I'm going to lead you through a meditation meant to relax her mind and body.
This is something you can do anywhere,
Even from your office desk,
In less than 10 minutes.
Start by closing your eyes and taking a few deep cleansing breaths.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Feel your thoracic cavity expand as your lungs fill with air,
Enveloping you with a sense of calm.
As you exhale,
Imagine you're ridding yourself of the stresses of the day.
Watch those unwanted visitors float away as you release them from your mind and body.
While continuing to breathe,
Place your feet flat on the floor and feel them making contact with the ground below you.
Scrunch your toes up,
Hold them for a count of three,
Two,
One,
And then release.
Repeat that,
Moving up your body through your ankles,
Your calves,
Your thighs,
And into your seat.
Tensing your muscles,
Holding for a count of three,
And then releasing.
Now relax your buttocks and your pelvic floor and notice any spots in your back where you may be holding tension.
Visualize those spots and as you breathe in,
Imagine the air you breathe is traveling directly to those spots.
Fill them up with air.
As you exhale,
Visualize the air leaving your body and taking those tension spots away.
You may need to do this a few times and recognize different places where you are feeling tense.
With every inhale,
Breathe into those spots and then exhale them away.
In through your nose and out through your mouth.
Slowly move your ribs back and forth,
Side to side,
Front and back,
Around in a circle.
Allow these movements to loosen your spine,
Making room for oxygen to fill the spaces in between.
Continue to breathe.
Lift your shoulders and squeeze them up toward your ears,
Holding for a count of three,
Two,
One,
And release them down,
Imagining that they weigh far more than they actually do.
Let them hang.
Then actively pull them down,
Away from your ears,
And start moving your head side to side,
Slowly to release any tightness through the sides of your neck.
Pull your shoulders front and back a few times and let them come to rest in a neutral position.
Take a few moments to recognize any tension in your face,
Your neck,
Your jaw.
Scrunch your face up nice and tight and release,
Imagining the muscles of your face are putty that you can soften and shape however you choose.
Feel free to bring your hands to your face and slowly work your fingers through any spots that need your attention.
Place the heels of your hands at your temples and make a few circles,
Allowing the bones in your hands to gently massage the temporal muscles.
Slowly pull the heels of your hands down over your cheekbones and release your jaw,
Allowing your hands to pass over your cheeks and pull your mouth wide open.
Let your hands come to rest on your thighs or by your side.
Take a few more relaxing breaths and slowly bring your attention back to your surroundings.
How do you feel?
What do you hear?
Recognize how these details exist in your environment and begin to open your eyes.
Take a minute to allow a soft smile to find its way to your face and thank yourself for taking the time to listen to your body and its needs.
