Sitting comfortably with your back upright and straight,
Choose to either have a soft downward gaze or close your eyes.
Allow your awareness to turn inwards inside your body.
Start to become aware of points of contact your body is making where you are sitting.
Your feet resting on the ground.
Notice where your hands are.
Allow your awareness to move to your shoulders.
To take tension away,
Physically roll your shoulders upwards,
Back and down.
And to take tension out of your jaw,
Keep your lips together,
But allow the jaw to drop very slightly open.
Allow your awareness now to come to your breathing.
Start to notice the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe.
Allow the breath to be as smooth and gentle as possible.
And now try to extend your exhale so it's just a little bit longer than the inhale.
You may like to add a count,
A silent count to the inhale and the exhale.
But allow the exhale to be just a little bit longer.
So if you count three on the inhale,
Count four for the exhale.
The longer exhale is gradually reducing the amounts of oxygen in your body.
This will naturally lower your cortisol levels.
Still keeping the exhale a little longer than your inhale.
I'd like to invite you now to add a mantra with your breath.
Mantra is simply a word or a phrase we repeat silently.
So as you inhale,
Silently say calm and on the exhale,
Relaxed.
Still keeping your exhale a little longer than the inhale.
And now as you repeat,
Calm,
One last minute silently repeating the mantra.
Allowing the words to gently fade away.
And I'd like to invite you to finish with a gratitude practice.
Think of something that's happened today that you're truly grateful for.
And just think on it for the next minute whilst also putting a little smile on your mouth.
Smiling,
Still feeling grateful and allow those thoughts to gently fade.
And bring your awareness back to your body.
Just noticing your breathing once again.
Watching the rise and fall of your chest.
Allowing your awareness to just notice the points of contact your body's making.
Again,
Where you're sitting,
Your feet on the ground.
Where your hands are resting.
Mentally bringing your awareness now outside of your body.
Noticing sounds around you.
Becoming aware of where you're sitting.
When you're ready,
Gently reawaken your body.
Maybe moving fingers and toes very slightly.
And in your own time,
Gently open your eyes.
