by Thích Nhất Hạnh
Lie down on your back with your arms at your sides. Make yourself comfortable. Allow body to relax. Be aware of the floor beneath you… and of the contact of your body with the floor. Breathe. Allow body to sink into the floor. Breathe.
Become aware of your breathing, in and out. Be aware of your abdomen rising and filling as you breathe in and out.
Breathing in, bring your awareness to your eyes. Breathing out, allow your eyes to relax. Allow your eyes to sink back into your head… letting go of the tension in all the tiny muscles around your eyes. Our eyes allow us to see a paradise of shapes and colors… Allow your eyes to rest… sending love and gratitude to your eyes. Breathe.
Breathing in, bring your awareness to your mouth. Breathing out, allow your mouth to relax. Release the tension around your mouth… Your lips are the petals of a flower… Let a gentle smile bloom on your lips… Smiling releases the tension in the dozens of muscles in your face… Feel the tension release in your cheeks… your jaws… your throat. Breathe.
Breathing in, bring your awareness to your shoulders. Breathing out, allow your shoulders to relax. Let them sink into the floor… Let all the accumulated tension flow into the floor… You carry so much with your shoulders… now let them relax as you care for your shoulders. Breathe.
Breathing in, become aware of your arms. Breathing out, relax your arms. Let your arms sink into the floor… 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. Breathe.
Breathing in, bring your awareness to your heart. Breathing out, allow your heart to relax. You have neglected your heart for a long time… in the way you work, eat, and manage anxiety and stress. Your heart beats for you night and day. Embrace your heart with mindfulness and tenderness… reconciling and taking care of your heart. Breathe.
Breathing in, bring your awareness to your legs. Breathing out, allow your legs to relax. Release all the tension in your 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 a little to help them relax… Send your love and care to your toes. Breathe.
Breathing in, breathing out… your whole body feels light… like a water lily floating on the water… You have nowhere to go… nothing to do… You are free as the cloud floating in the sky. Breathe.
Bring your awareness back to your breathing… to your abdomen rising and falling. Breathe. Following your breathing, become aware of your arms and legs… You may want to move them a little and stretch. Breathe. When you feel ready, slowly sit up. Breathe. When you are ready, slowly stand up.