Hi...
I'm glad you found eight minutes for this.
Lie down if you can.
A bed, a couch, the floor...
wherever you are is fine.
Let your arms rest by your sides, palms Your up.
eyes can close now.
Let the floor hold You you.
don't have to hold yourself up for a while.
Now pick one short sentence.
Something true you want to carry into the rest of your day.
It could be as plain as...
I have enough time.
Say it once in your head.
Quietly.
Like you mean it.
We'll move through the body quickly now.
Just let your attention land where I name it.
No need to relax anything on purpose.
Right thumb...
first finger...
middle finger...
ring finger...
little finger.
Palm of the right hand...
the back of the hand...
wrist...
elbow...
shoulder.
Right side of the ribs...
right hip...
thigh...
knee...
shin...
the top of the foot...
each toe on the right side.
Now over to the left.
Left thumb...
first finger...
middle finger...
ring finger...
little finger.
Left palm...
back of the hand...
wrist...
elbow...
shoulder.
Left ribs...
left hip...
thigh...
knee...
shin...
top of the foot...
the toes.
The back of your head, resting on whatever is under it...
shoulder blades...
the whole spine...
backs of the legs...
both heels.
Forehead...
eyebrows...
the space between them.
Eyelids...
cheeks...
your jaw.
Let it hang a bit.
Lips...
tongue...
throat.
Chest...
belly.
Now the whole body at once.
Right side...
left side...
all of you, lying here, breathing.
Bring your attention to the breath.
Don't change it yet.
Just feel where it moves.
Breathe in through the nose...
slow...
four counts or so.
And breathe out even slower...
like air leaking out of a tire.
In again...
feel the belly rise.
Out...
longer than the in-breath.
One more.
In...
And out...
all the way to the bottom.
Now let the breath go back to doing its own thing.
If your mind drifts to a to-do list, that's fine.
Come back to the sound of my voice.
Rest here.
Nothing to do.
Bring back that sentence you chose at the start.
Repeat it quietly, just once.
Now start to notice the room The again.
air on your Maybe skin.
a sound from outside.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Take a bigger breath in if you want one...
And let it go.
Stretch however your body asks.
Roll to one side for a moment before you sit up.
When you open your eyes, go easy.
The rest you just had is still in you.