in a golden light down into all the vertebrae of the spine. Maybe visualising your spinal column bathed with golden healing light. Visualizing or imagining this beautiful golden light radiating outwards from the spine, Along the nerves, The circulatory system. Filling the whole body with light streaming out from the spine. And then begin to bring a little bit of movement back into the body. You might like to gently roll the head. One way or the other. You might begin by reeling fingers and toes, Maybe rotating your wrists and ankles. You then might like to gently bend one knee and then the other, Drawing it in towards the chest, Maybe a gentle rock. Just to release any tension from the lower back. And then allowing yourself to roll onto one side and just rest there for a couple of breaths more, Just allowing the body to adjust. Before you kindly, Gently push yourself up to sitting. You might like to begin to rub your palms together, Get them nice and warm. And just let your awareness come to a part of the body, Maybe the lower back, Hips, Maybe the shoulders. There's still a little remaining tension and as you rub those warm palms together and energize them Allow them to just be placed gently on this part of your body. Sanding it some more. And love. So to finish this beautiful back care and well-being relaxation practice, I'd like to finish with a quote from Martha Graham. The spine is the tree of life. Respect it. Thank you for joining me and I encourage you to practice this back care and wellbeing relaxation as often as you are able to.