Deep Relaxation Exercise

I invite you to become comfortable in your chair, letting your arms rest where they would like, making yourself comfortable. Allow your body to relax. (You may also lie flat on the floor on a mat or something comfortable). Feel the floor underneath your feet…and of the contact of your body with the chair or floor. (Pause) Allow your body to sink into the chair or floor, (Pause)

Become aware of your breathing in and out (pause)…rising…falling…rising…falling (Pause)

Breathing in, bring your awareness to your eyes. Breathing out, allow your eyes to sink back into your head…let go of the tension in all the tiny muscles around your eyes…our eyes allow us to see a paradise of form and color…allow your eyes to rest…send love and gratitude to your eyes…(Pause)

Breathing in, bring your awareness to your mouth…your lips are the petals of a flower…let a gentle smile bloom on your lips…smiling releases the tension in the hundreds of muscles in your face…feel the tension release in your cheeks…your jaw…your throat…(Pause)

Breathing in, bring your awareness to your shoulders. Breathing out, allow your shoulders to relax.  Let them sink into the chair…let all the accumulated tension flow into the chair…we carry so much with our shoulders…now let them relax as we care for our shoulders. (Pause)

Breathing in, become aware of your arms. Breathing out, relax your arms. Let your arms sink into the chair…your upper arms…your elbows…your lower arms…your wrists…hands…fingers…all the tiny muscles…move your fingers a little if you need to, to help the muscles relax. (Pause)

Breathing in, bring your awareness to your heart. Breathing out, allow your heart to relax. (Pause)  We have neglected our heart for a long time…by the way we work, eat, and manage anxiety and stress…(Pause)…our heart beats for us night and day…embrace your heart with mindfulness and tenderness…reconciling and taking care of your heart. (Pause)

Breathing in, bring your awareness to your legs. Breathing out, allow your legs to relax. Release all the tension in our legs…your thighs…your knees…your calves…your ankles…your feet…your toes…all the tiny muscles in your toes…you may want to move your toes to help them relax…send your love and care to your toes. (Pause)

Breathing in, breathing out…my whole body feels light…like duck weed floating on the water…I have nowhere to go…nothing to do…I am free as the cloud floating in the sky…(Pause in the silence)

Bring your awareness back to your breathing…to your abdomen rising and falling. (Pause)

Following your breathing, become aware of your arms and legs…you may want to move them a little and gently stretch. (Pause)

When you feel ready, slowly move and shift in the chair or on the floor opening your eyes (Pause)

When you are ready, slowly stand up. We know that wherever we are God is within and among us and all is well, Amen,

In this exercise we can guide awareness to any part of the body: the hair, scalp, brain, ears, neck, lungs, each of the internal organs, the digestive system, pelvis, and to any part of the body that needs healing and attention, embracing each part and sending love, gratitude, and care as we hold it in our awareness and breathe in and out.

Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh