In preparation for relaxation meditation,
I invite you to lay down on your back or sit in a comfortable chair.
Make sure you're warm,
Making adjustments for whatever feels right for you.
You may want to cover yourself with a blanket,
Use an eye pillow or a bolster under your knees.
If it feels comfortable to you,
You may want to close your eyes.
Begin to breathe deeply into the abdomen.
The belly rises and expands as you inhale and naturally falls back down toward the spine on the exhale.
Imagine that with every breath in,
You're inflating a bubble of protection around you.
Feel it growing in strength as you continue to breathe.
Mentally repeat,
I am safe.
I am healthy.
I am calm.
We will begin by tensing and relaxing the body.
Notice the difference between tension and release as we practice,
Allowing all of your muscles to fully relax.
Notice any sensations as you practice and know that you can't do this wrong.
If any feelings happen to come up,
Know they are perfect and allow them to just be.
We begin with the lower body.
Tense up all the muscles of the lower body,
The toes,
The feet,
The legs,
Hold tight,
Squeeze,
And release.
Notice.
Now tense all of the muscles of the upper body.
Tense,
Tense,
Tight,
Tight,
Hold it,
And release.
Notice.
Now the whole body together,
Every muscle tight,
Tight,
Hold it,
Squeeze,
And release.
Completely relax.
The breath is your anchor.
So at any time you find your mind wandering away from the practice,
Very gently nudge it back to the breath.
Now we'll scan the body,
Starting at the feet.
As you inhale,
Just notice the feet.
As you exhale,
The feet relax.
Notice your legs on the inhale.
On the exhale,
Relax the legs.
Inhale,
Abdomen.
Exhale,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Notice the chest.
Exhale,
Chest relax.
As you inhale,
Notice the entire back.
Exhale back,
Relax.
Fingers,
Hands,
Relax.
Notice the arms and shoulders.
Exhale arms and shoulders,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Notice your neck and jaw.
Exhale neck and jaw,
Relax.
Inhaling,
Noticing the face.
Exhale,
Face,
Relax.
As you breathe in,
Notice the point between the eyebrows.
Exhale,
Allow that point to relax.
Continue to breathe deeply into your belly.
Feel the bubble of protection growing bigger and stronger.
Be still.
Relax,
Trust and let go.
As you imagine yourself in a meadow on a beautifully sunny summer day,
A light breeze cools you to the perfect temperature as you feel the support of the warm earth below you.
The meadow is teeming with overgrown clover,
Moss and strawberries.
You pluck the vibrant red fruit from its vine and eat it,
Savoring the sweetness.
You are safe.
Notice the sun by the horizon,
Where stripes of orange color the clear sky like watercolor.
The sky is so vivid that it illuminates everything it touches in an orange glow.
Notice the wild deer grazing in the distance,
While birds flutter past,
Building nests.
You can see giant yellow sunflowers dotted between the overgrown grass in the distance,
Proudly facing the sun.
Peeking your way through the meadow,
You come upon an oak tree.
Noticing its low-hanging branches,
You decide to climb.
The wind continues to blow ever so slightly and you watch the deep green oak leaves dance with the sun.
Standing between the branches,
You are able to see a lake in the distance.
The sun reflects the bright blue sky,
Casting the water indigo.
A flock of birds fly overhead,
Singing to one another as they make their way to the lake.
After descending the tree,
You sit down on a blanket in a nearby clearing and see the whole meadow glimmering in the sun.
Tiny violet butterflies fly from flower to flower,
Defying gravity as they pollinate the wildlife.
Laying down as you are now,
You watch the only cloud in the sky gently blow by.
Bright white,
It passes over the sun for just a moment,
Illuminating its fluffy edges in vivid silver,
The sun's rays still beaming.
Stay here for a moment and continue to breathe.
As you come back to your space,
Remember during these uncertain times,
We can pull our attention inward,
Away from the external chaos and connect to those parts of ourselves that are perfectly at peace,
Remembering that peace lives within us.
We can pause all that keeps us from experiencing it and access it at any time through regulating our own breath.
Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes as you come completely back into the body,
Becoming aware of your surroundings and carrying on with the rest of your day.
We can pause all that keeps us from experiencing it and carrying on with the rest of your day.
