Welcome to today's practice.
My name is Victoria and I'll be guiding you through a form of deep relaxation.
Rest is revolutionary.
Learning how to deeply relax and to receive relaxation is healing for not only the body,
But also our minds and our spirits.
The more we rest,
The more we create space for better focus,
More creativity,
Space for intuition,
And to step into our courage and authenticity.
This practice is best practiced lying down,
Either on the floor or in your bed.
If it's uncomfortable to lie down for you today,
You're also welcome to do this seated.
Taking a moment now to settle into your body.
Close your eyes if that feels safe,
Or just soften your gaze.
Start to notice all the points of the body that are touching the floor or your bed.
This might be the back of your heels,
The back of your legs,
Your bottom,
The back of your hands and arms,
The shoulders,
And the back of the head.
As you breathe,
Invite the body to soften.
Letting your bed or the floor support you.
Let it take your weight.
Tuning inward,
Start to notice your breath.
How are you breathing today?
What feels natural to you?
Is it breathing through the nose or the mouth?
Is the breath short and shallow or long and slow?
On your next inhale,
Breathe into your belly.
As you exhale,
Exhale through the mouth,
Sigh out.
Let's do that again.
Inhale deeply into your belly.
Exhale,
Sigh out.
Doing that one more time.
And as you exhale,
Invite yourself to release.
To let go of the day you've had,
The week you've had,
Any expectations for the practice.
Opening yourself up to nourishment and relaxation.
Breathing in and out through the nose now.
Allow the breath to flow with ease.
Like a wave in the ocean rocking back and forth,
Back and forth.
Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly.
Bringing your awareness now to your ten toes.
Relax your toes.
Bringing awareness to the soles of your feet.
Invite your feet to relax.
Relax the ankles,
Your shins and your calves.
Let the knees soften as you relax your thighs.
Invite your right hip to relax.
And your left hip to relax.
Both legs and feet are completely relaxed.
Thank your legs for carrying you everywhere.
Relax your lower back.
Relax your belly.
Inviting the area around your ribs to soften.
As you relax your chest,
Lungs and heart.
Thank your heart for always being there for you.
Working all day and all night.
Relax your fingers,
Your hands and your wrists.
Relax your forearms,
Your biceps and your triceps.
Both arms and hands are completely relaxed.
Thank your hands and arms for always being there for you.
Feeling blessed to have two strong arms.
Let your shoulders be heavy.
Feel the weight of the shoulders sink towards the earth.
As you relax the neck and the back of the head.
Relax your forehead and that space between your eyebrows.
Relax your eyes and the muscles around your eyes.
Relax your jaw.
Letting the tongue fall away from the roof of the mouth.
Thanking your eyes,
Nose,
Ears and mouth for always being there for you.
Feel this wave of relaxation covering you from the crown of your head down through to the tips of your toes.
You are fully relaxed.
Thanking your whole body for being there for you,
For offering you support.
Reminding ourselves that our bodies are magic.
They can heal when they get sick.
The healthy parts can support the unhealthy parts.
Breathe in and out.
You light your body to heal.
You light it to rest,
Restore and relax.
On your next breath,
I invite you to bring your awareness back to those parts of the body that are touching the floor or the bed.
Checking in and noticing how you feel here near the end of our practice.
What feels rested in you?
Where could you use more rest?
Enjoy a deep belly breath in.
Exhale through the mouth,
Sigh out.
If this feels good to you today,
Do this again.
Releasing any remaining tightness or tension you might be holding in the body.
In your own time,
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Gently bringing that sense of aliveness back into the body.
If it feels good,
You might like to reach your arms up over the head.
Take a nice yummy stretch.
And when you are ready,
Gently fluttering the eyes open.
Bringing yourself back into your space.
Feeling nourished,
Rested and relaxed.
I'll invite you to carry this lightness,
This calmness,
This ease with you into the rest of your day,
Into the week ahead.
Thank you for practicing.
