In today’s high-pressure and hectic world, more and more people are discovering how to relax and find a sense of comfort and well-being through the practice of meditation.

This meditation is designed to relax the muscles of the body and to reduce tension and anxiety.  In the meditation experience, it is important that the body be relaxed before clearing the mind and opening ourselves to higher awareness.  I recommend that you sit in a soft chair or stretch out on a bed or the floor.  very often, because of the stress most of us face in daily life, our bodies tend to develop tight, sore muscles at various locations.

The most common places are the back, neck, and shoulders.  If you have lower back problems, you may want to lie down and put a pillow under knees in order to remove pressure in that location.  During the meditation, you will be asked to tense your muscles slightly and then release.  This “letting go” motion will enhance the relaxation process.  You may find that as your body begins to relax you will need to adjust the way you are sitting or lying.  This is normal.  Also, make sure to keep your breath fluid and open throughout the entire meditation.

I believe that the best results are achieved when you play soft, instrumental music in the background.  Music will help you further relax and focus your mind.  As the meditation proceeds, you may find your mind wandering, or you may recall some worrisome moment from earlier in the day.  This is a common occurrence.  Try to release these thoughts and realize you can return to them later.

Remember, this is a beginning meditation.  There is no right or wrong way to do it.  Just try to relax and follow the instruments as best you can.  The more you practice the meditation, the easier it will become.

MEDITATION

As you begin the meditation, gently move the muscles of your body until you are situated in a comfortable position.

Allow your body to settle and sink into the chair, floor, or bed.

Now begin to notice your whole body in a mindful way.  What areas of your body feel relaxed?  Which feel tight?

Now notice your breathing pattern.  Feel your lungs expand and your chest and stomach rise and fall as you breathe in and out.

Take a deep breath.  Breathe in with your nose and out through your mouth.  Release the air slowly.

Next, focus your awareness on your feet.  How do they feel?

Tighten the muscles of your feet slightly for a couple of seconds … then release them.

Now focus on your calves.

Tense them slightly for a few seconds … and release.

And now your thighs.  Tense and release them also.

If your legs remain tight, take a moment to tense and release them again.

Remember to adjust your body if you need to.

Next, notice how your hips, buttocks, and lower back feel.

See if you can release any tension you may be holding there.

Tighten the muscles in your buttocks for a second or two and release.

Now move your awareness to your stomach and intestinal region.

Many times there is anxiety stored in this part of the body because under stress there is a tendency to contract these muscles.

Consciously relax your stomach and intestines by taking a deep breath.

Now travel up to your chest.

Again feel your lungs expand and your chest open as you breathe in and out.

Focus next on the muscles of the back.

Move your back around slightly to help release any muscle tension.

To relax the muscles between your shoulder blades, arch your upper back slightly and push your shoulder blades together for a second or two and release.

Another tendency you might have under stress is to keep your shoulders are down and relaxed.

Notice how your neck feels after you lowered your shoulder.

If the neck is a place where you feel tension, let’s see if you can help diminish some of the discomfort.

Slowly and gently stretch the muscles of your neck by turning your head as if you are looking from left to right.

It is important that your movements be slow and deliberate.

Be gentle with your neck and move it only as far as comfortable.

Now slowly move your head in a clockwise position and then in a counterclockwise position.

Feel your neck muscles begin to soften.

Now move your jaw around slightly and notice how it feels.

If it is sore and tight, clench your teeth and release once or twice.

Move your lower jaw from side to side and see if the clenching of your teeth helped loosen any tightness you might have felt in this area.

Take another deep breath and release slowly.

Now soften and relax your face by tensing and releasing your facial muscles.

Next, soften your forehead by squinting and then arching your eyebrows.

Try to fully relax your head.

Move your awareness to your arms and hands.

Squeeze your hands tightly for a moment and release them.

Tense and release the muscles of your arms.

Move your arms and hands around and then place them in a natural position.

Now count to ten slowly.

Feel your body becoming totally relaxed and limp, like a rag doll.

Take a moment to survey your body again.

If there are any parts of you that still need to relax, tighten that part of your body, and then release it.

Now take three deep breaths.

Again, breathe in deeply through your nose…and release the breath through your mouth.

Inhale again and hold it for four seconds before you breathe out.

Now the last breath: breathe in slowly, hold the breath for four seconds, and release.

Feel your body relax deeply because of the breaths.

Now feel as if a circle of healing light is surrounding you.

Feel your body absorb the light.

Use the light coming into your body to soften any part of you that needs more relaxation.

Breathe the light into your lungs.

Take a moment to feel the peace within your body and your connection to this loving, healing light.

Take one more deep breath before you end the meditation.

Release the image of the light, knowing it will remain with you.

When you are ready, move your body around slightly and open your eyes.

As you go about your day, remember to keep your shoulders down, breathe deeply, and visualize the healing light whenever you are feeling stressed and out of balance.

The A Meditation for Beginners by INNER PRINCESS Magazine, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.