To begin,
Lie on your back on a firm but comfortable surface in Shavasana.
Separate the legs about shoulder distance apart.
Separate the arms about 8 inches or so from the body with the palms facing up.
You may like to use a thin blanket or cushion under the head.
And allow yourself to relax into this posture.
With your eyes closed,
Begin to notice your environment.
Is the room warm or cold?
Are there any sounds?
How does it feel to be in this space?
And then gradually bring your awareness inward and start to notice the natural rhythm of your breath.
And then relax your body starting at the crown of the head.
Relax along the hairline.
Soften the eyebrows.
Allow the eyes to get nice and heavy.
Relax.
Relax.
Relax.
And then slowly,
Relax your jaw and your tongue.
Relax your throat.
Cross your collarbones out to your shoulders.
Relax all the way down the arms to the fingertips.
Relax the chest and the abdomen.
And down the legs to the knees and tips of the toes.
Allow your body to be held by the support beneath you.
Bring awareness to the abdomen and notice the breath here.
With each breath,
Softening the abdomen,
Allowing the breath to flow more smoothly.
As you exhale,
Begin to notice that the body is cleansed.
And as you inhale,
Begin to sense that the body is nourished.
At the top of the inhale,
Simply relax and allow the exhale to flow.
And at the bottom of the exhale,
Simply relax and allow the inhale to flow.
And at the bottom of the exhale,
Simply relax and allow the inhale to flow.
Creating this nice,
Smooth and even rhythm of breathing without any pause in between the breath.
Check in with your body once again.
And if you feel like you're still holding tension,
Do your best to release and relax there.
Each time you inhale,
The body is energized,
Bringing in this new,
Fresh energy.
Each time you exhale,
The body is cleansed,
Relaxing more deeply.
Continue to allow the flow of breath to remain natural and effortless.
Begin to observe that the body is breathing and you are simply the observer.
The breath is smooth and even without pause.
Without pause,
You can continue here,
Remaining with the breath.
Or to begin to close,
Start to invite some gentle movement in the fingers and the toes.
Become aware of the sensation of the floor beneath you.
And then reach your arms overhead and stretch and breathe from the fingertips down to the toes.
Release the arms back alongside the body.
And gradually make your way onto your left side,
Resting here for a few breaths.
Now use your arms to press yourself up.
Find a comfortable seated posture.
If you'd like,
You can move into your meditation practice from here.
Otherwise,
To close the practice,
Bring your hands together at heart center.
And take a moment to acknowledge the peace that you've created with your practice.
Begin to rub the palms together,
Generating some warmth in the hands.
And then cover the eyes with the palms and allow the warmth to nourish the eyes.
As you feel ready,
You can open the eyes into the palms and slowly release the hands down as you feel ready.
Aum,
Peace,
Peace,
Peace.
