Welcome to this practice.
I invite you to find a place and position of stillness,
Even closing your eyes if you feel called to do so.
Settling in here for a few moments.
Breathing in a long,
Deep breath in,
Pausing at the top,
And allowing yourself a long,
Expansive exhale.
And as you begin to settle,
I offer you these words.
I see you.
You were working so hard,
Carrying so much,
Pushing,
Striving,
Creating,
Caring,
Nurturing,
Treading water to keep afloat in some areas.
I see you.
I feel you.
I see you tending to the needs of everyone around you.
I feel your caring and nurturing energy.
And for a moment,
I invite you to give yourself permission to put all of that load down.
I invite you to direct your caring and nurturing energy towards yourself.
And for this brief moment,
Can you give yourself permission to rest?
To fully rest.
Sometimes we feel like we haven't earned rest,
Or that if we do rest,
We will forget something or miss something.
I am here to tell you that rest is not earned,
But it is essential.
All the work and worries take up less space when we are well-rested.
In our modern society,
Rest is revolutionary.
It's an act of rebellion even.
The act of rest is perhaps the most productive thing you can do.
And so for this moment,
Can you put your load down?
Can you move all the expectations others and yourself have placed you to the side for this brief moment in time?
Can you allow yourself a moment of rest?
A moment of stillness?
Of peace and calm?
Can you now allow your body to relax just perhaps 5% more in this moment?
Perhaps even savoring the sweetness of the air as it passes through your nose.
Noticing the physical sensations of inhalation and exhalation.
Using this noticing as an anchor perhaps to return to when the thoughts inevitably surface into your consciousness.
For this moment,
There is nowhere to be and nothing to do.
Breathing in peace,
Exhaling expectations.
Breathing in calm,
Exhaling the mental load.
Breathing in rest,
And exhaling anything else you might be carrying.
Again,
An invitation to ask your body to relax perhaps just another 5%.
Allowing maybe your jaw to hang a little softer.
Or your ribcage to expand a little wider with your next breath.
Allowing your abdominal wall to soften.
Asking your feet to release some of the tension they might be carrying.
Savoring this release.
Allowing your body to feel heavier,
More relaxed.
Letting the surface you might be sitting or laying on do all the work for you.
Letting it hold you up.
You're not going to fall.
An invitation to imagine yourself in a calm,
Warm body of water.
Floating face up,
Weightless as the sun shines warmly on your skin.
Savoring this feeling of weightlessness.
Perhaps a feeling of peace here,
Or calm,
Or rest.
Allowing yourself a moment here to just be.
Deep,
Nourishing breath in.
Long,
Releasing exhale.
I invite you now to take mental note of this energy,
What you might be feeling now,
And if you are having a restful experience,
Use this note as a reference.
As a feeling you can revisit when the thoughts start spinning again.
It's a place you can visit with just one deep breath when you need it.
This is a place you can visit with just one deep breath when you need it.
This place of rest is always available to you.
It can be your safe,
Restoring haven.
Taking another deep,
Nourishing breath in,
And a long,
Restful exhale.
Knowing you can always come back here,
I now invite you,
If you feel ready,
To bring your awareness back to your body.
Inviting perhaps a little wiggle to the fingers or toes,
Maybe a stretch in the neck.
Perhaps now directing your attention back into the room,
Noticing any noises or smells in your environment,
And slowly fluttering your eyes open when you feel ready.
Thank you for practicing today.
You
