Sitting comfortably,
Softly close your eyes,
Making any adjustments that you need to make.
Just check in that both your feet are flat on the floor,
Your legs are uncrossed,
Your arms are uncrossed and just gently down by your side or resting in your lap with your palms up or down.
Your chin is slightly tucked in and as you just begin to become aware,
Scanning your body from your head to your toes.
Gradually move your awareness from your forehead to the tip of your nose,
Your eyes,
Your eyelids,
Both ears,
Your cheeks,
The back of your head.
Awareness around your chin,
Your jaw.
The tip of your tongue is lightly pressing against the ridge which is behind the two front upper teeth.
This will relax your facial muscles and your jaw.
So your mouth is softly closed and you're beginning to breathe in through the nose.
From here move your awareness down to the front of the neck,
The back of your neck.
Awareness now of your whole spine.
Although it's upright,
It's got its own natural curves creating that structure and stability in your body.
Moving down to the base of the spine.
Just feel the chair connecting beneath you.
Then move your awareness from your hips down both legs to the knees to the ankles and feel now both heels on the floor.
Feel the soles of your feet,
The balls of the feet.
And let's just explore now the space between your toes.
Really allow your feet to relax and let them release any accumulated tension.
From here we'll move your awareness now back up the front of the body.
The tops of the feet,
The ankles,
Calves,
The shins,
Your thighs.
Scanning the front of your body next.
The lower abdominal area,
The area around your solar plexus.
Your rib cage,
Your lungs and notice how they're protecting your heart.
And moving up from the heart to the upper chest.
And really allowing yourself now to fully relax your whole body.
Your whole body is fully relaxed.
Letting go,
Releasing all accumulated stress.
Releasing all of the tension in your body.
Just meet your breath at the nostril opening.
Allow your breath to be natural.
Breathing easily.
Breathing effortlessly.
And feeling this beautiful state of settled awareness wash over your whole body.
For the next few moments there is nowhere to go.
There is nothing to do.
Just be.
Just breathe.
Letting go of the practice.
Take a few moments just to explore this feeling,
This relaxation response.
Before opening your eyes.
Let's take a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in together.
And just let that go.
And when you feel ready,
Just return now to your normal activity.
My name is Suzy Vaughan.
