Breath relaxation meditation.
So,
Finding a comfortable position,
Take this moment to tune into how your body feels right now.
And we'll compare it to how it feels at the end of this meditation.
Let everything else be in the background.
Let go of thoughts and just let your awareness scan through the body,
Noticing sensations – pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Neutral – of how you're feeling physically and emotionally at this moment.
Now,
Take a deep breath in and a big sigh out.
Good.
Did you notice anything let go on that breath out?
Let's do another big breath in and out and this time really tune in to what let's go on the breath out.
Good.
You may have noticed release in the torso,
Around the ribs or diaphragm.
Maybe you noticed release in a place where you have habitual tension like the shoulders,
Neck,
Jaw.
Now let's do a third big breath in and out and this time deliberately let go of something.
Could be a place of habitual holding or a thought or anything.
Just let go of something.
Big breath in.
Good.
So for the rest of this meditation we will be using the breath out to help create release and ease in the body.
So now on a breath in allow your spine to stretch up in a way that feels good.
And allow your spine to stay stretching up,
Lengthening.
And on a breath out just let everything else release and hang down from there.
You can as we go through this add a mental label that you say to yourself on the breath out like breathing out or letting go.
As you specifically notice and tune in to flavors of release in the body on the breath out.
It's helpful if the labels are in a matter of fact or soothing tone.
Maybe like this.
Breathing out or letting go.
Letting go.
Try that for several breaths.
If your attention wanders at any point into thinking or sounds gently without judgment bring it back to noticing any release,
Ease or letting go in the body especially on the breath out.
Letting go.
Breathing out.
Good.
Now on a breath out deliberately drop your jaw.
Just let gravity take it.
Maybe it will pull the mouth open,
That's fine.
You can even breathe through your mouth if that's more comfortable.
The jaw can get very tight especially when we try to control our experience.
So just letting it drop especially on a breath out can help you let go of tension and unwanted thoughts.
Just drop the jaw.
Breathing out.
Letting go.
Now let the shoulders drop on a breath out.
Let the neck release.
Let the belly be soft.
Always letting go on the breath out.
Breathing out.
Letting go.
Breathing out.
Letting go.
Continue noting release,
Ease,
Relaxation and letting go on the breath out with or without labels.
The labels may help deepen the experience but whatever is easiest for you.
Just feel that release on each breath out.
Allow each breath out to contribute to a global relaxation in the whole body.
Breathing out.
Breathing out.
Letting go.
Breathing out.
Letting go.
Breathing out.
Letting go.
Breathing out.
Letting go.
Good,
Now notice how you feel at this moment.
Any differently from when you started?
Are you more aware of release,
Ease and relaxation in the body?
Do you feel more present?
More concentrated?
If so,
See if you can allow those qualities or any others that you may have gotten from this practice to continue after this meditation.
