This meditation is produced by harvesting happiness.
Taking a moment to find a position that is comfortable for you.
This could be seated or lying down.
Allowing your shoulders to relax a little.
Letting your arms rest by your side.
Making any adjustments you need.
This meditation invites you to develop feelings of safeness and relaxation.
From here we will explore the idea that you can be productive in life whilst also feeling relaxed.
You can work,
Achieve,
Get things done,
All without striving,
Contracting or experiencing feelings of stress.
So beginning this meditation now by casting your eye around the space you are in.
Taking some time to notice the details,
Big and small.
Bringing to your awareness the idea that right now in this space you are free from harm,
You are safe.
Noticing the elements in your environment that provide safety.
Perhaps the roof,
The door,
Your possessions.
Allowing this feeling of safeness to really sink in.
Can you feel it in your body?
Gently closing your eyes if this feels comfortable for you.
Giving yourself permission to settle in.
There is nowhere else you need to be.
It's okay to take this time for yourself.
If during this meditation you notice yourself thinking,
That's okay.
Our minds are designed to think.
Feel free to engage with your thoughts,
To give them what they need,
And when it feels right for you,
Return to the sound of my voice.
Inviting you now to become aware of the sounds around you.
Initially noticing the most distant sounds.
Gradually drifting towards the sounds closer to you.
Nothing to do,
Just noticing.
Can you broaden your awareness to taking all the sounds both near and far?
Letting the sounds come to you.
Being curious.
Noticing the beginning and end of sounds.
Noticing the moments of silence.
Can you sense your place amidst these sounds?
Your place in the movement of life.
Again,
Allowing yourself a few moments to feel safe here.
Letting this feeling of safeness wash over you.
Slowly returning your attention to your body.
Feeling the touch of your clothes on your skin.
Noticing the feel of your body as it touches the ground.
Can you relax your body a little,
Allowing the ground to support you?
Can you let your shoulders drop,
Your eyes soften,
Your hips and pelvis become heavy?
Exploring for a moment how this feels.
Softening into the idea of the earth taking your weight.
Feeling safe in this support.
When you are ready,
Bringing your awareness to your breath.
Noticing the way your body moves when you breathe.
Relaxing into the simplicity of your breath.
Perhaps you notice the gentle rise and fall of your chest,
Or the soft expanse of your belly as the air flows in and out.
Can you allow yourself to soften a little on each exhale,
As if your breath carries tension out of your body?
Taking some time now to shape your breath so that the exhale is longer than the inhale.
The breath of relaxation.
Let's try it together.
Inhale for one,
Two,
Three,
Hold for one.
Exhale for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Hold for one.
Inhale for one,
Two,
Three,
Hold for one.
Exhale for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Hold for one.
Inhale for one,
Two,
Three,
Hold for one.
Exhale for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Hold for one.
Continue in your own time.
As you explore your breath,
Can you allow its rhythm to cultivate a feeling of safeness inside you?
Returning your breath to its natural rhythm.
Now gently moving towards a body scan with a relaxation focus.
I will guide you with the phrase relaxing,
But you may prefer to imagine another phrase,
For example,
Letting go or noticing.
During this body scan,
Use my voice as a guide only.
Feel free to tap into your own wisdom and guidance.
Beginning with your feet,
Noticing their temperature,
Any sensations.
The soles of your feet,
Your toes.
Relaxing your feet.
Your lower legs,
Noticing sensations.
Shins,
Calves.
Relaxing your lower legs.
Your knees,
Noticing the front and the back of your knees.
Your upper legs,
Noticing sensations,
Contact with the chair or the ground.
Relaxing your upper legs.
Your pelvis and hips,
Imagining the bones softening.
Relaxing your pelvis and hips.
Your tummy,
Letting go of tension or worry.
Can you feel a softening?
Relaxing your tummy.
Relaxing your heart,
Lungs and chest,
Feeling the area soften and spread.
Your shoulders,
Imagining both shoulders relaxing from the inside out.
Noticing the length of your entire spine,
Relaxing.
Relaxing your neck.
Relaxing your skull,
Feeling your whole head soften.
Relaxing your jaw.
Your tongue.
Your gums.
Your teeth.
Let the landscape of your mouth become soft.
Your lips,
Can you turn them slightly upwards into a faint smile.
Relaxing your cheeks and your cheekbones.
Your eyes,
Eyelids,
Eyeballs.
Can you relax your eyes,
Can your eyes smile.
Relaxing your eyebrows and the space between.
Relaxing your forehead.
Relaxing your brain,
Your thoughts,
Allowing a soft rhythm and flow.
Allowing your whole body to bask in this felt sense of relaxation.
Can this sense of relaxation seep further into your body?
Picturing your organs relaxing,
Your bones softening,
Your blood moving gently around your body.
Noticing now that even whilst relaxed,
Your body is still able to perform.
Pumping blood,
Digesting food,
Delivering nutrients,
All whilst experiencing a state of relaxation.
Often when we get caught in cycles of doing,
Our bodies and our awareness contract and feelings of stress develop.
In life we can actually achieve things,
Complete tasks,
Work,
Be productive,
While still experiencing a sense of openness and relaxation.
We can work towards goals without getting caught up in the cycles of stress,
Striving and busyness.
Spend some time now thinking about some of the things on your to-do list.
How could you complete these tasks but not get caught up in them?
Taking some time now to experiment in your mind with this idea of doing in an open relaxed state.
Offering you now a few minutes to absorb the wisdom of your own reflections.
Perhaps you may wish to set yourself an intention relating to these ideas.
Let's break out the breath to think about such ideas,
Love them.
Allowing this intention to really sink in with a few deep breaths.
When you are ready,
Slowly offering your body some gentle movement.
Opening your eyes.
May your day be productive yet relaxed.
When you are ready,
Slowly offering your body some gentle movement.
You You
