Hi,
My name is Kathy.
I'm glad you're here to practice with me today.
I recently wrote a blog for my Substack about the importance of doing nothing,
Especially this time of year where I am is getting into summertime,
Which is a very busy but fun time,
But it can also be good to make sure we check in with ourselves and gives ourselves a break and some time to rest and just be.
So that's what we're gonna do for a little bit today together.
So you can find a comfortable position for yourself,
Just keeping a straight spine,
But whether you're seated or lying down,
Whatever feels best for your body today.
And just begin to let yourself sink in a little bit,
Feeling completely supported.
And you may choose to gently close the eyes or keep a soft,
Unfocused gaze.
And just begin to allow the muscles of the body to settle and to rest.
Inhaling and exhaling through the nose and just beginning to notice the breath and especially the exhale and just letting yourself let go of everything of your day so far.
And to help us do that,
Let's inhale through the nose and then exhale through the mouth,
Just letting everything go.
Today's meditation is about doing nothing.
Summer can be a busy time,
But how often in our daily lives do we just sit and do nothing?
We have so many distractions these days and the art of daydreaming and just seeing where our mind goes has fast become a lost art.
So today we're not going to try to calm our mind or try to empty our mind.
We're going to take a break from being productive or trying to fix or improve something about ourselves.
For right now,
Let's assume there is nothing to be done except sit and be and breathe.
How freeing is that?
Inhaling and exhaling.
That's all we need to do.
And you can choose to focus on the breath or not.
You don't have to focus on anything right now.
You can just be.
The body will do what it needs to do.
It will keep breathing.
But if you like the touch point in the anchor,
Focusing on the breath,
You can certainly do that.
Or you can notice on where you feel the body meets the floor,
The chair,
The couch,
The cushion.
So you can truly sit back and do absolutely nothing.
Inhaling and exhaling.
Just feeling the muscles begin to settle.
Maybe the mind has slowed a little bit.
If it hasn't,
That's okay.
We're always approaching,
Ideally ourselves,
Our minds,
With curiosity and compassion.
There's no need for judgment of what you might find.
Just letting it all be there.
So any suggestions I make are completely optional.
You may choose to notice where your mind wanders.
You may not want to.
You may focus on the sound of my voice or any sounds in the room or nothing at all.
Allow any sounds or the silence and the nothingness to soothe your system.
As always,
Here there's no right or wrong.
Just let your mind and body be the guide.
They know best and they know what we need to rest,
To heal,
And to thrive.
We're going to get out of the way and let it do its thing.
May allow the facial muscles to soften.
Release any tension in the jaw.
Relax the tongue.
Just allow any tension in the neck or shoulders to just melt away.
The arms and legs rest.
They work hard for us,
But right now they don't need to do anything.
Let the belly be soft and on your next inhale,
Feel the breath rise up from the lower abdomen through the ribs into the chest.
And as you exhale,
Just let everything go completely.
Notice how amazing it feels to do absolutely nothing for just a few minutes.
It's not only okay to do nothing.
Sometimes there can be guilt as if we should always be doing,
But we are human beings,
Not human doings.
And sometimes the most productive thing we can do for our mental,
Physical,
And emotional well-being is to do nothing and rest.
No extra stimuli,
Just allowing the mind to process and observe the present moment.
Notice how right now nothing is actually happening.
There might be thoughts or stories in the mind,
But they're just energy passing through.
You've given yourself such a gift to just allow yourself to be in this moment a much-deserved break.
If your mind is having any trouble with doing nothing,
That's okay.
We're just going to take a step back.
Maybe allow your thoughts to be projected onto a movie screen in front of you and just watch it.
No analysis needed,
No judgment.
The mind is doing what it knows to do,
Always doing the best it can to protect us.
That's its job.
But every job is entitled to a few breaks each day.
Doing nothing allows the mind and body to recharge.
Just as you plug your phone in when its battery is low,
This practice will help to relax yet energize you because you're allowing yourself to refuel.
Just being,
Just breathing.
If you notice any feelings or sensations,
Comfortable or uncomfortable,
Just notice them.
Ride the wave of the sensation and let it pass.
We can put aside any expectations of how you think this should feel and just notice how it does feel.
Inhaling and exhaling.
Notice if the mind has slowed.
Allowing the nothingness of this moment to soothe your nervous system.
We give our brains a lot of information each day and stimulation that it has to process and this time is allowing your mind and body to do that.
We don't need to do anything for this to happen.
We just need to rest a little bit to allow it to.
When we get a cut,
The body heals itself.
When we take mental breaks,
The brain can do the same.
Maybe taking a moment to imagine yourself doing nothing at some point each day,
Just for a few minutes,
Can make a big difference in how we feel.
Anytime you have a spare moment,
Instead of reaching for the phone or checking email,
Just take a moment to breathe and be and pause.
Give yourself a lot of credit for doing something many people would find difficult or uncomfortable.
Our bodies know how to rest and you're reminding yourself of this restorative practice right now.
As you inhale and exhale one more time,
Noticing the sense of peace and calm that you have created.
You can take your time to gently feel the surface beneath you,
Bringing your attention back to the room and your surroundings.
Maybe bringing some gentle movement to the body,
Wiggling fingers or toes and allowing the eyes to gently open,
Only when you feel ready to.
Thank you so much for doing nothing with me today.
Hope to see you again soon.
