Rest & Restore Meditation

This Ericksonian approach to meditation invites listeners to use their own unconscious to discover resources that may be lost or forgotten in their lives. This approach holds that people do not need to be fixed; they simply need to find their missing resources. A pleasant, quiet, uninterrupted space is recommended, as well as an expectation for change. Light background piano music accompanies this restorative meditation.

Transcript

Welcome to the Rest and Restore meditation.

I'm Fred Wood and my intention is to offer you relief from discomfort,

However that looks or feels for you.

It might be physical discomfort or it might be emotional discomfort or it might even be the uncomfortable feeling that something in life is missing even if you can't quite put your finger on it yet.

And this is also an opportunity to discover resources within you that might be underused or just forgotten.

So to begin,

I'd like to invite you to consider that as you listen to me,

You have two minds paying attention at this moment.

One mind listening to these words is your conscious mind and the other is your unconscious mind which is also listening to what I'm saying and much,

Much more.

So get comfortable now and close your eyes.

Take a big breath in and let any tension out as you exhale slowly.

For the next little while,

You may be more aware of some things than you were before.

The sounds in the room.

The sound of your breathing.

The sound of my voice.

The weight of your body.

Thoughts and images that drift into the mind automatically.

As with your eyes closed,

It becomes easier and easier to become more and more aware of the various things that would otherwise get overlooked or ignored.

Feelings,

Sensations,

And the alteration of awareness.

As the mind begins to experience that gradual letting go.

Letting go even of the effort it takes to be aware of other things that may seem to take too much effort to bother thinking about.

But it takes time to experience that letting go.

Your own time in your own way.

As you begin to learn even more than before about your own ability to relax.

And you may find you drift up for a moment and that's just fine.

And then the mind begins to flow down.

Down toward that place of quietness and calm awareness.

Place that seems to invite awareness down toward it.

Right into it.

More and more completely.

A place of effortless relaxation and letting go.

In a moment,

But not yet,

I'll ask you to imagine an open window.

And you can also imagine fresh,

Clean air coming in the open window.

Because you already know what a fresh warm breeze feels like.

And how it can replace old stale air.

Just like thoughts that no longer serve your best interest.

Negative thoughts you don't need anymore.

And this breeze will make room for something new.

Something wonderful that only you will understand.

Because it will come from you.

And I don't know what you'll notice.

It might be that you begin to see what opportunities are waiting for you.

Because sometimes there are benefits awaiting us that we just can't see yet.

And as you let your mind wander,

You can go deeper inside.

In whatever way is best for you.

And finding a place of comfort in you.

Somewhere in you,

You're already feeling comfortable.

When you find that place where you already feel most comfortable inside.

Just let that feeling deepen and spread.

Allow that comfort to keep spreading in an enjoyable and satisfying way.

Breathing easily and naturally.

That's right.

And as you allow the comfort to keep spreading and deepening.

You might feel the weight of your body becoming heavier.

Pleasantly heavier.

Deepening your relaxation.

And feel the comfortable heaviness.

Spread further and deeper than before.

And feel the warm,

Pleasant weight of your body.

The space your body occupies.

From your head right down to your toes.

And I invite you to bring your focus right inside to the area of your heart.

Inside your heart,

To the individual cells,

Each cell feeling that warm and pleasant comfort.

You can breathe into your heart area,

Into those cells that share the comfort.

Your entire heart area bringing in each breath and letting each breath out.

This comfort can begin to spread throughout your body.

So each cell from your heart spreading out to your organs and bones and skin.

All connected in a deep and relaxing comfort.

Cell by cell.

Organ by organ.

The communication in your body opens up,

Reaching everywhere.

And you can feel that as comfort.

And as this comfort deepens even more,

I want you to imagine you are looking out a window to a beautiful scene.

The window is open and there's a fresh and gentle breeze coming in.

You might also imagine the curtains pushed to the sides of the window swaying casually in the breeze.

Gently and slowly those curtains move as the breeze brings in fresh clean air.

In the space your body occupies with all the cells resonating together,

You might imagine yourself lying down on a bed or sitting in the most comfortable chair,

Looking at the window,

Seeing the breeze blow in.

And you can see the fresh clean air move the curtains as it effortlessly drifts in.

And as it does,

It gently moves the old air out.

The old stale air that's been around a while.

The old air that's ready to go.

Ready to be lifted up and away.

But it all happens slowly and easily because there's no hurry.

Everything takes its own time.

Just like you resting and relaxing,

Allowing your sense of comfort and ease to spread even further.

Just like the breeze as it comes in through the open window.

And the curtains move without a sound.

As you continue to go deeper and deeper.

I want you to understand consciously and unconsciously whatever it is you need to.

You can sense if anything's missing.

And you can take your time.

Just like the lazily swaying curtains moving softly unhurried,

Unrushed.

The fresh new air gently moves the old stale air away.

The breeze spreads into far off corners,

Into familiar places and into unfamiliar places.

Into forgotten places.

And it all happens in its own time.

And the curtains move slightly.

And the breeze keeps drifting in.

I want you to wonder about how wonderful your body is at healing itself.

Just idly wonder about the miraculous ability of your body to heal.

Nothing specific.

Just generally.

Remembering that you've had scrapes and falls throughout your life.

And other types of pain and hurt.

Your body has managed to heal.

And how remarkable it is that your body repairs itself so well.

And you already know that each cell in your body has the ability to repair.

And when so many cells come together,

It's no surprise about your body's ability to heal itself.

How amazingly you've healed bruises and cuts like they never even happened.

And you will continue to repair and restore.

But you can hold this idea as lightly as a feather.

Your body's amazing ability to heal.

And you can keep resting.

And just wonder about how miraculous your own body is.

Holding the idea even lighter now.

And you can discover anything that needs to be found.

I want you to consciously and unconsciously understand whatever it is you need to.

And you can take a moment,

Or a minute,

Or a few minutes.

When there's no hurry.

When there's no hurry.

When there's no hurry.

When there's no hurry.

When there's no hurry.

When there's no hurry.

When there's no hurry.

When there's no hurry.

When there's no hurry.

When there's no hurry.

When there's no hurry.

When there's no hurry.

And your unconscious has heard and understood so many more things than you have.

And your unconscious mind can very easily stop listening to me and do its own thinking.

Its own finding.

Its own healing.

Its own healing.

Its own healing.

Its own healing.

Its own healing.

Its own healing.

Its own healing.

Its own healing.

In a moment,

You can begin to bring yourself back to a waking state.

And as you do,

You can understand everything you need to in a new way.

And you can have a sense of freedom and confidence.

Coming back up easily and effortlessly,

Bringing all the resources you need with you in three,

Two,

One.

Eyes open,

Wide awake.

Reviews

Thank you for your wonderful soothing voice. I believe this right now is one of my favorite med stations so far in life.

Many thanks for the warm, calm connection.
Fred has a soothing voice and the piano component was relaxing yet refreshing.
🙏🏼🌻

Wonderful meditation. I fell asleep quickly and woke up feeling refreshed.

Very relaxing. I’m not sure I got any messages this time, but I did get to luxuriate in a peaceful state just on the wakeful side of sleep. It’s a rare state and very relaxing and perhaps just what I needed to get today. Thank you for creating this content.

Edit: I got the message, I don’t need to be on high alert. Great soothing practice. Thanks again.

Really great! Your voice, the pacing, the space to drop in without your talking, the music. One of the best I have listened to on insight timer. Thank you.