How to start to meditate? Part 2

So how are you going with relaxing in shavasana every day? After practising body awareness in this ‘lying on your back’ position we can progress to bringing closer attention to individual parts of our body and relaxing them deeper.
Get yourself comfy on your back on the floor, allow your feet to drop to either side, relax your arms further away from your body and bring your attention onto your abdomen. Feel your breath there. Notice how your abdomen moves as you breathe – up on inhalation, down on exhalation. Don’t control your breath, only watch it! Allow yourself to spend some time focusing on this area of your body and notice how it is softening and relaxing.
Move your awareness on your both feet now. Feel them both. Feel all your toes, bottoms and tops of your feet, ankles. Moving up – feel your calves, both shins, knees, upper legs, hips. Moving up further – feel your hands, all fingers, palms, wrists, forearms, elbows, upper arms, shoulders, chest, try to feel the heartbeat within your chest, whole back, neck, throat, jaw, cheeks, eyes, all the little muscles around your eyes, forehead and the skin underneath your hair.
You can feel your whole body now. Return your awareness to your centre – your abdomen just under the bellybutton and feel your breath there for a few more minutes. Your focus is on watching your breath. If you find yourself distracted by some bodily sensation or thoughts, acknowledge it, but without getting involved, gently and slowly return to watching your breath. Enjoy the stillness.
After a while, slowly take control over your breath again – make one of your next inhalations a little deeper and longer and slowly start moving and stretching your body. Gently, slowly. Stretch in whatever way is comfortable for you. Slowly roll on your side and sit up. Smile and thank yourself for taking a little time to relax and recharge your batteries.