If you've just finished work,
Or you're still carrying it within your body,
Then I'm so glad that you're here today.
Sometimes the workday ends,
But the mind doesn't.
Emails may replay,
Conversations echo,
Things that you forgot,
Or things you wish that you'd said differently.
And underneath that,
Maybe there's some anxiety,
Or exhaustion,
Or maybe even a quiet voice that says,
I should be better than this.
But before we go any further,
Let me gently say that you are not your productivity.
You are not your output.
You are not your mistakes,
And you are not the pace of your inbox.
Let's begin by arriving here today and settling into our meditation.
Find that comfortable position that feels good for you,
Whether you're seated,
Lying on your yoga mat,
Or perhaps lying on your bed.
Maybe you're on public transport on your way home and you're commuting back.
If it feels comfortable and safe for you to do so,
I invite you to gently close your eyes,
Or you may prefer to soften your gaze to an object in the room that you're in.
Bring your awareness and notice where your body is supported,
Supported by the chair or your bed or the ground beneath you,
The floor holding your feet,
The surface behind your back.
You have done enough for today.
Allow yourself to take a slow breath in through your nose and a longer breath out through your mouth.
Let's do that again.
A deep but gentle breath in through your nose and a longer breath out through your mouth.
Allow your breath to come back to its natural rhythm,
Not forcing anything,
But just allowing your breath how it wants to be.
When we've been in work mode,
Especially under pressure or stress,
The nervous system could stay in a kind of alert state,
Even if we're working from home,
Even if the laptop is closed,
And we're not going to force relaxation here,
But we're going to gently signal safety to our bodies.
I'd like you to bring your attention and awareness to the top of your head,
Moving your attention down to your forehead,
Allowing your foreheads to soften,
Moving your awareness to your eyes.
And if you have your eyes closed,
Just make sure that they're not squeezed shut,
Moving your attention down,
Moving it to your jaw.
Let your tongue come away from the roof of your mouth,
Allow your jaw to soften.
When we can hold so much tension in our jaws,
Moving awareness down your neck to your shoulders.
And if you're seated,
Allow gravity to do its job and let your shoulders come away from your ears.
If you're lying down,
Allow your shoulders to sink into the ground or the bed beneath you.
Let them be held and let the ground take the weight of your shoulders.
Moving your focus to your chest,
To your heart space.
If it feels good for you,
I invite you to place one hand over your heart to feel the warmth of your touch and allowing your hand to come back down again.
Moving your attention down your arms to your hands and just making sure that your arms and hands are in a comfortable position.
Perhaps your arms are either side with your palms raised towards the sky.
Moving your attention to your belly,
Allow your belly to soften,
Not holding onto any breath here.
Allow your back to sink into the ground beneath you.
Moving your attention past your hips into your legs,
Allow your legs to become heavy.
Allow the ground to take their weight,
Allow your feet to soften,
Let them fall how they want to.
You don't need to hold anything right now.
Take another slow,
Gentle breath in through your nose and if you feel comfortable,
Exhaling through your mouth with a gentle sigh,
Helping to release any tension that you may be feeling.
We'll do one more of these gentle breaths in through your nose and as you exhale,
Imagine the day gently sliding away,
Falling away,
Not erasing it and not denying it,
It's just no longer clinging to you.
If thoughts arise about tomorrow,
Your next work day,
About unfinished tasks,
Then that's completely okay and instead of engaging with them,
Inwardly and gently say,
Not now,
For your work can wait until the next work day,
Right now is for you.
If part of you feels not good enough,
If you're replaying something you could've handled better,
Then just notice that voice and instead of arguing with it,
Try saying,
I was doing the best I could with what I had,
Even if you don't fully believe it right now.
Just let the words land softly,
After all,
We are all human,
You are human.
You get tired,
You get overwhelmed,
You can doubt yourself,
We're all learning every day and that does not make you incapable,
It makes you alive,
It makes you human.
Now,
I'd like you to imagine a gentle boundary between your work day and your evening.
You may wish to think of it as a soft line.
On one side of the line,
There are responsibilities,
Tasks and expectations from your work and on the other side of the line is your body,
Your mind,
Your breath and your life beyond work.
Picture yourself stepping fully into this last side.
Work stays there on the other side and you are here on this side,
Your life beyond work.
Whether you're heading into a busy evening or into a quieter one,
Whether there are people depending on you,
If you're returning to your own space,
The transition out of work still matters and you deserve to enter your evening,
Whatever it holds,
With a steadier nervous system.
Let's lengthen our exhales again.
Breathing in through your nose for four and out for six,
Allowing your body to settle,
Bringing your breath back to its natural rhythm.
You don't need to solve anything this evening.
You do not need to perfect yourself before you go to sleep.
You do not need to prove anything right now.
Notice the surface beneath you again.
It's solid,
It's steady and here you are supported.
Let's stay here for a few quiet breaths.
As we begin to gently close our meditation,
I invite you to gently ask yourself,
What would a kind evening look like for me?
Maybe for you it's a slower pace.
Maybe it's an earlier night of sleep.
Maybe it's reaching out to someone,
A loved one,
A friend.
Maybe it's simply not criticising yourself and you don't need to change everything.
But just one small act of care for yourself.
When you feel ready and it feels comfortable for you in your own time,
Let's bring some gentle movement back to our bodies.
Gently wiggling your fingers and your toes.
Perhaps you'd like to gently move your head side to side for that gentle neck stretch.
If you've had your eyes closed,
When you feel comfortable,
Gently flutter them open.
Or if you've had your gaze softened,
Bring your attention and awareness back to the room that you're in.
And I'd love for you to carry this with you throughout the rest of your day.
That your work day is over.
That you are allowed to rest and that you are more than enough.
Thank you so much for meditating with me and I hope you have a wonderful evening ahead.
