Hello there.
Thank you for joining me.
I'm Lucero.
And over the next few minutes,
I'm going to introduce you to a practice that you can use to take care of yourself whenever you feel stress or you just want to relax.
Because it's important for all of us to be good friends to ourselves so we can be at our best.
For this practice,
You might want to lie down so you can relax even more.
But you can also do this sitting.
Go ahead and take a minute to get comfortable wherever you are.
Now close your eyes.
Take a deep breath in and let it out slowly.
As you breathe out,
Relax your whole body from head to toe.
Take another breath in.
Notice how your body feels.
If you need to move around or shake it out to get more comfortable,
Do that now.
Try to make your body comfortable enough so that you can be mostly still for the next few minutes.
See if you can feel the weight of your body resting against whatever is underneath you,
Supporting you.
Each time you exhale,
Let your muscles relax and let your body get a little bit heavier.
Take a few more deep breaths.
Can you feel your chest expand when you inhale?
Can you let yourself relax even more when you exhale?
Notice what that feels like.
Now let your breath find a natural rhythm.
In and out.
Nice and slow.
Can you feel your feet?
Just notice the feeling of your feet as they're resting on the floor.
Notice any sensations just in your feet.
Any pressure.
The feeling of your shoes or socks if you're wearing them.
Heat or coolness.
Wiggle your toes and let them relax.
Let your feet and ankles relax.
Then let your attention move up to your legs.
Notice how your legs feel.
Any pressure,
The feeling of your clothes,
Heaviness or lightness.
As you exhale,
Let your legs get heavier and more relaxed.
Relax your ankles and your knees too.
Notice your back resting against the floor.
See if you can let go of any tension in your muscles.
So you feel yourself relax into the support beneath you.
Notice your stomach.
If it feels tight,
Let it get softer when you breathe out.
Notice your arms.
Feel any sensation in your arms.
Let your shoulders relax.
Let your elbows and wrists relax.
Notice your hands.
Are they tense or tight?
See if you can let them get softer.
Maybe wiggle your fingers and then relax them all.
Relax your palms and the backs of your hands.
Notice your neck and throat.
Let them get softer as you breathe.
Soften your jaw.
Relax all the tiny muscles in your face.
The muscles around your mouth,
Your cheeks.
Feel your forehead relax and all the muscles of your scalp.
Now notice your whole body all at once.
Take one big deep breath and let it out slowly.
Now bring your attention to your thoughts.
Just notice what's going on in your mind right now.
No judgment.
Is it busy?
Is it calm?
You might imagine that your mind is like the clear blue sky and all your thoughts are like clouds.
See if you can just watch the clouds drifting without getting too attached to them.
If you notice anyone thought demanding your attention,
Try using your exhale to breathe it out and let it go.
Just breathe and let your mind relax.
Now check in with your emotions.
How are you feeling right now?
Remember no judgment.
Just notice.
See if you can just be there for yourself the way a good friend would.
If you're feeling any stress or tension,
Notice where you feel it in your body.
Then see how it feels to breathe it out with each exhale.
Whatever you need to feel stronger,
Breathe it in with every in-breath.
Whatever you want to let go of,
Breathe it out with every out-breath.
Now just notice,
How does your whole self feel?
Body,
Mind and emotions.
Are you more relaxed?
Do you feel calmer?
I hope so.
Take a few more breaths to just enjoy that feeling.
Great job taking care of yourself.
Now take one big deep breath in and let it out.
Just wiggle your fingers and toes.
Let your body stretch in any way it wants to.
Take your time.
Keep breathing.
See if you can keep some of the feeling of relaxation even as you start to move around.
When you're ready,
Open your eyes.
Thank you so much for listening to this guided meditation with me,
Lucero.
It's been so wonderful to be on this journey with you and I look forward to next time.
Goodbye.
