Find a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down,
And allow yourself to fully commit to this practice for the next 15 or so minutes.
Let's begin by taking a deep breath in through the nose and exhaling gently through the mouth.
With each breath allowing yourself to sink deeper into the ground beneath you.
Now bring your awareness to your feet.
Begin by curling your toes tightly for a few seconds and then release and let them relax completely.
Feeling the tension melting away from your toes and feet as you release this hold.
Moving up to your calves,
Tighten these muscles in your lower legs by pointing your toes as if you were trying to stand on your tippy toes.
Hold this tension for a moment and then release,
Letting the muscles go completely limp.
Bringing your attention to your thighs,
Tighten these muscles in your upper legs by squeezing them towards one another.
Holding this for just a moment and then releasing,
Allowing the muscles to soften and relax.
Continuing to your buttocks,
Tightening them by squeezing them together.
Holding and then releasing.
Feeling the muscles become relaxed.
And pausing here to sense the entire lower body relaxed and resting heavily on the earth beneath it.
Now bring the attention up to your stomach.
Tighten your abdominal muscles by pulling your belly button down towards your spine.
As if you were about to do a crunch or a sit-up.
Holding this tension you've created and then releasing,
Allowing your stomach to rise and fall naturally with each breath.
Moving your awareness to your chest.
Take a deep breath in,
Expanding your chest as much as you can.
Holding for just a moment and when you're ready,
Exhaling fully,
Releasing any tension you might be holding in your chest.
Bringing your attention to your back,
Arch the back slightly,
Trying to slide the shoulder blades down the back as much as you can.
Feeling the back muscles engage.
Holding this tension for just a minute more and then releasing,
Allowing your spine to relax.
Feeling the torso rest on the support beneath you.
Moving to your shoulders,
Lift them up towards your ears,
Creating tension in your upper back and shoulders.
And then releasing that tension you've created,
Allowing your shoulders to drop down and away from your ears once again.
Now focusing on your arms.
Tighten your biceps or your upper arm by bending your elbows and bringing your forearms towards your shoulders.
Holding this tension and then letting go of all effort,
Releasing your arms to rest heavily at your sides.
Next,
Make fists with your hands,
Tightening all the muscles in your arms and hands.
Holding for a moment and then releasing,
Allowing your fingers to unfurl and your hands to relax completely.
Finally,
Bringing your attention to your face.
Scrunch up your eyes tightly,
Wrinkling your forehead and nose.
Holding this effort and then releasing,
Allowing your facial muscles to soften and relax.
Taking a few moments to scan your body from head to toe.
Noticing any areas of lingering tension or stiffness and allowing them to release or soften as much as you're able to today.
Resting here on the earth beneath you,
Feeling the entire body in your awareness.
And if the mind wanders,
That's perfectly normal.
Just noticing this has happened and inviting your attention to return to feeling the whole body.
And in these final 10 cycles of breath,
Simply resting and savoring this quality of presence you've cultivated today.
Now,
Take a few deep breaths,
Bringing your awareness back to the present moment.
And when you're ready,
Gently opening your eyes,
Wiggling fingers and toes and returning to your surroundings.
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