Welcome to this guided relaxation meditation.
Ensure that you have found yourself in a quiet place where you can rest.
An ideal position for the body might be a comfortable cushioned seat in a chair,
With the spine tall and the soles of the feet on the ground.
If you wish,
You can also practice this meditation lying down on your bed,
Or on another soft,
Supportive surface with legs resting long.
If it would help you more deeply connect to this moment,
Bring a gentle close to the eyes,
And begin to nestle in.
Adjust the position of the body in any way you need to feel completely at ease.
Soften the tongue and jaw,
And begin to follow the breath as it comes in and out of the nose,
Expanding the chest,
The ribs,
And the belly before it travels back out.
Every breath a gateway to a sense of calm throughout the whole body.
For the next five breaths,
Inhale fully through the nose,
And exhale through the mouth.
Feel each inhale as a natural rising of the breath,
A natural filling and expansion of the whole torso.
Use this breath to let go of the day so far,
Exhaling all stale air,
And with it,
Getting curious about releasing anything that's tethering your attention elsewhere.
Listen to the sound of the breath to keep you anchored to this moment.
Feel the body becoming heavier as you relax into the rhythm of your breath,
Slow,
Effortless breath in and out of the nose.
Picture the body now,
Seated at a secluded shore near warm ocean water.
The sun is just beginning to set,
Painting the sky.
You are the only person here to witness this majesty of color,
So you drink it in,
Nestling your toes into the warm sand.
You feel safe and at ease in this place,
Watching the gentle ebb and flow of the waves.
You watch them move in and out,
In and out,
In and out.
It is here you notice the waves are made not of water,
But of light,
Light of any color you choose.
This watery light moves at a pace that matches your breath.
As you breathe in,
The waves move in toward your body,
And as you breathe out,
The waves move out toward the painted sky.
Rest here,
Savoring the stillness of your body and the rhythm of the ocean of light.
After a while,
The tide begins to come in,
And the light comes closer to where you sit.
The wave laps over your toes,
And you find the light of the ocean now radiating in this part of your body.
The toes feel warm and filled with sweetness.
Little by little,
The waves gradually move closer in.
They bathe the tops of the feet,
Filling them now with light.
They cover the ankles and sweep under the soles of the feet.
The calves and the shins are immersed.
Then the knees,
The thighs,
And the seat.
All the flesh at the outer edges of the hips and between the hips.
Both legs now fully filled with light.
The waves caress the belly,
The ribs,
The heart,
And collarbones.
The light flows down the shoulders,
The upper arms,
Forearms,
And wrists,
Flooding the palms and weaving into each finger.
This light moves up to fill the neck,
The ears,
And all the space inside the head.
The whole body filled with oceanic light,
Washed clean,
Calm,
And at peace.
Rest here for as long as you wish,
Listening to the sound of each slow exhale.
Trust that you will continue to carry this light wherever you go.
Even after this meditation has ended.
