Taking Rest (No Music)

Imagine for a moment what it would feel like to relax completely, to give over to 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 can take care of itself for a spell. Includes a short passage from The Radiance Sutras translated by my teacher Lorin Roche.

Transcript

Welcome. Take some time to make yourself a place, A nest where you can totally relax. Maybe it's just a comfortable chair. Or maybe you grab a pillow, A blanket. Have you ever watched a cat or a dog spin in circles as they lay down to rest? They may seek 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. Throughout our days we swing in cycles between the need to do something, To take action, And the need to rest. Our days are full of these rhythms. Your body and your mind let you know when you need rest. I invite you right now to acknowledge and express your instinct for rest. We might start this meditation by feeling gratitude for that 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. Is there something 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 by yourself, Taking a walk, Taking a bath. What are your favorite ways to relax, To rest, To recharge? How do you follow your instinct for rest? Imagine for a moment what it would feel like to relax completely, To give over to that instinct, That instinct for resting, For nesting. 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. Right now, Do you feel tired in any way? Do you have any sensations of fatigue? 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 your ego 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. 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. Exhale 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. Publish later it is Thank you. Thank you. Let's take a moment to relax. With each exhalation you can feel that sense of releasing into gravity. With each little sensation of letting go and releasing downward, You feel the hug of the Earth. Support from that broad, Massive, Strong body beneath you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Breathing, Releasing, Relaxing. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Right here, Right now, Beneath you as support. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. The body of the planet beneath you, Out beyond the farthest horizons, The stars in the reaches of space, All arising from consciousness. Know this and dissolve in peace. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Breathing, Releasing, Relaxing, Dissolving in peace. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. The Earth supports your path of rest and healing. Its breath becoming your breath. Savor the feelings of relaxation. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself be held by the Earth. Letting yourself become aware of your heart, What you feel, What has changed. Now allow yourself to become more aware of your whole body. How you feel, What has changed. The position of your legs, Your arms, The shape of your body, The air on your skin. Then perhaps begin to allow your awareness to shift to your environment. Feel what's holding you up. A chair, The floor. Gravity is still holding you there gracefully. Allow yourself the luxury of a long awakening. Maybe you begin with some small movements. Fingers and toes. However you like to wake yourself up from a warm bed with sunlight streaming through the window. Come back with tenderness. Eventually your eyes might open if they have been closed. Let colors and shapes resolve into the objects around you. Welcome back.