Cooling Meditation Practice

Find a comfortable seated position on the floor or in a chair. If sitting on the floor sit with your hips on a pillow or bolster so they are positioned above your knees. If sitting in a chair it is best to have legs uncrossed with both feet flat on the floor. Once in your seat allow your hands to intuitively rest on the body. There is no right or wrong.

Now sit with your spine and back of your neck long bringing your shoulders back in line with your ears to encourage opening across the front of your heart. Take the effort out and allow yourself to be soft. Soften your rib cage down. Feel your hip creases soften. Close your eyelids or hold a soft gaze just in front of you.

After a few moments of simply sitting and feeling your seat underneath you, bring your awareness to your breath. Get really curious as you follow the inhale in and exhale out of the nostrils. Notice where the breath goes as it enters the body and how it feels as it exits the body. Allow the body and mind to soften more and more with each inhale and exhale. Take some time simply sitting and breathing with an even inhale and exhale. Once the mind begins to wander, lovingly guide your attention back to the breath. Inhale. Exhale.

Become aware now of the space about 6 inches above the crown of your head. It does not have to be exact, just sense the space several inches above your head. Now from this space imagine that your inhale is coming down from that space above your head into the crown of your head. Allow your inhale to continue to travel down the body--brain, face, back of the head. neck, shoulders, chest, back of the heart, down both arms, palms of both hands and fingertips. Feel the breath continue to travel all the way down the torso into the belly.

As you exhale imagine that the breath continues to travel down the body -- pelvis, down the hips, front of the thighs, back of the thighs, shins, calves and out the soles of both feet and through the tips of the toes.

Repeat this pattern several times...breathing in and down the body. Inhaling through the crown of the head into the belly and exhaling from the belly out the soles of the feet.

After several rounds perhaps you invite a color, light or sensation to now travel down the body. For example, you can imagine a white, warm light now traveling down the body through the crown of the head and out the soles of the feet. Notice as it travels through the body what is happening in the body. What is softening. What is shifting.

To incorporate more cooling into the body and mind, as well as invite more relaxation, consider extending the exhale as it travels down from the belly, down the legs and out the soles of both feet.

When you are ready to return bring your awareness back to your body. Feeling the whole body now expand with an inhale and soften with an exhale. Allow the inhale and exhale to expand - perhaps opening the mouth to exhale for a round or two. You can rub your palms together or along the tops of your thighs. Then as you return to the present moment softly blink your eyes open.