This is Rasa.
Welcome to your guided meditation.
To begin with this meditation,
Find yourself a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down.
Since you have chosen this particular meditation,
Try to position your body in a way which makes your chest area feel less pressured.
If you remain sitting,
You can position your hands in your lap.
If you are laying down,
You can put your hands parallel to your torso,
Palms facing up.
You can now close your eyes.
Take a moment to acknowledge that you had the determination to set out this time for your physical and emotional wellbeing.
Through making this decision,
You are already halfway there.
Now that you have taken the step to nurture your body and mind,
Let's see what sensations the present moment brings with it.
Just start by bringing attention to the physical sensations.
Start by noticing your breath.
Is it fast?
Slow?
At this point,
Just let your breath be what it is.
Soon we will start altering it gently.
But for now,
Try bringing awareness to the patterns of your breath without judgement.
It is natural for you to experience discomfort in your chest area while breathing.
Every day we accumulate individual amounts of tension in various parts of our bodies.
The heart space is a common spot for tension to gather up.
Tension and tiredness get tangled up and prevent us from breathing and living to the fullest.
Remember that you can always dissolve any tension by first acknowledging it,
Then bringing awareness to it and then letting it go or letting it be until it goes away by itself.
And your breath is the tool that you can always count on when you need healing.
It is always there.
Always in action.
So your goal now is to put it to your own advantage.
While observing your breath,
You might discover that you breathe mainly through your chest.
This is how a lot of us breathe most of the time.
Now let's realize that we have many more possibilities for this simple action than we imagine.
Let's put the healing power of a full deep breath in action.
A full breath starts in your belly.
As you inhale,
Start by filling your belly with air and then slowly moving it through your chest.
Now with the exhale,
Let the air pass first through your chest and then through your belly.
One more time,
Feel your belly expand with your inhale.
Then gently pass this expansion to the chest and then release it with the exhale.
Again and again.
This time let's try exhaling with the mouth.
Again start your breath in your belly.
Move it to the chest.
Feel the skin of the chest expand and then let go with the exhale through the mouth.
Use the exhale through the mouth as an opportunity to release tension with a sound or a sigh.
Allow yourself to let go of the accumulated tension.
Make your exhale audible.
The exhale is not just a physical action,
It is also an emotional one.
It is the act of letting go.
Letting go of anything that is not helping you anymore.
Repeat each exhale as a unique chance to let go of the tension around your heart.
Intimate emotions might come up as you continue breathing deeply.
Just notice them.
Then identify one emotion or feeling that troubles you and imagine how it gradually leaves your body with each exhale.
Identify.
Accept.
Let go.
Inhale with acceptance.
Exhale with release.
On each exhale let go a little more.
Feel how you are creating more space and lightness in your chest.
As you breathe,
Welcome the fresh air into your body with gratitude.
Realize that what you are doing now is not simple and is not just breathing.
It is an act that sustains the life within you.
Once more,
Fill your lungs with fresh air as much as you can and then exhale with relief.
Anytime you want to take a break from deep breathing,
You can return to your natural breathing pace.
Meanwhile,
Notice how your body feels after this practice.
Not just your chest,
But your body as a whole.
Now briefly scan your toes,
Legs,
The belly,
The chest.
The shoulders.
The hands.
The fingers.
The neck and the head.
Notice if some parts of your body feel tense.
Try to relax even more.
Allow your body to become heavy.
Remember your body is a whole being,
One unit.
So to let go of any chest heaviness or pain,
You also have to let go of tension and other areas of your body.
So take a breath in with your body as a whole and exhale from your whole body.
In and out.
In and out.
Now return to your natural breath.
The breath is a liberating tool,
But there is another tool at your disposal that can help you soothe your body and mind and that is your imagination.
Imagine a small energy ball of green light located in the centre of your chest.
The healing green light is the light of your heart chakra.
Surge it and just allow it to be there for a couple of breaths.
Allow this tiny green light to get used to your body.
And imagine how the energy ball slowly expands and fills your chest with light.
As each breath let the greenness spread more freely and vibrantly through your body.
Now try to accept this light as a part of yourself.
Take a moment and let it reach every corner,
Every fingertip.
Now let the green energy return to your heart space.
Take one of those inhales with acceptance and exhale with relief.
Coming back into your physical surroundings.
Releasing your physical body resting,
Peaceful and calm.
Your breath is rhythmic and natural.
As you slowly open your eyes,
Just notice how you feel after this practice.
Remember this feeling as only the thought of it can make you feel lighter whenever you seek lightness in your heart.
And that is rows on and rows.
