Today's meditation focuses on

relieving stress and anxiety.

And if you wish, it can help

you in getting to sleep.

Please find a comfortable position.

And whether you're lying down or sitting,

you might experiment with placing

one hand gently on your belly and

resting the other hand on your heart.

Become aware of your breathing.

And consciously lengthen the

breath, taking a nice long, deep

in breath, filling the lungs.

And then a slow out breath,

letting go, letting go.

And again, a deep, full in-breath.

And a long, slow out-breath, slow enough

so that you can feel the sensations

of the breath, leaving the nostrils.

And now allowing your breath to

resume in its natural rhythm.

Sense how fully you can relax

with the inflow and the outflow.

With this relaxed breathing, you can

begin to scan through the body, releasing

any tension you might be carrying.

You might bring a slight

smile to the lips.

Also smiling into the eyes.

Letting the whole face soften and relax.

Feel your shoulders from the inside out.

You might sense a kind of

dissolving of ice to water.

And then water to gas.

Let your hands rest in

an easy, effortless way.

Softening the hands.

Feeling from the inside out, the

space and the liveliness it's there.

Let the chest be open.

And you might visualize and feel the sense

of a smile spreading through the heart.

Relaxing down through the abdominal area.

Letting this next breath be

received in a softening belly.

This breath.

And again.

And relaxing down through

the pelvic region.

Down to the legs.

Through the feet.

So you can widen the attention and

feel your whole body floating, a

field of sensation, safe and at ease.

You might sense with the in-breath

receiving a gentle flow of soothing,

healing energy from the universe.

And with the exhale, letting

go into the universe.

Releasing whatever's ready.

And with the exhale, letting go into the

universe whatever is ready to be released.

If there's any tension, pain, or fear

in your body, let the tender touch of

your hand on your heart offer comfort.

Send a stream of caring, soothing

energy to the place of discomfort.

You might offer a message

of care such as, I'm here.

It's okay.

You can relax.

If you find your mind has

drifted into thoughts, gently

relax open your attention.

Listening to sounds around you.

And letting go again through the body.

Softening the shoulders, the hands.

Relaxing, your belly.

Your heart.

And again, resting in the inflow

and outflow of the breath.

Feeling this life breath

as a home base or refuge.

Safe and at home in this breath.

At home in this moment.

At home in this life.

Namaste day and blessings.