Starting to let all of those energies that our minds generate begin to settle down.
So this quote by the poet Morgan Harper Nichols goes like this,
You are worth the quiet moment.
You are worth the deeper breath.
You are worth the time it takes to slow down,
Be still and rest.
You are worth the quiet moment,
The deeper breath.
You are worth the time it takes to slow down,
Be still and rest.
And that message is really important because that inner critic,
That critical voice would tell us that we're not worthy,
That we're not enough but it's not true.
And we're going to take some time together this evening to really sink into the truth,
What is true,
What are we,
When we give that critical voice space to be here as well because pushing it away doesn't work.
But to really meet that sense of unworthiness,
Not enoughness and to hold it in the compassion of our deeper being and to really feel whatever is underneath those negative ideas.
To really be here for those feelings but with no agenda,
No agenda,
Just to let them be met.
And so let's just breathe together friends and let's remember the truth.
So maybe placing one hand over your heart and the other hand over your abdomen and as you take a really slow and really deep breath right down into your belly.
Remember that you are worthy of this deeper breath and let that breath go wide into your chest and then let your body go.
And in your own time as you lie here quietly and as you begin to release all that is that is untrue,
All that holds you back and keeps you stuck,
Really take the time,
Take the time that you are worthy of to slow down and just breathe.
And with every exhalation just your willingness is enough to let go of it all.
Letting go of all these stories,
All the stories of the world,
The stories of your own life melting away and feel your breath,
Feel your breath going into that hand on your belly.
Feel the breath flowing into that hand on your heart and as you receive that deeper breath acknowledging the truth that you are enough,
That you are enough,
That you've done enough today and as you breathe out coming home to the very simple,
The welcoming,
The completely effortless space of just being where that critical voice is seen for what it is,
Just a part of us that has bought into the idea of separation in a bid to keep us safe,
To protect us.
And so let that one come home to the truth,
To the wholeness of who you are.
Take as many of those slow and deep breaths as this body needs to feel that safety,
To feel that sense of coming home to the truth of yourself and complete acceptance.
And then whenever you're ready just let your breath be completely natural so that you don't need to make any effort even to breathe but see if you can stay with the feeling of your breath as it moves,
As your body is breathed.
Noticing the very subtle sensation in the inner passageways of your nostrils,
The whisper of breath on the upper lip allowing your whole body to soften.
Really getting a sense of the ground that is holding this body and completely abandoning the weight of your whole body to that support.
And any time your mind wanders,
Absolutely no judgment,
Just keep coming back to now,
Hear,
Breath,
Body,
Sounds,
The sound of this voice and the pauses between all these objects of awareness.
The momentary pause between each breath,
Just noticing the space between the words,
Just noticing the feeling where your body makes contact with the surface beneath.
The immediate sensation where you notice that contact turned the body over to the healing balm of that space of just being.
Like life's greatest solvent,
But just by you being here and by holding this space together with the intention of knowing what is true,
What is untrue and ready to be seen and arise and dissolve in the solvent of our shared presence.
And I invite you to really welcome and feel your body and to let your body soften perhaps a little more to feel where your head meets the pillow.
And to completely give up the weight of the head,
The brain to that support.
Don't even try to control your mind and rest assured that there's absolutely nothing right now to do or to get or to achieve.
We're not looking for any particular feeling or state.
We're dropping deeper than that and let's take a journey around the body acknowledging each part and allowing it to rest.
Feeling both arms,
Both arms,
Just the feeling,
Completely abandoning the weight,
The simple sensation back of arms,
Back of arms,
The direct feeling.
Hands,
Both hands together.
How do you know right now in this very moment that hands are present?
Receiving the direct feeling.
Hands,
Palms of hands,
The aliveness,
Not thinking about the hands but feeling them directly.
Thumbs,
Second fingers,
Third,
Fourth,
Little fingers,
Both arms alive with sensation.
Right shoulder blade,
Left shoulder blade,
Both shoulders sinking down,
The right side of the chest,
The left side of the chest.
The very gentle movement of your lungs,
Your ribcage and your abdomen as your body breathes.
The beating of your heart,
This faithful heart beating,
Pulsating,
The upper back,
The mid back,
The lower back,
The right buttock,
Left buttock,
Right hip,
Left hip.
Both legs together,
Legs giving up their weight,
Thighs,
Knees,
Shins,
Calves,
Ankles,
Heels,
Soles of feet.
See if you can be here fully right now in this moment for the direct feeling.
Soles of feet,
Big toes,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
Little toes,
The whole spine,
Tailbone softening down,
Plugging into the earth.
The neck,
Base of the skull,
Back of the head,
Scalp softening,
Forehead releasing and letting go.
Right eyebrow,
Left eyebrow,
Space between eyebrows softening open,
The eyes giving up their weight,
Nestling back,
Supported by each socket.
The eyes energetically dropping even deeper,
The space behind,
Eyes softening,
Expanding,
A softening of the whole face,
Whole face.
The skin,
Right cheek,
Left cheek,
Nose,
Tip of nose,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
The plane of contact between the lips.
Just the sensation,
The plane of contact between upper eyelids and lower eyelids,
Just the feeling,
The plane of contact between the lips.
Tongue resting in the mouth,
Throat softening,
Jaw loosening,
The whole body,
Whole body giving up its grip,
Any clenching,
Bracing and holding.
And so beloved friends,
Let's just rest here together now in the stillness of just being.
A whenus ever present to return to any time you leave.
Just being.
You are safe.
You are home.
Here in the simple remembering of your own being,
Feeling the whole body,
Whole body,
Light,
Whole body,
Alive.
Waves of vibration as we hold every cell of this body in awareness and we feel its aliveness.
Feeling where your body meets the ground,
The surface beneath.
Mother Earth rising up to meet this body,
Mother Earth whispering in your ear to take a deeper breath and reminding you that you are worthy of this deeper breath.
And to let yourself receive that nourishment,
Taking your time,
Slowing your breath right down.
You are worth the time it takes to slow down,
Feeling the movement of your breath.
No need to force or grasp,
Just let your body open a little more to receive that deeper breath.
And every exhalation an opportunity to dive a little deeper into the truth of who and what you are.
Feel the sensation in the palms,
The pulsation of your heart as it beats.
And as you lie here quietly,
Breathing,
Slowing down and resting,
Abiding in the realm of just being,
Call forward what it is that your heart longs for.
What it is that really matters to you.
Perhaps seeing what doesn't matter but what's important to you.
And let's spend a few moments silently asking for whatever help you might need.
As human beings we are constantly challenged.
So right now asking for whatever help you might need and trusting that that help will come.
And then let's spend some precious moments together acknowledging what we're grateful for.
What are you grateful for?
Who are you grateful for?
Really get a sense of this gratitude in every cell of your body.
We are so lucky that we have the time and space,
Pause,
To come together and to inquire what's true.
And we are incredibly lucky that we have the awareness to question that critical,
Often so negative voice.
How lucky we are that we have the awareness to question it,
To come out of identification with it and to remind ourselves of what we are before that.
Thank you for your presence,
Your sincerity,
Your commitment to this community where we come together and remember what's true.
And it's such a powerful space that we create together.
A space where we consciously step outside of all the negativity that is generated by our own minds.
To consciously pause and to bathe in the truth of your wholeness,
Completeness.
So check in with your body.
What does your body need now?
Let your body move if it's ready but really take your time being really anchored now here in your ground of being.
Going really gently,
Being really kind to yourself,
Keeping your breath slow and low.
Keep unhooking from thoughts that aren't true.
Keep remembering that not all thought is true and that that's not who you are.
So dear friends,
Thank you for showing up and spending this time together.
Sending you loads and loads of love.
I hope you have a restful week and a peaceful sleep this evening.
