I’m Kate, a psychotherapist writing about mental health and self-discovery, for you to flourish in a life you love. When we cultivate compassion, resilience and understanding, we also create a more harmonious world. Upgrade here for transformative journaling prompts, empowering tools, workbooks and guided meditations and visualisations like this one, and if you would like to support my work.
Hi friends,
Body relaxation is essential for our mental and physical health. When we relax, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which counteracts the stress response, allowing the body to enter a state of rest and recovery. This shift lowers cortisol levels, reduces muscle tension, and enhances digestion, contributing to overall physical health. Meditations like this help manage anxiety, reduce symptoms of stress-related disorders, and improve emotional regulation. It brings you back to base.
Regular relaxation strengthens neural pathways associated with calm and resilience, reinforcing a body-mind connection that promotes well-being. Relaxation practices help us reset, bringing balance to both the nervous system and our mental state, making it a powerful tool for sustaining health and vitality.
“Relaxation is a skill that can be learned and cultivated with practice, leading to a more balanced and fulfilling life.” Jon Kabat-Zinn
Body Scan Meditation
This short, relaxing body scan meditation is a type proven to be as good for calming our mind and body than valium or diazepam! And of course, totally natural.
This is part of my second series of short, guided meditations : a practice shown to improve mental health and well-being. These meditations formed part of my Therapy Toolbox course a couple of years ago, and are a great way to slip into a relaxed and calm state of mind in a short space of time.
This Monday evening (GMT) series includes:
Mindfulness Meditation: Following the Breath
A Peaceful Sanctuary Visualisation
Deep Relaxation Body Scan
Kindness for the Overthinking Mind
Meet your Inner Guide Visualisation
Gratitude Meditation
Listen whenever you like, and return daily to hardwire a calm, relaxed body. Available on Substack, or if you prefer, on Apple Music or Spotify.
You can find more guided meditations from the first series here, including: Healing Waters, Forgiveness, Cultivating Joy, Self Acceptance, Inviting Financial Abundance and Sunlight Energy.
Upgrade if you would like to cultivate calm and inspiration whenever you like!
Thanks for reading, friends. Do you need to build more deep relaxation in your life? Let me know in the comments, and let me know how you get on!
Enjoy!
With love and gratitude,
Kate
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