Welcome to this bedtime relaxation meditation designed to help you let go,
Relaxing your body,
Your mind and your spirit.
Begin by lying on a flat surface,
A yoga mat on the floor,
Your couch or even your bed.
Remove any pillows so your head is flat.
Check for room to stretch your arms over your head.
Notice your breath.
Notice the air around you.
Let your arms come overhead and take a big inhale and stretch the fingers and the toes in opposite directions.
Exhale with a sigh.
Take this full body stretch one more time and then allow the body to completely relax.
Notice the surface that you're lying on.
Notice the back of the head flat on the surface,
The shoulders and the hips feeling supported.
Bring your hands to your belly and notice how the belly rises on your inhale and how the navel comes to the spine on your exhale.
Let your arms gently rest by your side.
Let your body relax and find stillness.
Bring your awareness to your toes and your feet.
Notice the temperature.
Notice the air on the toes.
Notice the heels touching the surface you are lying on.
Now notice the lower leg and draw your attention to the calf.
Notice the calf muscles resting on your surface.
Notice the shins the front of the leg and notice any tension at all in the lower legs.
Staying still and noticing not trying to change anything.
Bring your awareness now to your knees,
Behind the knees,
The kneecaps and notice how the thigh muscles attach to the knees.
Notice the back of the thighs and how they feel against the surface you are lying on.
Become aware of the hips,
The outer hips,
The inner thighs,
The groin muscles,
The weight of the hips resting on your bed,
Yoga mat or couch,
That surface that you are lying on.
Draw your attention now to the lower back,
To the front of the body,
To the belly,
The belly button.
And now notice the entire lower body feeling relaxed and resting.
In your mind's eye,
Travel to the rib cage,
To the back of the ribs,
To the spine,
Feeling the connection to the surface you are resting on.
Notice how the sides of the ribs expand on your inhale and your exhale.
Let your attention be drawn to the upper back,
To the shoulder blades,
To the front of the body,
To the chest and the collarbones.
Notice your strong shoulders relaxing,
Resting.
Notice now the entire trunk of the body.
Bring your awareness and your attention to your fingers.
Noticing the temperature of the fingers and the hands,
The back of the hands,
The palms,
Feel the connection to the surface that you're lying on.
Notice the temperature of the entire hand.
Let your attention be drawn to the wrist,
Your forearm,
Your elbow,
That lower arm.
Noticing the wrist resting,
Touching the surface you are lying on.
What's the temperature that you feel?
Notice the forearm.
Notice the top of the arm.
Become aware of the muscles in the upper arm.
Feeling up to where the arm meets the shoulder,
Noticing the entire arm.
As you continue your natural breath in that rhythm that's comfortable for you,
Notice the breath reaching your throat.
Bring awareness from your throat up to your chin,
To the ears,
The nose,
And the cheeks,
The entire front of the face,
Back of the head,
The top of the head.
Notice your entire body.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Feeling the breath move all the way down to your fingers and toes.
On your next inhale,
Let your arms rise overhead,
And on the exhale,
Let them come back down by your side.
Let your awareness come into your space.
Noticing sounds.
Seeing the temperature of the air in the room.
Letting your eyes open.
Take a moment to reflect and feel renewed.
