Welcome.
This is a meditation for finding rest,
A meditation for taking rest when we need it.
I will guide you for 12 minutes or so,
And after that the music will continue,
But will gradually fade for another 20 minutes or so.
There won't be a chime or anything at the end to disturb your rest.
Just a long,
Slow fade to silence.
Take some time right now to settle in,
To make yourself a place,
A nest where you can totally relax.
Perhaps you will turn off the lights and settle in for the night,
Allowing the darkness to be a comfort.
Maybe you grab an extra pillow,
A blanket,
Perhaps a furry friend.
Have you ever watched a cat or a dog spin in circles as they lay down to rest?
They may be seeking the wind to position themselves better to sense predators.
You don't need to worry about wolves or coyotes,
But maybe there are directions or positions that you feel safer in,
That you are better able to rest in.
Take a little time now to get what you need,
To set yourself up for rest.
Take a few deep breaths and feel yourself starting to settle.
Throughout our days we swing in cycles between the need to do something,
To take action,
And the need to rest,
To do nothing.
Our days are full of these rhythms.
Our energy ebbs and flows over the course of a day.
You likely know when in your day you tend to be sprightly and industrious,
And when you need to take a break.
Both your body and your mind let you know when you need rest.
You might have feelings of lethargy and lassitude,
Or you might feel as if your brain had turned to cotton.
You might right now explore how you know you need rest.
You might check in with what you feel,
Physically,
Mentally,
Emotionally.
Where does your weariness lie?
I invite you right now to acknowledge and express your instinct for rest.
You might feel gratitude for this form of self-care,
For the times we allow ourselves to rest,
For the times we recharge our energies,
For the time we give to ourselves.
For a moment or two,
Allow your favorite ways to rest to come into your attention.
You might be heading towards sleep right now,
But there are other ways in which you take rest.
Other ways that help you to head towards rest.
What do you like to do to shift into relaxation mode,
Into rest?
Maybe it's giving yourself space and time for something you enjoy and need.
Reading a book,
Sitting quietly by yourself,
Taking a walk,
Taking a bath.
What are your favorite ways to rest,
To relax,
To recharge?
How do you follow your instinct for rest?
Even imagining the ways you use to shift into rest can help to relax you.
Imagine for a moment what it would feel like to be completely relaxed,
To give over completely to that instinct,
The instinct for resting.
Maybe your eyes would want to close.
Maybe your breath would start to slow,
Your muscles to release.
Imagine what it would feel like to regenerate your body,
To regenerate your spirit.
If we can imagine this,
We can make it so.
So let the world take care of itself for a spell.
This time is for you.
What sensations of fatigue do you feel right now?
They could be in your body.
Your legs might feel heavy,
Your shoulders tense,
But fatigue might also appear in your mind.
Are you tired from planning,
From worrying,
Just tired of thinking?
Is there fatigue in your heart?
Perhaps from giving care,
Support,
Love?
We can feel tired in many ways.
Whatever you're feeling,
Don't imagine that you need to change these sensations.
Don't let some little voice tell you that you shouldn't be feeling them,
That you should be strong.
Give yourself permission to give over to the tiredness,
However it might manifest.
You don't need to be strong.
You don't need to hold yourself up.
You don't need right now to stand tall.
It's okay that you are tired,
Tired from working,
Tired from thinking,
Tired from giving support.
This time is for you.
Let your body gently soften.
Let your muscles release.
Let these words drift over you like a warm blanket.
Let them lie on you until perhaps they sink in.
Inhale gently through your nose.
And just as gently,
Sigh that breath out of your mouth.
Feel the sensations as the breath leaves.
At the end of the exhale,
Breath surrenders to quiet.
With each exhalation,
You can feel a release into gravity,
Into softening.
With each little sensation of letting go and releasing downward,
You feel the hug of the earth.
Apart from that broad,
Massive,
Strong body beneath you.
Breathing,
Releasing,
Relaxing.
Letting yourself be held by the earth right here,
Right now.
Beneath you,
Supporting you.
The body of the planet beneath you.
Not beyond the farthest horizons,
The stars in the reaches of space.
Know this and dissolve in peace.
Breathing,
Releasing,
Relaxing,
Dissolving in peace.
Breathing,
Releasing,
Relaxing,
Dissolving in peace.
The earth supports your path of rest and healing.
Its breath is your breath.
Savor the feelings of relaxation.
Breathing,
Releasing,
Relaxing,
Dissolving in peace.
Breathing,
Releasing,
Relaxing,
Dissolving in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
Dissolve in peace.
