Browse
Top articles
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Try free for 7 days.
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
00:00
00:00
In this meditation, we'll practice relaxing and releasing the tension we accumulated in our body throughout the day.
Let's settle in so we can wind down from the day. You can start by finding a comfortable posture, which could be sitting or lying down. If it feels okay to do so, you can close your eyes. And we'll take one deep breath together. In through the nose.
Out slowly through the mouth. Inviting the jaw to soften. Letting the shoulders be at ease. As well as the hands and the belly. As you start to settle in, the breath can come back to its natural rhythm.
And see if you can connect to a sense of being grounded in this moment. Maybe where your body makes contact with the surface beneath you. Or just the groundedness of being a little more present and not so caught up in the momentum of the day. And the chaotic thoughts often moving through the mind. Throughout our day, we accumulate a lot of tension in the body.
Sometimes where aware of it and other times it's building up in the background. So in this meditation, we're going to practice releasing some of that tension so that we can move into the rest of our evening with a little more ease, groundedness and presence. Start by bringing your awareness to your head. Particularly the muscles in the face. Throughout our interactions we make different facial expressions or what we try to put on our best face.
Maybe we try to look happy when we're not happy or we're just responding to people in conversation. So notice how your face feels right now. And what would it be like to give it permission to relax. To not have to do anything. And to not have to put on a particular mask or expression.
As you notice some of the muscles in the face soften, come to a place of ease, see if you can also feel a corresponding sense of release and also calm. As you slide your awareness down now through the neck and the shoulders, to areas of the body that do tend to accumulate a lot of tension throughout the day. Inviting them to soften. Down through the arms, biceps, the triceps, forearms, and hands. If you're sitting down, you can let the arms hang alongside you so that the heaviness of the arms lets the shoulders drop and there's no holding on or gripping.
Just complete letting go. All of this is to help the mind recognize that, hey, you already did the day. There's nothing you need to do right now. It's okay to transition. As the body starts to settle in and relax, the mind can settle in and relax.
So let's bring that awareness now to the torso. Starting, maybe, with the chest. A lot of the times when we're stressed, the breath can get caught in the chest region, short and shallow. So notice if that's still going on for you. And you're welcome to try and sync the breath a little deeper.
Sometimes that just happens as we relax. We feel the breath more in the belly, so you can bring your awareness there, rising and falling of the abdomen. And with every exhale, feeling the body sink in a little more deeply. Every exhale. Just letting go.
Bringing your awareness around to the back region. The upper back tends to hold a lot of tension close to the shoulders. Maybe from sitting at a desk, the shoulders round over. So see if you can breathe in to the upper back. And on that exhale, let it relax as you slide your awareness down the mid back and into the lower back.
Letting go of any judgment of the body, including if there's pain or discomfort. We can meet our body with kind, compassionate awareness. It's tough enough being a body. It doesn't need your judgment and critique. It tends to make us more stressed as well.
So can we be in our bodies with a sense of love, compassion, curiosity, and respect. Body is processing a lot of information throughout the day, and it's often taking on the emotions, the energy of other people, our environment. So just breathe into the body for a moment with a sense of appreciation. And exhale any tension. Letting the body know you care about it, and you're here to help give it a break.
As you slide your awareness down to the pelvic region. Noticing any clenching. Softening all the muscles in the pelvic region. Down to the thighs. Another area with larger muscles.
The hamstrings, the quadriceps. And for standing, his muscles are often engaged. So giving them the opportunity, the invitation to relax. Down through the knees. Calves and shins.
And then the feet. The precious feet, helping us walk. A lot of nerve endings in the bottom of the feet. You might try wiggling your toes just to feel your feet a little more. Feel the surface beneath them.
And we'll zoom out so that we're attuned to the entire body as a whole. And let's take one really deep breath into the body. Breathing in. And then on the exhale, letting go of and lingering tension. Let's do that one more time.
In through the nose, filling up every part of the body. And release on an exhale. Great job. If you feel ready, you can start to reorient yourself back to the space around you. Eventually inviting the eyes to open.
As you continue to unwind before sleep, see if you can take this time to be a little more grounded in your body to be more present and to be at ease in your mind. Enjoy the rest of your evening and take care.
Finding Ease
In this meditation, we'll practice relaxing and releasing the tension we accumulated in our body throughout the day.
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Let's settle in so we can wind down from the day. You can start by finding a comfortable posture, which could be sitting or lying down. If it feels okay to do so, you can close your eyes. And we'll take one deep breath together. In through the nose.
Out slowly through the mouth. Inviting the jaw to soften. Letting the shoulders be at ease. As well as the hands and the belly. As you start to settle in, the breath can come back to its natural rhythm.
And see if you can connect to a sense of being grounded in this moment. Maybe where your body makes contact with the surface beneath you. Or just the groundedness of being a little more present and not so caught up in the momentum of the day. And the chaotic thoughts often moving through the mind. Throughout our day, we accumulate a lot of tension in the body.
Sometimes where aware of it and other times it's building up in the background. So in this meditation, we're going to practice releasing some of that tension so that we can move into the rest of our evening with a little more ease, groundedness and presence. Start by bringing your awareness to your head. Particularly the muscles in the face. Throughout our interactions we make different facial expressions or what we try to put on our best face.
Maybe we try to look happy when we're not happy or we're just responding to people in conversation. So notice how your face feels right now. And what would it be like to give it permission to relax. To not have to do anything. And to not have to put on a particular mask or expression.
As you notice some of the muscles in the face soften, come to a place of ease, see if you can also feel a corresponding sense of release and also calm. As you slide your awareness down now through the neck and the shoulders, to areas of the body that do tend to accumulate a lot of tension throughout the day. Inviting them to soften. Down through the arms, biceps, the triceps, forearms, and hands. If you're sitting down, you can let the arms hang alongside you so that the heaviness of the arms lets the shoulders drop and there's no holding on or gripping.
Just complete letting go. All of this is to help the mind recognize that, hey, you already did the day. There's nothing you need to do right now. It's okay to transition. As the body starts to settle in and relax, the mind can settle in and relax.
So let's bring that awareness now to the torso. Starting, maybe, with the chest. A lot of the times when we're stressed, the breath can get caught in the chest region, short and shallow. So notice if that's still going on for you. And you're welcome to try and sync the breath a little deeper.
Sometimes that just happens as we relax. We feel the breath more in the belly, so you can bring your awareness there, rising and falling of the abdomen. And with every exhale, feeling the body sink in a little more deeply. Every exhale. Just letting go.
Bringing your awareness around to the back region. The upper back tends to hold a lot of tension close to the shoulders. Maybe from sitting at a desk, the shoulders round over. So see if you can breathe in to the upper back. And on that exhale, let it relax as you slide your awareness down the mid back and into the lower back.
Letting go of any judgment of the body, including if there's pain or discomfort. We can meet our body with kind, compassionate awareness. It's tough enough being a body. It doesn't need your judgment and critique. It tends to make us more stressed as well.
So can we be in our bodies with a sense of love, compassion, curiosity, and respect. Body is processing a lot of information throughout the day, and it's often taking on the emotions, the energy of other people, our environment. So just breathe into the body for a moment with a sense of appreciation. And exhale any tension. Letting the body know you care about it, and you're here to help give it a break.
As you slide your awareness down to the pelvic region. Noticing any clenching. Softening all the muscles in the pelvic region. Down to the thighs. Another area with larger muscles.
The hamstrings, the quadriceps. And for standing, his muscles are often engaged. So giving them the opportunity, the invitation to relax. Down through the knees. Calves and shins.
And then the feet. The precious feet, helping us walk. A lot of nerve endings in the bottom of the feet. You might try wiggling your toes just to feel your feet a little more. Feel the surface beneath them.
And we'll zoom out so that we're attuned to the entire body as a whole. And let's take one really deep breath into the body. Breathing in. And then on the exhale, letting go of and lingering tension. Let's do that one more time.
In through the nose, filling up every part of the body. And release on an exhale. Great job. If you feel ready, you can start to reorient yourself back to the space around you. Eventually inviting the eyes to open.
As you continue to unwind before sleep, see if you can take this time to be a little more grounded in your body to be more present and to be at ease in your mind. Enjoy the rest of your evening and take care.
Duration
Play in-app
Scan the following QR code with your camera app to open it on our mobile app
Get Unlimited Access
A Mindfulness Plus+ subscription gives you unlimited access to a world of premium mindfulness content.
Email Missing
We couldn’t detect your email with the SSO provider you have selected.We are here to make a positive impact on the world. We never want to sell you something that hasn’t helped you live a better life. That’s why if you’re unhappy with any purchase from us, you have 30 days to get a full refund and your money back.
If you subscribed to Mindfulness Plus+ and are unhappy with your purchase, please get in contact with us within the 30-day period and we’ll refund your purchase.
Learn more about our Mindfulness Guarantee.
Mindfulness
We believe in a world where everybody has access to the life-changing skills of mindfulness.
Private Browsing
We believe in a world where everybody has access to the life-changing skills of mindfulness.
Annual membership
$0
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Thank you for joining us
Dive into the full library and enjoy all it has to offer!
Claim your free access
Create a mindfulness account and we’ll unlock this premium session in your account forever.
7-Days free trial, cancel anytime.
Complete a few quick questions to make your own personalized mindfulness plan.
Sign up or login to your mindfulness account to proceed.
Sign up or login to your mindfulness account to proceed.
Mindfulness
One membership to gain access to a world of premium mindfulness content created to help you live happier and stress less.