Hello,
My name is Stephen Proctor.
During this mindfulness exercise we will be training the skill of softening into,
Relaxing into experience.
If you just start out taking a meditation posture,
Either seated or lying down.
And now gently take a deep breath in,
And as you're breathing out,
Allow yourself to relax.
Now widen your awareness throughout the whole of your body.
Relax your chest and your belly,
Allow your breathing to move freely.
Be aware of the full length of each breath as it moves in through the tip of your nose,
Through your chest,
Deep down into your belly,
And as it moves all the way back out again.
As you're being aware of the movement of the breath as it comes in and out of your body,
Start to notice an intentional tightness within the breathing or that you are holding within.
And now using slow deep gentle breaths,
I'd like you to soften into,
Relax into any tension you feel.
Gently take a slow deep breath deep into the belly.
With a slow and gentle breath out,
Allow any tension in your body to relax.
Slowly breathing in,
Slowly breathing out,
Relax your body even more.
Slowly in.
Slowly breathing out,
Allow your body to sink deeper and deeper into the floor.
Keep using your breathing in this way,
Slow deep gentle breaths,
And every time you breathe out,
Relax your body more and more.
Slowly in.
Slowly out,
Allow your body to relax.
Slowly breathing in,
And as you breathe out,
Allow your body to sink deeper and deeper into the floor.
Your body's becoming still,
Relaxed,
Calm.
Your body's becoming still,
Relaxed,
Calm.
And now that your body is calm,
Relaxed,
You can start relaxing yourself mentally.
Every time you breathe out,
Add a slow gentle silent sigh through your nose with the out breath.
And every time you sigh with that out breath,
Allow any mental tension to relax.
Gently take a slow deep breath deep into your belly.
Take a slow gentle breath out,
Sighing on the out breath,
Allow yourself to mentally relax.
Slowly in,
Deep into the belly.
The out sighing on the out breath,
Allow yourself to mentally relax.
Slowly in,
Sighing as the breath goes out.
Slowly in.
And each time your breath goes out,
Allow yourself to mentally relax,
Mentally sink more and more.
Keep using your breathing in this way,
Slow deep gentle breaths,
Sighing on the out breath,
Allow yourself to mentally relax more and more.
Slowly in.
Sighing on the out breath,
Relax.
Now as you breathe out,
Relax your eyelids and your eyes.
Allow your eyelids to drop.
Softening into any tension in your eyes.
Softening,
Relaxing you forward.
Reveal each gentle sigh out,
Softening,
Relaxing the frontal lobes of your brain.
Allow the sigh to deflate to relax your frontal lobes.
Each breath out,
Allowing you to sink physically and mentally deeper.
Deeper into stillness and peace.
Feeling calm,
Still.
Relaxed.
Relaxed.
Now widen your awareness into the whole of your body.
Notice the whole of your body just sitting or lying down.
Relax your chest and your belly,
Allow your breathing to move freely.
Start to be aware of the experience of heaviness within your body and the place where your body touches the chair or the floor.
Open your awareness in this heaviness and touch.
Open your awareness and start to be aware of any sounds around you.
And when you're ready,
You can gently open your eyes.
Have a wonderful day,
Take care and goodbye.
