get ready….

• Wear comfortable clothing, and keep your skin covered and warm.
• Find a quiet place to lay down, where you will be safe and comfortable.
• Get yourself comfortable laying down, with your knees flat on the floor..
• You may close your eyes for increased concentration…
• Throughout this practice, keep breathing deeeply, slowly and gently, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
• Align your body so that your spine is straight and your neck and head are aligned with the spine.

settle down….

• Make sure that your entire body is relaxed and there are no tensions held in the muscles. Do this by taking a quick scan of your body starting from the feet and working up towards your head.
• First send your attention towards your feet. Try to sense your toes on your right foot, and then on your left foot.  Can you sense the soles of your feet, and their curvature?
• Relax your feet and let them rest comfortably on the floor.
• Now take your attention to your lower legs. Can you feel the muscles in your calves? Do they feel at ease?
• Lift your right leg slightly off the floor and place it back down again gently, leaving it resting comfortably on the floor.
• Do the same with your left leg.

• Now send your attention to your right thigh. Try to sense the muscles in your right thigh. How do they feel? Loosen them up and let go of them.
• Do the same with your left thigh.
• Let both legs fall heavily onto the floor.
• Now notice your lower back. Start to loosen up any stifness that you may feel in that area. Let go and let the floor take the weight of your lower back and release the tension.
• Focus on your abodomen, feel the muscles and loosen them up. Let your abdomen be at ease.
• Move your attention to your upper back. Try to sense the muscle, one by one, as you move up towards your shoulders. Relax and soothe your back.
• Feel your shoulders. Gently move them and get them comfortable on the floor.
• Take your attention to your arms. Feel your right arm, the upper arm muscles. Then the lower arm muscles, let them be totally at ease and rest them nicely on the floor.
• Now, your fingers on your right hand, one by one, feel them, relax them.
• Do the same with your left  arm and left hand and fingers.
• Now gently lift your head off the floor and very slowly and carefully place it back down so that your neck and head remain aligned with your spine and are comfortably positioned.
• Drop the weight of your entire body onto the floor. Continue to breathe gently and slowly and deeply…..

Start….

• While inhaling start to stretch both arms up and above your head, and stretch both legs straight,pointing the toes away from your body. Place your arms flat on the floor above your head, with the palms facing up. Hold your breath for a short moment.
• Now while exhaling, start to relax your legs and feet, and bring both arms up above your head and down by your sides on the floor.
• Now keep your eyes closed.
• Bring your attention to your breathing and follow the flow of air as you breathe.
• Notice the calming movements of your rib cage as it rises and falls, with every inhale and exhale………
• Now place your lefthand on your heart and your right hand on your Solar Plexus. The heart is in the middle of the chest, very slightly to the left. The Solar Plexus is right underneath the sternum, above the diaphram.
• Keep your arms and hands in a comfortable position so they do not get tired and tensed. Do not press with your hands, just sense and feel your heart beats.
• The rest of your body is totally relaxed and at ease.
• Continue to breathe slowly and deeply and notice the movements of your rib cage as you breathe. ……
• Gradually start to sense the beats of your heart in your chest.  Start to hear them….
• Now start to sense the movements of your rib cage, and the beats of your heart simultanously. Let this calming harmony, soothe you….. focus on this harmony….
• Gradually start to sense the area under the palm of your right hand. Keep your attention simuotanously on the movements of your rib cage, the beats of your heart and the area under your right palm.
• Continue to breathe and enjoy this tranquil feeling….
• Gradually place your hands genty by your sides and continue to stay focused on your breathign and the flow of air as you breathe.
• Listen to the sounds of your breaths….
• When you feel ready, slowly turn to your left, bend your knees, place your left hand under your head and your right hand on the floor in front of you. Curl up like a foetus. Keep your eyes closed. Stay in this position for a short while.
• Slowly begin to sit up and keep your eyes closed.
• After a few seconds, gently open your eyes. Take a deep breath, bring a nice smile to your face,….. and see how refereshed and relaxed you have become.