Welcome,
You've arrived here and that in itself is enough,
There's nothing that you need to do right now,
Nowhere that you need to be,
This is your time,
A soft space just for you,
If you're feeling worn out,
Depleted or like you're holding too much,
Please know that you're not alone,
Burnout can leave us feeling disconnected from who we are and this practice is here to gently guide you back,
Not back to doing more but simply to being,
So let's begin.
Just find yourself a comfortable position,
Whatever's best for you,
Whether that's sitting or lying down and allow your body to feel supported by the ground beneath you,
Notice the support of the chair that you're in or the bed that you're lying on and take a long breath in through your nose and when you get to the top,
A long gentle breath out through your mouth,
Again a soft breath in through your nose and a soft breath out through your mouth,
Let your breathing come back to its natural rhythm,
There's no need to force or deepen your breath here,
Just notice it,
Be with it and let your breath be an anchor,
Steady,
Gentle and here,
If it's within your practice,
If you feel comfortable too,
You may wish to close your eyes gently or just soften your gaze in front of you,
Then bring your awareness to the top of your head,
Just focus your attention here and then slowly move your awareness down over your forehead,
Your eyes,
Your jaw,
Invite these areas to soften even if it's just a little,
Notice your shoulders,
See if there's any tension here and allow gravity to gently draw them down away from your ears,
Bring awareness to your hands,
Resting gently,
Not holding,
Not gripping,
Just here,
And let this softness move through the rest of your body,
Down your spine,
Into your hips,
Your legs,
Your feet,
Each part of you allowed to let go,
To pause and to rest,
If you're feeling tired,
Emotionally heavy or mentally foggy,
That's okay,
There's nothing wrong with you,
Experiencing burnout isn't a failure,
It's a signal,
A whisper that tells you that you've been carrying too much for too long,
And in this space you're allowed to set it all down,
Even just for a moment,
And let your breath be gentle company,
Let this stillness hold you,
Let your body not have to try so hard just for a few moments,
If it feels comforting you might imagine a warm soft light gently wrapping around you,
A light that says you're safe and you're allowed to pause,
Or perhaps imagine yourself lying in a quiet meadow or resting under a tree,
The earth holding you,
Nature breathing with you,
Nothing required of you here,
And please know that you are allowed to rest,
You're not lazy or being unproductive right now,
You are tired,
You are doing your best,
It's okay to slow down,
You don't need to earn your rest,
It's safe to soften and you are enough,
And as we begin to come back you may wish to gently wiggle your fingers and toes,
Just bringing some gentle movement back to your body,
Notice the space around you,
And take one last gentle but deep breath in through your nose,
And let that breath all go on your exhale,
Bringing your breath back to its natural rhythm,
And when you feel comfortable and ready to,
If you've had your eyes gently closed,
Just softly open them again,
Or if you've had your gaze softened in front of you,
Bring your awareness back to the room you're in,
And before you move on please just take a moment to thank yourself for being here,
For honoring what you may need,
For listening inward even when the world asks you to keep pushing forward,
You don't have to have it all figured out,
One gentle breath at a time and that's more than enough,
Thank you for being here with me,
And may this moment of rest carry you forward with kindness.
