Winter Rest (Live)

Join me for a warming and deeply relaxing journey within. Discover the invincible Summer at the core of your Being, even in the midst of Winter. Use for sleep or a deeply nurturing rest.
Recorded live on the 19th of January 2023.

Transcript

As we snuggle in to this time of true rest together, I just want you to know that you are worthy of rest. You don't have to earn or deserve it. Rest is your birthright. And this quote, This beautiful quote by the French philosopher and author Albert Camus, Who said this, In the midst of winter I found there was within me an invincible summer. And that makes me happy, For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, Within me there's something stronger, Something better, Pushing right back. In the midst of winter I found there was within me an invincible summer. And so that's the invitation this evening, Is just to be open to that within you that no matter how hard the world pushes against you or within you, That within you that is stronger, That is better, That pushes right back. So let's just be open to that, Not needing to know what that is or not needing to have an idea about that, But let's have a direct experience by getting really quiet together. Let's take a deep breath, Let's mark this openness to the invincible summer within with a really deep releasing breath. So inhaling right down into your belly, Just let your body go and then let's slow down together and let's just breathe just breathe. Really take your time. You are amongst friends, Supported, Held in our shared intention to rest and to go within. And right now dear friends all that's being asked of you is just to breathe and I invite your body to take a deeper breath, To breathe right down into your belly, Wide into your chest and then to just give the exhalation away with a lovely long and soft sigh that you're breathing away the day and all the stories of your life and the world, Breathing them away and really being here with your breath. So giving yourself fully to that simple experience, Just body breathing. Let's really take our time, So going even more slowly than you are right now, Drinking in slow, Drinking in slow, Feeling the relief as you just let your day and all the stories fall away. Be really kind and gentle to yourself, So if your mind wanders, No problem, Let that be okay. And in that precious moment that you notice, Just keep coming back, Right back to now, To here, To our togetherness, Our slowing down together. Notice the parts of your body that are naturally moving as it breathes and whenever your body has taken as many of those deep breaths as it needs to feel safe, Held and supported, Then just let your breath be natural, No need to troll it, No need to change it, Being right here for the direct feeling of your breath, Like a bridge between two worlds. Just this very simple act of breathing slowly and deeply will help you make the transition to just being the sensation in the inner passageways of your nostrils, The slightly cooler air coming in and the slightly warmer air leaving. Just noticing. Let's welcome the feeling of the body, Body, And let's really honor and take care of this body, Your constant companion in life, Always here for you, Always doing its best to be well. Let's really hold this body with kindness however it feels. Feel where your body makes contact with the surface beneath and just let the weight of your whole body fall into that support, Giving up the weight of your whole body, Giving up the weight of the head, Feeling where your head meets the pillow, No need to control your mind, That's too much effort now. The noticing will arise naturally when you leave, That's not a doing, Then you have an opportunity to keep coming back. So feeling the inside of the mouth, The fluid inside the mouth, The tongue resting, The root of the tongue softening a little so that the throat can be open and relaxed, The hinges of the jaw loosening, Just let your lower jaw surrender to gravity, Keep giving up all the layers of doing, Let yourself come up, Keep giving up everything, And let your whole face soften, The eyes softening right back, Nothing for the eyes to do, Resting back in the support of each socket, The softening of the eyebrows, The space between eyebrows resting open, The forehead smooth, And then noticing and welcoming whatever is behind the eyes, The sensation behind eyes, Let your body be free, Let these sensations be free, Like we're opening the cage, The cage of our waking life, The cage of protection and defence, The container having to hold everything in, Giving everything space, This beautiful body unravelling in a warm bath of your very presence, The brain releasing and letting go, Nothing to figure out, No meaning to be sought, Nothing needs to make sense, As we drop down through the layers of imagination and dream space, Wide open to the whole moment, Melting into the support beneath the shoulders, Softening right down, The simple experience, Whole, Just let that experience come to you, Right arm giving up the weight, The back of right arm, Just the feeling, The experience right hand, Right now in this moment, How do you know that right hand is present, Referring to the immediate feeling, Palm of right hand, Thumb, Second finger, Third, Fourth, Little finger, Pure sensation, And now welcoming the simple experience, Whole, Just handing over the weight, Whole left arm, The current sensation, Back of left, The direct feeling, Left hand, How can you tell right now left hand is present, Referring only to the immediate feeling, Left thumb, Second finger, Third, Fourth, Little finger, Both arms, Releasing and letting go, The whole up of your body, The right side of the back, The left side of the back, Spine softening, Releasing, The tailbone resting down, The chest gently moving as your body breathes, The beating of your heart, Let these sensations come to you, The abdomen, Just the softening of all of the organs and the systems of the body, Giving them all space to find their natural state of health and harmony, The hips releasing their weight, The whole right leg, Thigh, Knee, Shin, Ankle, Heel, Right foot, Toes, The sole, Right foot, Life with sensation, The whole left, Just giving up the weight, Thigh, Knee, Shin, Heel, The toes, The sole, Life with sensation, The feeling of the whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, The whole body, Invited to soften, Let your body be free, Feeling the whole body, Waves of vibration, Really tending to this body, Giving it your full presence, And as you hold a space for your body, Let your body really be here for any feelings that may be liberated in this kind space, Any feelings that feel safe, Places, And be met, Felt, Witnessed, And now, Let's give up this last bit of doing, So that right now, There's nothing to focus on, No need for concentration, It's enough just to be here, Just as you are, And let's invite the invincible summer that lies at the heart of your being, To hold you in its warmth, In its tender loving care, And so without even needing to know what that means, Just let yourself fall into the mystery of yourself, Give up any last remnants of trying, Holding, Grasping, Or resisting, And just let yourself be here, Awake and aware, Without any effort, Even if this body sleeps, You always remain that invincible summer, Ever present, So let's just rest in that warmth, In that warmth, Warmth of our shared summer within, Being deeply into that, Just being the simplicity right now, Of just being, Of that very simple return to your natural state, Who you truly are, Before body, Before mind, Just that you are, Just here, Right now, Alive, Let's feel the aliveness that's here, Being the feeling of your whole body, Body, Mass of aliveness, The pulsation as your heart beats, The touch of air on the skin, Body, The breath coming in and the breath going out, The sensation where your body meets the ground, Whatever surface is beneath, Just feeling that plane of contact where your body meets that support, The sounds and the sound of this voice, Rising and dissolving in you, A spacious, Aware, Timeless presence, And let's take a few more of those slow and deep breaths together, Again really slowing right down, Really taking your time, Deep breath in, Right down into your belly, And then exhaling with a soft sigh, Feeling the movement of your breath, Allowing your body to receive that nourishment really generously, Just giving the exhalation away, A lovely long and soft sigh, See if you can really be here, With a simple feeling of your breath, Not thinking about it, But feeling the sensation in the inner passageways of your nostrils, As your body drinks in that life-giving breath, Fresh life force energy, Body softening even more as you breathe out, And as you take these slow and deep breaths, Let's call forward a prayer for your life, It might be a prayer for your loved ones, Maybe a prayer for the world and all beings, Just as you lie here quietly, Call forward a sensible summer within you, What wants to express in this world through you, What does your heart long for, Really listening to the voice of your soul, Won't let you down, And then let's spend a few moments calling forward whatever help we might need, Asking for that help, What do you need help with right now in your life, And let's take a few moments just to really acknowledge all the blessings, Lives, And what we're grateful for, So just as we rest here together, Just take note, Note, Not just as an idea, But really feel the sensation of gratitude, A deep felt sense of whatever it is that you're grateful for, And the people that you're grateful for, Keep breathing slowly and deeply, Really nourishing your body, I really hope that in the coming days you're in touch with that invincible summer within yourself, No matter how hard the world pushes against you, Within you, That you know that there's something stronger, Something better within yourself, Pushing right back, And that's why I'm so grateful for this space where we get curious and inquire and be open to that within ourselves, Because the world is always going to push against us, Our small selves have certain expectations and wants life to go in a particular way, And then quite often life has to life has a different idea, And it just doesn't go our way, It doesn't go the way that our small selves wanted it to, And that's when the value of knowing this invincible summer within ourselves really comes in, And it's why I'm really grateful that we can find a space to open to that together, So I am truly grateful to be here with you in this moment, This precious moment spent with you, Thank you for showing up, So go easy on yourself and maybe check in with what your body needs now, What does your body need, Maybe to continue resting, But perhaps your body needs to move, And see if you can let that movement come when it's ready and naturally and slowly, This value of just slowing down, We deserve to rest, To stop and to slow down, So that we can listen to your inner guidance, So thank you friends, Thank you friends, Sending you, And even though there are many miles between us, There is no distance in our shared space of being, In our togetherness right now, So thank you, I hope that in the coming days you remember that warmth, The warmth of that invincible summer within yourself, And I hope you sleep peacefully this evening, Lots of love friends, Lots of love.

Reviews

Simply beautiful! A truly deep well of peace and much needed rest. Thank you. Namaste 🙏🏼

Thank you so much for this. I hope that everyone who listens to this is reminded of the invincible summer that lies within them. I most certainly needed to be reminded. I can't thank you enough. There is great healing in this. Love Shuman