Thank you for stopping to do this practice today and for recognising how important it is to take some time out to check in with yourself.
Come to a comfortable seated position wherever you are.
Close your eyes and take a moment to notice how you feel.
Notice where your body makes contact with the surface below you.
What sensations do you feel in your body?
Are you holding any tension or stress anywhere?
What thoughts are going through your mind?
Observe how you feel without judgement.
Now turn your awareness to your breath.
Notice the air coming in and out of your nose.
Or your stomach rising and falling.
Start to deepen your breath,
Breathing right down into your belly.
As you exhale,
Let the tension and stress you feel melt away.
Soften the muscles in your head,
Face and jaw.
Let your neck,
Shoulders and back relax as you breathe.
Connecting to your breath or the sensations in your body like this helps you to disconnect from the stream of chatter in your mind and brings you into the present moment.
This moment right now is all there is.
Take a deep breath in and lengthen your spine.
As you exhale,
Bring your chin down to your chest,
Letting the back of your neck stretch.
On the inhale,
Raise your chin and look up.
Chin to chest again as you exhale and back up as you inhale.
Do this yourself,
Following your breath and notice how it feels.
Bring your head back to neutral.
On your next exhale,
Look to the right,
Feeling the stretch in the left hand side of your neck.
And on your in breath,
Gently turn your head to the left.
Feel your breath as you repeat this by yourself.
On your next exhale,
Bring your right hand to your head.
Gently pull your neck to the right side and stretch into the left side of your neck.
Release your head and repeat this on the other side.
Bring your left hand to your head,
Stretching the right side of your neck.
Straighten back up,
Interlace both of your hands and place them on the back of your head.
Let the pressure from your hands pull your head down,
Stretching the back of your neck.
Breathe here as you let any tension release.
Bring your head back to neutral,
Let your shoulders slide down your back.
On your next inhale,
Raise your shoulders up to your ears and on your exhale,
Roll them down your back.
Repeat this a few more times,
Raising them up on your inhale and letting them slide down your back on your exhale.
Notice any tension you may feel in your neck and shoulders and let it melt away as you breathe.
Often when you are stressed,
You shallow breathe in the top of your chest.
Notice I'm doing some deep belly breathing while extending your exhales to help you relax.
Take a deep breath in right down into your belly to the count of 5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Exhale to the count of 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Breathe in 1,
2,
3,
4,
5 and out 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Imagine you are breathing out any stress in your body.
Breathe in relaxation,
Breathe out any tension.
Breathe in calm,
Breathe out any stress.
Breathe in peace,
Breathe out any anxiety.
Breathe in contentment,
Breathe out any worry.
You can now set an intention for the rest of the day.
When you notice you are feeling stressed,
Stop,
Disconnect from your thoughts and bring yourself into the moment by focusing on your breath.
Then start to breathe deep into your belly a number of times.
Try not to get caught up in doing and achieving that you forget to enjoy the moment as life is lived in the moments.
Don't miss the beauty of the little things around you today.
Take a second to think of something you are grateful for today that you have been too busy to appreciate.
And remember to be kind to yourself for doing the best you can.
Thank you for taking this little break today.
I hope it served you well.
If you like,
You can end this practice by listening to one of your favourite songs.
You can dance or jump around the music or relax and do a music meditation.
If you prefer,
You can connect to nature by going for a short walk outside or watching a calming nature video.
Most importantly,
Have a wonderful day.
