Welcome to the gift of rest.
So just take a moment to simply arrive here in this moment.
This is simply a space to pause.
Breasts can sometimes begin to feel unfamiliar.
And yet rest is not a luxury.
Rest is not something we must earn after a hard,
Long day,
But rest is part of being human.
Because your body really does need rest.
Your mind needs rest.
And your beautiful heart needs rest too.
So,
Wherever you are listening from,
This is your permission to soften.
Your permission to simply breathe.
And Alan Cohen once said,
There is virtue in work.
And there is virtue in rest.
Use both and overlook neither.
So,
Just allow yourself to become comfortable now.
Find your comfy space warm and cozy.
And just feel your body beginning to soften.
Letting go.
And you may gently close your eyes now and arrive in this present moment.
Take a slow breath in.
And gently breathe out,
Releasing any stress or tension.
Breathe in gently.
And exhale slowly.
Breathe in.
And as you release,
Let your body soften even more.
I'll just allow your breath to settle into its own natural rhythm.
And as you breathe just notice any places in your body.
That might have been quite a holding tension.
Maybe it's your shoulders or your jaw.
Your facial muscles.
Your chest.
Or your belly.
Just breathe into your belly.
Feel it expand.
As you slowly release,
Let it soften.
Because so often we carry stress without even realizing it.
And our bodies can adapt.
Nervous system it keeps going and we keep showing up for life.
But at some time,
The body whispers for rest.
And if we do not hear that whisper.
Sometimes exhaustion becomes the message instead.
So now you are choosing to listen gently now.
To that whisper,
And that really matters.
With the beauty about deep rest,
It can restore more than energy.
Rest,
It restores clarity,
Patience.
Your creativity.
Compassion.
Connection.
And most importantly Rest really helps us return to ourselves.
Because underneath all the noise.
There is a quiet part of you that remembers peace.
And you just simply rest your way back to that feeling of peace.
Of you.
Of taking time for yourself.
So,
Let's gently bring awareness to your body now.
Notice the support beneath you,
The chair.
The bed or the floor.
Just let it completely hold your weight.
Allow your forehead to soften.
The tiny muscles around the eyes are beginning to relax.
Your jaw is softening.
Your tongue is resting gently.
Allow your shoulders to drop away from your ears.
Soften your chest.
Soften your belly.
And allow your hands to relax completely,
Resting.
And as the body softens,
Your nervous system is beginning to settle,
Too.
Like a muddy water.
It is slowly becoming still and clear.
Here,
There is no rushing,
Just a gradual softening.
A gentle unwinding.
A return to calm.
To stillness.
To just being.
Rest is so deeply healing.
And when we take that time to rest,
The body,
It repairs.
Your mind is given a chance to reorganize.
Your heart can process emotions.
And your nervous system.
Knows that it is safe.
That it is time to rest.
Nature understands the importance of rest.
The seasons slow down.
The earth becomes quiet in winter.
Night follows day.
Tides,
They rise and fall.
Everything in nature moves in cycles of activity and restoration.
And you are part of nature too.
You were created with rhythms,
With needs,
With limits.
And there is a beautiful wisdom in honoring them.
Sometimes rest is sleeping.
Sometimes rest is silence.
Sometimes it is sitting beneath the trees.
Sometimes it is laughter.
And sometimes rest is simply allowing yourself to exist.
So take a slow breath here and just let those words Settle deep into your heart.
Now you see yourself walking slowly along a peaceful path at twilight.
The air is calm,
Cool and gentle against your skin.
Above you,
The sky is painted in soft colors of fading gold and deepening blue.
Everything around you feels quiet now.
Safe.
And hurry it.
A head.
You notice a beautiful resting place.
Maybe a still lake or tucked within a peaceful forest clearing.
Here there is a soft blanket.
And a worn grass beneath the twilight sky.
And here nothing is asked of you.
There is nowhere to be.
Nothing to carry.
You just gently settle yourself.
Into this beautiful,
Peaceful place.
And now you are settling down all those invisible things that you have been carrying.
Maybe it's the pressure.
Or the mental noise.
Expectations or just a feeling of tiredness.
So for these few moments just simply rest.
The Earth beneath you is holding everything gently.
It is supporting you completely.
And now you feel that warm sense of calm beginning to move through your body.
Feel it softening,
Comforting,
Restoring.
And now you remember what it feels like.
To simply be.
To just be in this moment.
To feel whole enough.
To be human.
So now quietly,
Softly within your own heart.
I am allowed to rest.
Rest restores me.
Peace is allowed here.
So just breathe those words deep into your being.
Feel into the peace within your heart.
Just notice how your body feels in this peaceful,
Restful moment.
Beautiful.
And maybe the greatest gift of rest.
Is that it reminds us of.
Our breath.
Our presence,
Our softness.
To life itself.
Because rest can really reconnect us to what is essential.
Breathe in.
.
.
And gently breathe out.
Every moment that you choose rest.
You send a message to your body and your spirit.
It's a message that says you matter.
So take a slow nourishing breath in.
And gently exhale.
And remember this,
You are allowed to pause.
You are allowed to soften.
You are allowed peaceful rest.
So thank you so much for sharing this space with me today.
When you're ready just slowly bring awareness back to the room around you.
Bring a small movement into your body.
You might slowly roll your shoulders and give yourself a gentle stretch.
Just allow yourself to return slowly and peacefully in your own time.
And may the rest of your beautiful day or evening feel lighter.
Calmer,
Filled with greater ease.
And just gently open your eyes and feel the deep rest within your heart.
Namaste,
My friend.
