Hi friends,
I'm offering you a meditation today for stillness and deep relaxation.
This meditation could be useful at any time during your day when you want to help your body relax,
But I have found it especially useful when I'm trying to sleep and when it's hard to turn my mind off and hard to let go of worry and anxiety.
So often we hold those feelings in our physical body and it's really hard to let go and relax.
So I hope you find this meditation helpful to help you find some stillness,
To help you let go a little bit.
This meditation will start with a poem by Claudia Cummins just to help you settle in.
And I'll end the meditation in silence this time so that way if you are using it to help you fall asleep and if you fall asleep during the meditation you won't hear me bringing you back.
And if you don't fall asleep I just encourage you to come back slowly by bringing gentle movement into your body and deepening your breath towards the end of the meditation as you're ready.
So like always find your comfortable spot and if you're using this to go to sleep maybe you're lying down.
Take whatever supports you need to be really comfortable and if you're sitting up that's fine too.
Just make sure that you're in a place where you're not distracted by discomfort in your physical body.
So as you find your spot close your eyes or allow your gaze to soften and just take a moment to bring your attention to the feeling and the rhythm of your own natural breath.
Not trying to change it or manipulate it in any way.
Just noticing yourself as you breathe.
Feeling the parts of your body that touch the bed or floor or chair and see if you can relax your body a little bit into that support.
Reading a poem by Claudia Cummins.
Settle into a quiet space of alert repose.
Soften,
Relax,
Let go.
Welcome the moment just as it is.
Breathe freely and easily.
Notice the world around you.
Sense the earth beneath.
Sense the sky above.
Rest in the center of life and grow still.
Soften,
Watch,
Melt.
Notice the world within you.
Sense the body's gentle rhythms.
Feel the pulse of life deep inside.
Relax more.
Cultivate calm.
Welcome peace.
When you're ready,
Settle your small self into the open arms of the universe.
Let yourself be held.
Feel,
Merge,
Let go.
Dissolve into the light of the world.
Rest in its clarity and deep presence.
I will lead you through a body scan meditation here to help your physical body to relax,
Release tension,
And come to stillness.
So continue to rest with your eyes closed,
Feeling the gentle rhythm of your own natural breath.
Invite stillness in.
Invite stillness into your body.
Invite stillness into the top of your head.
Let the top of your head become still.
Allow your face,
Your ears,
And the back of your head to become still.
Allow your neck,
Your throat,
And your collar bones to become still.
Allow your shoulders,
Your shoulder blades,
And your upper back to become still.
Allow your upper arms,
Your elbows,
And your forearms to become still.
Allow your hands,
Your palms,
And your fingertips to become still.
Allow your chest to become still.
Still but for the gentle rise and fall with each easy breath that you take.
Allow your abdomen and your middle back to become still.
Allow the low back,
The pelvis,
And the hips to become still.
Allow the thighs and the knees to become still.
Allow the calves,
The ankles,
To become still.
Allow the feet and the toes to become still.
Feel the whole body in stillness.
The only movement is the natural rise and fall of your chest and belly with breath.
See your mind.
Observe it.
How is it moving?
Is it still racing with thoughts and ideas?
Is it slow and steady?
Invite stillness in.
Watch the mind slow down,
Thoughts and ideas quiet.
See the mind become just a little more still.
It's this complete stillness of the physical body and the quietness of the mind.
The body and the mind are at peace.
Enjoy the sensation of stillness and peace.
The world spins around you,
But you are completely still.
You are like the eye in the storm.
You have this safe and still haven within your body,
This place of inner peace no matter what is happening around you.
Rest in stillness.
Rest in peace.
