Find your most comfortable resting position now.
Lying down on your back or your side,
Supported by cushions or blankets or eye mask as needed.
Take a little time to make this posture effortless and restful so that your body might remain completely still for deep rest during this practice.
But no worries at all if you find during the practice you do want to move.
Just move the body slowly and with intention so that any movement itself becomes part of the practice.
So as you get settled now,
Allow your eyes to softly close or if it's more comfortable for you,
Keep a gentle gaze with heavy lids.
Feel your body now surrendering to gravity,
Giving its weight completely to the earth beneath you.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in through the nose and sigh it away through your mouth.
Once more,
Inhale deeply and exhale with a soft sigh.
Know that there is nothing to achieve here.
You are entering a sacred resting place,
Welcomed exactly as you are.
Bring to mind now your sankalpa,
Your heart's intention.
Choose for yourself a simple phrase,
Something rooted in truth and compassion.
Something like,
I am safe and deeply loved.
Or,
Peace flows through me.
Once you have formed your sankalpa,
Repeat it silently now,
Three times,
Planting it like an acorn in the soil of your being.
Trust that it will take root and it will grow in its own time.
We now journey through your body,
Part by part,
With quiet awareness.
Bring your attention to your right hand tongue,
Thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Back of the right hand,
Wrist,
Forearm,
Shoulder,
Armpit,
Right waist,
Sole of the right foot,
Top of the right foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Little toe,
Shifting your awareness now to your left hand,
Your left hand tongue,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Palm of the left hand,
Back of the left hand,
Wrist,
Armpit,
Left waist,
Left heel,
Sole of the left foot,
Top of the foot,
Right,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Little toe.
Move awareness to the back of your body,
Right buttock,
Left buttock,
Lower back,
Middle back,
Back of the head.
And now to the front of your body,
Crown of the head,
Temples,
Eyebrows,
Eyelids,
Hands,
Back of the eyes,
Cheeks,
Chin,
Chest,
Heart centre,
Ribs,
Upper belly,
Navel,
Lower belly,
Pelvis.
Sense now your whole body at once,
Lying in stillness,
Supported by the loving presence of the earth.
Bring attention to the natural rhythm of your breath.
Simply notice its gentle flow in and out without needing to change it.
Feel the expansion of your ribs,
The rise and fall of your belly.
Imagine now that your breath is like a quiet mist,
Drifting over a sacred Celtic landscape at dawn.
Your breath weaving through heather and ancient stones,
Bringing cool freshness and renewal to all that it touches.
With each exhale now,
Soften and release.
With every inhale,
Receive nourishment and life.
Imagine you are lying beneath an ancient oak tree.
Its wide trunk rises up,
Strong and enduring,
With roots descending deep into the hidden dark earth.
Its great branches spread above you,
Forming a vast green canopy,
Sheltering and protective.
Sense the oak's wisdom,
Its quiet strength gathered through centuries.
Feel its energy flowing down into your body,
Gifting you stability and groundedness.
Feel its branches reaching skyward,
Reminding you of your own potential to grow,
To blossom,
To stand tall in your truth.
Rest here under the oak's embrace,
Safe and held.
Feel the heaviness of your body,
Dense,
Grounded,
Rooted like the oak.
Now sense lightness,
Your body floating,
Spacious,
Like the morning mist among its branches.
Lightness,
Heaviness,
Lightness,
Spacious.
Allow these opposites to weave together in harmony within you.
Heaviness,
Lightness,
Grounded,
Rooted,
Spacious.
We will now journey gently through your energy centres,
Infused with Celtic imagery.
Bring awareness to your root centre,
At the very base of your spine,
Glowing like the red embers of a sacred hearth fire,
Anchoring you to Earth's safety.
Move to your sacral centre in the lower belly,
Glowing orange like sunset upon quiet waters,
Flowing with ease and creativity.
Your solar plexus,
Just above the navel,
Glowing bright yellow like gorse flowers on the spring hillsides,
Igniting your inner confidence and will.
Your heart centre,
Glowing emerald green like mossy forest paths,
Opening to compassion for yourself and all beings.
Your throat centre,
Glowing sky blue like a clear Celtic morning,
Opening to truth and gentle expression.
Your third eye centre,
Glowing deep indigo like twilight skies over standing stones,
Opening your intuition and inner knowing.
Your crown centre,
Just above the top of your head,
Glowing violet white like moonlight upon sacred wells,
Connecting you to spirit,
Divine presence,
To source.
Imagine these centres glowing in harmony,
Creating a rainbow bridge within you,
Uniting body,
Mind and spirit.
Imagine now that the ancient oak tree beside you has a hidden path leading to a sacred well.
You rise and walk slowly down this path,
Lined with ferns and wildflowers.
And you begin to hear the gentle trickle of water ahead.
You arrive at the well,
Its stones covered in emerald moss.
This is a healing well,
Known to your ancestors.
Look into its clear waters,
See your reflection shimmering there,
Soft and luminous.
Cup your hands and draw water up to your lips,
Drinking in its blessing.
Feel this healing water flow through every part of your being,
Washing away old hurts,
Worries and weariness.
Then imagine pouring some of this water over your head,
Feeling it cleanse and renew you,
Blessing you with clarity,
Vitality and deep peace.
Rest here by the well.
Maybe you hear the faint echoes of ancient prayers and blessings carried by the breeze.
May you be well.
May you be held in peace.
May you walk your days with ease and grace.
Stay here in stillness,
Absorbing these blessings,
Feeling nourished and renewed.
Let this ancient Celtic chant wash over you now,
As you simply rest.
Rest deeply.
You are safe.
You are held.
Slowly bring awareness back to your breath,
Noticing its gentle flow.
Feel your body resting upon the earth,
The air on your skin,
The sounds within and beyond this room.
Bring your sankalpa,
Your heart's intention,
To mind once more.
Repeat it silently three times,
Trusting that its truth is now alive within you.
Begin to deepen your breath,
Inviting life and movement back into your being.
Wiggle your fingers and toes softly.
Roll your head from side to side.
Let the body stretch now in any way that feels nourishing.
In your own time,
With exquisite slowness and attention,
Begin to move to a comfortable seated position,
Keeping the eyes closed or the gaze softened.
Bring your hands to your heart centre and bow your head.
May the strength of the oak,
The clarity of the well,
And the blessings of your ancestors guide you this day and always.
Peace to you,
My friend.
