Hello and welcome to the official launch of The Daily Insight.
My name is Tara Brach and I am a teacher here on Insight Timer.
Today's meditation focuses on relieving stress and anxiety and if you wish it can help you in getting to sleep.
Please find a comfortable position and whether you are lying down or sitting you might experiment with placing one hand gently on your belly and resting the other hand on your heart.
Become aware of your breathing and consciously lengthen the breath taking a nice long deep in-breath filling the lungs and then a slow out-breath letting go,
Letting go.
And again a deep full in-breath and a long slow out-breath,
Slow enough so that you can feel the sensations of the breath leaving the nostrils.
And now allowing your breath to resume in its natural rhythm,
Sense how fully you can relax with the inflow and the outflow.
With this relaxed breathing you can begin to scan through the body releasing any tension you might be carrying.
You might bring a slight smile to the lips,
Also smiling into the eyes letting the whole face soften and relax.
Feel your shoulders from the inside out.
You might sense a kind of dissolving of ice to water and then water to gas.
Let your hands rest in an easy effortless way,
Softening the hands,
Feeling from the inside out the space and aliveness that's there.
Let the chest be open and you might visualize and feel the sense of a smile spreading through the heart,
Relaxing down through the abdominal area letting this next breath be received in a softening belly.
This breath and again relaxing down through the pelvic region,
Down through the legs,
Through the feet.
You can widen the attention and feel your whole body floating,
A field of sensation,
Safe and at ease.
You might sense with the in-breath receiving a gentle flow of soothing,
Healing energy from the universe.
And with the exhale letting go into the universe,
Releasing whatever is ready.
And with the exhale letting go into the universe,
Whatever is ready to be released.
If there's any tension,
Pain or fear in your body,
Let the tender touch of your hand on your heart.
Offer comfort.
Send a stream of caring,
Soothing energy to the place of discomfort.
You might offer a message of care such as,
I'm here.
It's okay.
You can relax.
If you find your mind is drifted into thoughts,
Gently relax open your attention,
Listening to sounds around you,
Letting go again through the body,
Softening the shoulders,
The hands,
Relaxing your belly,
Your heart,
And again resting in the inflow and outflow of the breath.
Feeling this life-breath as a home base or refuge,
Safe and at home in this breath,
At home in this moment,
At home in this life.
Namaste and blessings.
