Welcome Zen friend. I hope, wherever you are, you are doing well. On today's drop of Zen, our short guided meditation, I have a meditation designed to help you really deeply relax. It's a great meditation to do right before bed or anytime you'd like to feel really calm and relaxed. So let's go ahead and find a place where you can comfortably sit or lie down. I want you to spend a moment to get a little extra cozy, so if you need to put socks on or grab a blanket to put over you, pause the podcast and come back, or maybe you're in bed for the night. So really get yourself situated, fluff your pillow, get that blanket around you, and then we will begin with either closing your eyes or a nice soft downward gaze and notice your body, just feel into it, allow things to be exactly as they are, not trying to change anything, but just simply notice where the top of your head begins and just moving your way down all the way to the tips of your toes and out to your fingertips. Just really allow yourself to feel into your body and then notice where your body is making contact with the bed or the chair beneath you and just feel your weight, the weight of your body, in the chair, the bed, the floor, wherever you are. We're going to inhale and as we inhale, I'd like you to say the word peace. We're going to inhale peace. So inhale, peace, pause.
Speaker 1At the top of the breath, slowly exhaling through your mouth or your nose as you exhale, imagine letting go of stress, so letting go of stress. So again inhale, and you can say the word peace, inhale, peace, pause. And you can even say to yourself I let go of stress Again as you inhale, maybe say I inhale peace, just say it in your mind. Or just the word peace, pause. I exhale stress. Just continuing with this beautiful breath, inhaling peace, exhaling stress. We'll do that two more times I inhale peace, pause. I exhale stress, letting it go. And then one more time, I inhale peace. And now just allow your breath to ebb and flow at its own pace, no longer having to control it.
Speaker 1But on every exhale, I'd like you to focus on relaxing your muscles and sinking a little more deeply into the surface beneath you, inhaling that deep, nourishing breath just at your own pace you don't need to guide it and as you exhale, let your muscles unwind and relax a little bit more With every exhale, focusing on the heaviness of your body, knowing that you are safe, and just staying with that a couple more times, really letting your body sink more fully and deeply on the exhale, and then one more time on the next exhale. See how much you can relax and let go. Now, just allow yourself to be exactly where you are feeling, however you feel, enjoying this quiet time that's just for you, staying here for as long as you would like, when you're ready, slowly gently opening your eyes, if you are able to stay here longer or drift into sleep, just continuing to feel heavy. I'm so glad you joined me here today. Until next time, friend, I hope you'll continue to take some time today and every day to do something kind for yourself.