Deep Relaxation (showing loving kindness to the body)
Audio version
Written version
You can read these instructions to a group for a wonderful, refreshing practice
Suggested: One in and out breath for each PAUSE
Three in and out breaths for each LONG PAUSE
DEEP RELAXATION IS A WAY TO SHOW OUR LOVE AND OUR CARE TO OUR BODY. IT IS A GREAT LOSS IF YOU ARE NOT AWARE OF YOUR WONDERFUL BODY.
PAUSE
WHEN YOU ARE UNDER STRESS, AND FORGET TO GIVE YOUR BODY AND YOUR MIND THE CHANCE TO REST, IT IS HELPFUL TO PRACTICE DEEP RELAXATION.
PAUSE
FIND A PLACE TO LIE DOWN, ON YOUR BACK, WITH YOUR ARMS ALONG THE SIDE OF YOUR BODY. USE A THIN PILLOW, IF YOU LIKE.
PAUSE
GIVE A REST TO YOUR BRAIN, AND YOUR THINKING. GO BACK TO YOUR IN-BREATH AND OUT-BREATH ALONE.
PAUSE
BREATHING IN, YOU FOLLOW THE AIR THAT ENTERS YOUR LUNGS, AND CALM EVERY CELL OF YOUR LUNGS.
BREATHING OUT, LET GO OF ALL OF THE AIR AND THE WORRIES INSIDE OF YOU.
PAUSE
“In”(as you breathe in)...”Out” (as you breathe out)
LONG PAUSE
NOW, I FOCUS MY ATTENTION ON MY ABDOMEN.
PAUSE
BREATHING IN, I’M AWARE THAT MY ABDOMEN IS RISING.
BREATHING OUT, I’M AWARE OF MY ABDOMEN SETTLING DOWN.
PAUSE
“In”....”Out”
LONG PAUSE
NOW I SEND MY LOVE TO MY FOREHEAD. I BEGIN TO CALM THE TENSION IN MY FOREHEAD AND EYEBROWS
BREATHING IN, I’M AWARE OF MY FOREHEAD.
BREATHING OUT, I RELEASE ALL THE TIGHTNESS IN MY FOREHEAD, AND ALLOW IT TO BECOME SMOOTH AND SOFT.
PAUSE
“In”....”Out”
LONG PAUSE
NOW, I SEND MY AWARENESS TO MY TWO EYES. HOW WONDERFUL THAT YOU ARE THERE, MY CLEAR AND HEALTHY EYES. I ONLY NEED TO OPEN MY EYES, AND I CAN SEE A PARADISE OF FORMS AND COLORS, AND THE FACES OF THOSE I LOVE.
PAUSE
BREATHING IN, I AM AWARE OF THE LIQUID, AND SENSITIVE NATURE OF MY EYES.
BREATHING OUT, I RELAX MY EYES, AND SMILE TO THEM WITH JOY AND GRATITUDE.
PAUSE
“In”....”Out”
LONG PAUSE
NOW, I SEND MY AWARENESS TO MY EARS. I AM SO HAPPY THAT YOU CONNECT ME TO THE WORLD BY WAY OF SOUND. THROUGH YOU, I CAN TOUCH THE VOICES OF THE BREEZE, MY LOVED ONES, THE VOICE OF THE BELL, AND OF MY OWN HEART.
PAUSE
BREATHING IN, I AM AWARE OF MY TWO EARS.
BREATHING OUT, I SMILE WITH THANKS TO MY TWO EARS.
PAUSE
“In”....”Out”
LONG PAUSE
NOW, I SEND MY AWARENESS TO MY MOUTH. YOU DO SO MUCH FOR ME, BY HELPING ME MAKE CONTACT WITH THE WORLD BY EATING, BREATHING AND SPEAKING. IT IS SO WONDERFUL TO HAVE A NON-TOOTHACHE, A MOUTH WHICH CAN SMILE, A TONGUE WHICH
CAN SWALLOW AND A THROAT WHICH CAN HELP ME SING.
PAUSE
BREATHING IN, I SMILE WITH GRATITUDE TO MY MOUTH.
BREATHING OUT, I RELAX ALL THE MUSCLES IN MY JAW AND TONGUE AND THROAT AND LIPS.
PAUSE
“In”....”Out”
LONG PAUSE
NOW, I SEND MY AWARENESS TO MY NECK AND SHOULDERS. YOU WORK SO HARD, EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE, TO ALLOW MY HEAD AND MY ARMS TO BE STILL OR TO MOVE. I AM GRATEFUL THAT YOU ARE SO STEADY AND STRONG AND RELIABLE.
PAUSE
BREATHING IN, I SEND MY LOVE AND MY CARE TO MY NECK AND MY TWO SHOULDERS.
BREATHING OUT, I SMILE AND RELAX ALL THE MUSCLES AND EVERY JOINT IN MY NECK AND MY TWO SHOULDERS.
PAUSE
“In”….“Out”
LONG PAUSE
NOW, I SEND MY ATTENTION TO MY TWO ARMS AND MY TWO HANDS. ALL DAY, YOU PERFORM SUCH WONDERFUL TASKS, WRITING AND COOKING, DRIVING AND PLAYING MUSIC, CARRYING AND CARESSING, HOLDING TIGHT AND LETTING GO, WHATEVER IT IS I ASK YOU TO DO.
PAUSE
BREATHING IN, I SMILE TO MY TWO ARMS AND MY TWO HANDS.
BREATHING OUT, I RELEASE ALL THE TENSION IN EVERY JOINT AND MUSCLE OF MY ARMS, MY ELBOWS, MY FOREARMS, MY WRISTS, MY PALMS AND MY FINGERS.
PAUSE
“In”....”Out”
LONG PAUSE
NOW, I SEND MY LOVE AND MY CARE TO MY TWO LUNGS. FROM THE MOMENT I WAS BORN, YOU WORK DAY AND NIGHT, WITH NEVER A REST, TO HELP ME TOUCH THE WORLD OF AIR. YOU BRING ME THE FOOD OF OXYGEN FOR MY BLOOD, AND YOU TAKE AWAY THE AIR WHICH HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED BY MY BODY. YOU FILTER AWAY INFECTION AND POLLUTION, AND I AM GRATEFUL. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO TOUCH THE AIR, AND FOR BEING AN OBJECT OF MY MINDFULNESS.
PAUSE
BREATHING IN, I SMILE TO MY TWO LUNGS.
BREATHING OUT, I BREATHE SMOOTHLY AND GENTLY, AND REFRESH EVERY CELL IN MY TWO LUNGS.
PAUSE
“In”....”Out”
LONG PAUSE
NOW, I SEND MY LOVING THOUGHTS TO MY HEART. IT IS SUCH A MIRACLE THAT YOU ARE THERE, SO RELIABLE, PUMPING MY BLOOD SO WELL, FEEDING MY BRAIN, MY MUSCLES, MY DIGESTION, MY BONES, MY NERVES, MY LUNGS, MY SKIN, MY ORGANS. DAY AND NIGHT, WITH NO STOPPING, YOU KEEP EVERYTHING IN MY BODY WELL FED AND TAKEN CARE OF, LIKE A GOOD PARENT.
BREATHING IN, I SMILE AND GIVE THANKS TO MY HEART.
BREATHING OUT, I VOW TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY HEART BY EATING WELL, AND EXERCISING, AND RELAXING.
PAUSE
“In”....”Out”
LONG PAUSE
NOW, I SEND MY LOVE TO MY OTHER ORGANS – MY LIVER, MY KIDNEYS, MY STOMACH, MY BLADDER AND MY INTESTINES. YOU DO SUCH A COMPLEX JOB, SO WELL, TO HELP TRANSFORM THE FRUITS OF THE EARTH INTO ENERGY SO I CAN LIVE.
BREATHING IN, I SEE YOU ARE LIKE MY ROOTS AND MY LEAVES, AND I SMILE AT ALL THE GOOD WORK YOU DO.
BREATHING OUT, I VOW TO REMEMBER THE DIFFICULTIES YOU ENCOUNTER WHEN I DON’T TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOU, AND EAT OR DRINK
WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF YOUR WELL-BEING. I WILL REMEMBER TO NOT CAUSE YOU A HARD TIME, AND WILL GIVE YOU A CHANCE FOR PEACE.
PAUSE
BREATHING IN, I SMILE TO MY STOMACH AND OTHER ORGANS.
BREATHING OUT, I VOW TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY ORGANS, AND HELP THEM LIVE WITH EASE.
PAUSE
“In”....”Out”
LONG PAUSE
NOW, I SEND MY AWARENESS TO MY TWO LEGS AND MY TWO FEET. BREATHING IN, I SMILE TO THE COLLECTION OF BONES AND MUSCLES AND NERVES WHICH ALLOW ME TO TRAVEL ALL OVER THE EARTH, TO SWIM, TO JUMP, TO DANCE, TO CLIMB, TO RUN, AND TO STAND STILL.
PAUSE
BREATHING IN, I BRING MY CONSCIOUSNESS TO MY TWO WONDERFUL LEGS AND MY TWO WONDERFUL FEET.
BREATHING OUT, I LET GO OF ALL THE TENSION IN ALL MY MUSCLES AND JOINTS IN MY TWO LEGS AND MY TWO FEET.
PAUSE
“In”....”Out”
LONG PAUSE
NOW, I SEND MY LOVE AND MY ATTENTION TO MY BRAIN. THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE, AND FOR MAKING CERTAIN THAT ALL THESE PARTS OF MY BODY WORK TOGETHER. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO READ AND SPEAK, TO REMEMBER AND TO FORGET, TO SEE THE DHARMA, AND INTERBEING, TO SEE THE RAIN IN MY TEARS, AND THE OCEAN IN MY CUP OF TEA.
BREATHING IN, I AM AWARE OF HOW BUSY YOU LIKE TO BE, MY BRAIN, AND HOW YOU TAKE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES SO SERIOUSLY.
BREATHING OUT, I GIVE MY MIND THE PERMISSION TO RELAX FOR A LITTLE WHILE, PUTTING ON THE BACK BURNER ALL IRRITATION, ALL WORRIES, ALL FEARS AND ALL SADNESS. OFFER YOUR MIND THE KIND GIFT OF RELAXATION AND EASE. OUR MIND LIKES TO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO ALL OF THE TIME, SO GIVE IT SOMETHING WHICH IS NICE AND EASY TO DWELL ON.
PAUSE
BREATHING IN, I AM AWARE THAT I AM BREATHING IN.
BREATHING OUT, I AM AWARE THAT I AM BREATHING OUT.
PAUSE
“In”....”Out”
LONG PAUSE
PLEASE ALLOW YOUR BODY TO WAKE UP SLOWLY AND GENTLY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH ME, MY FRIENDS.