In my previous post on Meditation, I asked you to identify your preferred method of meditation. The more comfortable you are with your choices, the better your meditation session will be. Today’s meditative position is done lying on your back in Shavasana or corpse pose as it is known in yoga. The pose has you on your back with your legs and arms relaxed and palms facing upwards. Add a pillow under your head or a blanket if you need to be more comfortable. Each body part will be flexed or contracted and then released 3X. Inhale when you tighten your muscles and exhale when you relax your muscles. With each exhale and release of your muscle contraction, you should feel your body relaxing and getting heavier and sinking deeper into the mat. Start at the bottom of your body and work your way up. I sometimes do this right as I get into bed at night. Instead of counting sheep, I focus on my breathing and the contraction of my muscles and then the letting go and relaxing.
Here we go:
1. Start by taking a few deep breaths. Inhale through the nose and Exhale through the mouth.
2. Starting with your feet you will tense and curl your toes on the inhale, then exhale and relax. Then inhale to flex your toes and exhale to relax. Do this 2-3 times
3. Move up your body to your legs. Tighten the muscles in your legs, your calves, quads, hamstrings on your inhale then exhale and relax the muscles in your legs. Repeat 2-3 times.
4. Next move to your glutes and squeeze that booty! Let it go!
5. Now take 3 deep breaths and squeeze and tighten your whole lower body on the inhale and let it all go on the exhale. Good Job.
6. Moving up the body to the abdominals and chest. This area is a little harder to isolate, but do your best by really focusing on the muscles you want to contract and relax. Flex your abs and your pecs and then relax them.
7. Arms are next. Clench your hands and make a fist and flex your biceps. Release on the exhale. Again repeating 3 times per body part.
8. Keep moving up the body to neck and shoulders. Shrug your shoulders up to your ears and then just let them go and drop heavier into the mat.
9. Last part is the face. Scrunch up your face and squeeze your eyes shut tight and then RELAX!
10. Finally tighten, flex and squeeze your whole body on the inhale and on the exhale relax it all. Repeat this 2 more times
Finish by just allowing yourself to feel the heaviness in your body and the more relaxed state of it. Take a few more easy breaths to come back to reality. Roll onto one side in a fetal position and then push yourself up into a sitting position. Take a few more breaths and then rise and move on with whatever is next in your day.
Hope this helps you to relax, unwind, refocus and get rid of a little bit of tension.
Namaste