Right now,
How relaxed are you?
On a scale of 1 to 10,
Where 1 is chilled out to the max and 10 is freaked out to the max,
Where do you sit?
Take a few moments to check.
What number did you choose?
And what made you choose it?
Was it based on the presence or absence of tension,
Discomfort or pain in the body?
Or was it based on how busy or quiet your mind seems?
Or perhaps it had something to do with what emotions you're feeling?
In any case,
Let's see if we can't head a little further towards rest and relaxation.
To start,
Get comfy.
And see if there's any tension or tightness in the body that you could just let go.
Sometimes we're not even aware of how tense we are.
Of the tightness of our jaw.
Or the gripping in the muscles around the eyes.
Or the hunching of the shoulders.
So if you can easily let those tensions go,
Just let them go.
And if you can't,
That's fine.
And can you find any places in the body that feel somewhat restful?
Places that feel quiet or still or soft?
Places that simply feel neutral?
Wherever you can detect some sense of rest,
Let your attention settle there for a few moments.
Like a cat lying in the sun.
You might like to make it a habit to notice these places of quiet.
And if all that you're noticing is restlessness and discomfort,
Try not to fight it.
It's usually counterproductive to try to make yourself relax.
You have to let relaxation emerge.
Like a shy animal.
Even if you have a strong preference for feeling more restful.
Perhaps for now you could just be on the lookout for sensations that are somewhat pleasant.
Even if they're vague or subtle.
Instead of pushing things away,
See what it's like just to let them drift into the background.
Just allowing yourself to get absorbed in sensations of rest.
Just soaking up comfort,
A few seconds at a time.
Perhaps you can notice a gentle warmth somewhere in the body.
You'll feel the torso softening each time you breathe out.
And you can let those feelings spread.
Relaxation deepening.
Step by step.
Letting things move freely.
Noticing the restfulness you might usually overlook.
You might also find a sense of relaxation by tuning into the soundscape.
Just taking a few moments to listen with curiosity.
Let your mind explore and rest within the sounds you hear.
You can let the sounds float around and through you.
Barely any effort is required.
You can just sit back,
Letting the sounds wash over you.
So we've explored three ways to relax.
Noticing tension.
Noticing restfulness.
Tuning into the soundscape.
And before we conclude,
Check in.
Do you feel a little more at ease?
Does your body feel less tense?
Is there a relative absence of strong emotion?
Perhaps you feel more at ease with any discomfort that's present.
Maybe you've even found space inside your head for thoughts to wander around or mill about.
Where are you on that scale of 1 to 10 now?
And just before we finish,
Let yourself seek out and savour some sense of comfort within the body.
Give yourself permission to rest for a few seconds.
With no agenda.
And in your own time,
Gently conclude.
