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Deep Relaxation Meditation

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By Quána Madison, Clyfford Still Museum educator and mindfulness teacher

Time: 5 minutes

Before Exercise:

  • Invite students to get into a comfortable position–standing, sitting, or lying down.
  • Students may close their eyes if they feel comfortable. If doing this exercise virtually, consider sharing an image of a calming landscape or artwork for students to softly focus on.

Read the below script at a slow pace and with a calming voice:

  • Get into a comfortable position.
  • Close your eyes if you feel comfortable, or softly look at something in the room, or on the screen (if a calming image is shared).
  • You are going to visit a peaceful place in your mind.
  • Imagine a peaceful space where you feel safe, comfortable, and totally relaxed.
  • Your relaxing and safe space may be inside or outside…maybe it’s a garden, a beautiful landscape, a favorite place you’ve visited before, somewhere you’ve always wanted to go, or somewhere imaginary.
  • As you enter this peaceful space, picture letting go of your anxieties, worries, and your fears.
  • When you are in your peaceful space, stress and tension melt away. Feel them leaving your body.
  • Look around your peaceful space, and notice the details.
  • What do you see around you? What colors do you notice?
  • What do you smell in your peaceful space? What do you hear?
  • Reach out and touch something in your space-what does it feel like?
  • In this space, nothing can harm you. There is no to-do list or anything to worry about.
  • Notice your toes, feet, and knees feeling more relaxed.
  • Now notice your legs, hips, and lower back relaxing.
  • Notice feelings of ease in your stomach and chest.
  • Notice your heart softening and filling with love and compassion.
  • Notice your shoulders and upper back releasing tension.
  • Relax your face, your jaw, your eyebrows, your forehead.
  • Your body, mind, heart, and spirit are gently embraced by tenderness, care, and love.
  • Hold onto this feeling of being relaxed.
  • Remind yourself that you can come back and relax in this peaceful space in your mind any time.
  • Say to yourself, either out loud or silently, ‘I am at peace. I can relax here. I can come to this peaceful inner space whenever I want.’
  • When you are ready, open your eyes.