04:52

Softening The Armor: Rest As Rebellion

by Kionna Howell

Type
guided
Activity
Meditation
Suitable for
Everyone

This meditation invites you to pause, breathe, and release the tension that’s been living in your body. You’ll be guided through gentle body awareness and affirmations that help you soften the armor you’ve built to survive constant pressure. In a world that glorifies doing, this practice honors being. Created for everyone, but especially grounding for neurodivergent minds and those who find it hard to slow down.

RelaxationBody AwarenessAffirmationRestNeurodivergentSelf CompassionGuided VisualizationProgressive Muscle RelaxationBody ScanAffirmation PracticeRebellion

Transcript

Hello and welcome.

Before we begin,

Take a moment to notice how your body feels right now.

Any tightness,

Tension,

Or heaviness you have been carrying.

This meditation is an invitation to slow down and soften the armor you've been holding up just to make it through the day.

In a world that constantly demands productivity,

Choosing to rest becomes a quiet form of rebellion.

Here,

You don't have to prove anything or push yourself to be more.

You can just be,

Breathing,

Resting,

Existing.

Now let's begin.

I invite you to lie down or sit in a supported position.

Close your eyes and let your body be heavy.

Take a deep breath in and a slow exhale out through the mouth.

Begin scanning your body from head to toe.

Gently tensing each area for two seconds,

Then releasing.

Forehead,

And then release.

Tensing the shoulders,

And then release.

Tensing your hands,

By balling them into fists.

Your feet,

By scrunching your toes.

As you soften,

Imagine warm light flowing through your muscles like honey.

There is nothing to prove here,

Nothing to fix.

Now what I invite you to do is to notice if there is anywhere in your body where you still notice tension.

And whenever you have that,

I invite you to tense and I want you to affirm a few things that I want to release.

So for example,

If I'm noticing tension in my hands,

I'm going to inhale and ball my hand into fist,

And affirm that my rest is sacred.

Taking that in and noticing that.

Another part of the body that you notice that is tense,

And state,

I am safe in stillness.

Noticing the tension,

And then releasing.

Noticing what it feels like to be a little bit more relaxed.

If you happen to not have any tension,

That is good.

You can still enjoy this by tensing your hands or tensing just anywhere in your body while we affirm our last affirmation.

Inhaling and tensing your area of choice,

And affirming,

I don't have to earn relaxation.

And then on your next exhale,

Release and let that go.

Breathe and let your entire system reset.

End with gratitude for this quiet act of rebellion,

Choosing peace over pressure.

You did a good job today.

Thank you for joining me,

And have a beautiful day.

Meet your Teacher

Kionna HowellPennsylvania, USA

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© 2026 Kionna Howell. All rights reserved. All copyright in this work remains with the original creator. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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