This is your time,
Your time for some solitude and restoration.
Prepare yourself first by making sure that if you are caring for another,
That person is safe and secure for the next 10 or 15 minutes.
Find a quiet place where you can relax and will not be disturbed.
Decide if you want the lights on or off or dimmed.
Decide if you'd prefer to sit or recline or if you need a blanket to keep you warm.
This time is about going to your center and only you know what works best for you.
Press pause if necessary.
Now that you're settled in your most comfortable position,
Notice where your body is touching the floor,
The chair,
Cushions or blankets.
For this guided meditation,
You will breathe using your nostrils.
Begin by noticing the sensations as you exhale,
The temperature of the air as you inhale.
Does it change?
Expand your awareness of the breath,
Allowing it to release down and out effortlessly.
All random concerns and tensions fall like sand in the bottom of an hourglass.
The rhythm of your breath is organic.
Know that it is taken care of by your nervous system and that it flows like waves on the ocean.
If it's comfortable for you to imagine you are on a beach,
The warm sand cushioning and supporting your body,
Put yourself there.
Vividly imagine the sound of the water as it washes on the sand.
At times the waves will be steady in their ebb and flow.
Then there will be a long release back into the greater sea and a longer,
Slower wash on the shore.
Your breath is like that.
Inhaling and exhaling flow at the pace that is best for you.
Send your attention to your ribs.
They are hinged on your spine and make a gentle excursion out when you inhale,
Draping down as you exhale.
You can send release energy to your spine along your rib cage as you are mindful of this easy gliding motion.
Now send your attention to your diaphragm.
This thick muscle attaches to the bottom ribs and goes through your body.
When you inhale,
It makes a gentle excursion downward toward your pelvic floor.
The surface area of the diaphragm expands as it travels downward,
Changing the shape of the organs in your belly.
As you exhale,
It makes a gentle transit upward like a dome that nearly touches your heart.
Observe how your belly changes shape as you inhale and exhale.
Enjoy the intelligence of your body,
How everything works together in a synchronous manner.
Trust that your breath is working perfectly.
Direct your awareness to your feet,
Intentionally sending the message of relaxation to the muscles,
Bones,
And joints.
Now to your ankles,
Your calves,
Your knee joints,
Up your thighs and to your hip sockets.
It's simply a matter of sending breath or light or perhaps a color or image that means relaxation and release to you.
Continue up your body,
Sending relaxation and release energies to your pelvic floor,
Your hips,
And sacrum,
The lower part of your spine.
Trust that you are visualizing this in the way that is most effective for you.
You're getting in touch with your center,
That place where you are most yourself.
Now continue to send release intentions to your belly,
Like a circular light radiating warmth and relaxation through your torso,
Through your solar plexus,
Your spine,
The tissue around your lungs and heart,
The area around your clavicle and shoulders.
Pause and feel those triangular trapezius muscles melt and relax.
From your shoulders,
Send warm relaxation down your arms,
Triceps,
Biceps,
Elbow,
Down the shank of your arm,
Wrist,
The bones and joints of your hands.
If you feel the need to stretch or give a gentle wiggle,
That's all right.
Now send your attention to your neck,
Feeling it widen and release.
Send those images of light in between each vertebra in your neck and space.
Now your tongue,
This very powerful muscle that attaches to your larynx,
Needs some care and relaxation.
Your jaws,
The muscles of the face around the lips,
The cheeks,
The forehead,
The tissue around the eyes,
And the ears,
All melt,
All relax.
Finally,
All the muscles and skin and nerves on the scalp can let go.
There is no need to hold on to anything right now.
We're going to count down from 10 and each number takes you to an even deeper point of relaxation.
10,
9,
8,
Going deeper,
7,
6,
5,
Free to relax,
4,
3,
2,
1,
Deep relaxation,
Serenity.
Now think of something that gives you great delight that makes you smile.
It could be a loved one,
Or a puppy,
A garden,
A special place or event,
A time of day.
Feel that delight.
Give yourself the freedom to smile a bit.
Bask in the pleasure of this.
It is very present.
From this place of pleasure,
Affirm that you are doing the best you can and that your life is just right where it needs to be.
You're going to hear some phrases.
You can change the wording if you need to so it fits and works for you,
Repeating them in your head.
I am safe.
I am at peace with myself.
I honor my unique self as I honor others.
I value myself as a person.
I trust myself to make the right choices.
I am precious and important.
I feel my negative feelings and then choose love,
Peace and wisdom.
I treat myself and others with respect and kindness.
I am capable and caring.
I am growing in patience,
Awareness and insight every day.
Everyone seems to have conflicting opinions about the right way to do things,
But they are only opinions.
I trust my capabilities.
I love and accept myself where I am.
I am in the right place in my life.
I take time to listen.
I am responsive and responsible.
I am doing my best.
I am the best role model for myself and those around me.
I am safe.
I love and accept myself where I am.
You can go over your day and see where these affirmations are true and where you are simply having a small obstacle to deal with on your life's journey.
Know and trust you have the right tools to change your intentions.
We're going to return now.
Return to the day with a renewed spirit and viewpoint.
After you have enjoyed some deep relaxation,
It's time to connect with your body in a different way.
Gently wiggle your toes.
Now fan them out,
Connecting them with the other muscles in your feet.
Observe how the motions begin small but get larger as you gain the momentum of waking energy.
Rotate your ankles clockwise and counterclockwise.
Flex your feet and stretch your calves.
Rotate your knees.
Rotate your legs back and forth from your hip sockets.
Try tapping your left and right toes together by rotating your hip sockets in and out.
Circle your hips,
Your spine.
Reach your arms up and make a gentle circular motion using all the joints,
Including those in your fingers.
Circle your head on your neck and now stretch the muscles in your face.
Try a broad yawn,
Then squinch the muscles in your face as if you were trying to fit your face into a peanut shell.
Counting up from one to five,
You will now breathe in energy.
First,
Fill yourself with energy from the neck up.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Energy,
Energy,
Energy.
Now your torso all the way down to your hip sockets and pelvic floor.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Energy,
Energy,
Energy.
Now your legs and feet.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Energy,
Energy,
Energy.
Now your shoulders,
Arms,
Wrists,
And hands.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Energy,
Energy,
Energy.
Before we take a final inhale to fill your entire body with breath and energy,
Make sure you have a good exhale.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Energy,
Energy,
Energy.
You are present and ready for the day.
