Today we'll feel rest again.
We've talked about rest as relaxation.
Now we'll explore rest in terms of neutrality of sensation.
That means when we pay attention to what we can feel,
In a particular spot we may feel nothing at all.
Or maybe there's very subtle sensation there that is relatively less than elsewhere.
Common areas where this neutrality can be noticed might be the backs of the hands or the tops of the feet,
But it could be anywhere.
Remember that it doesn't have to be absolutely no sensation at all,
Just a relatively lower level of sensory activation.
Also,
If you're aware of areas in the body where you experience emotions,
And you bring your attention there and feel a relative lack of emotions,
Or what we might call emotional peace,
You can focus on that.
Let's explore this technique now.
Sit up tall and let your shoulders drop.
Let the face relax.
Take some time to just arrive here in this moment,
In this body.
You can have your eyes open or closed.
It's up to you.
Let any sights and sounds fade into the background.
Bring an awareness of the body to the foreground.
Scan the body for areas of lower activation.
Restfulness as neutrality.
When you find such an area,
Clearly acknowledge it and label it as rest.
Settle your attention on this area.
Repeat this process,
Either staying with the same neutral area or finding another.
Keep your labeling calm and neutral.
You might bring your attention to inside your body.
As long as there's no pain or discomfort inside the body,
Often it feels more neutral than on the outside of the skin.
So perhaps inside your abdomen you might notice relatively little sensory activity.
Rest your attention there,
If so.
Rest is available in the spaces of see,
Hear,
And feel.
In hear space,
Rest would be relative silence,
Lack of sound.
So it might help to think of neutral body sensation as the felt equivalent of silence.
Good.
Stay with rest.
Anytime you're distracted,
Just bring your attention back again.
It's all good.
Just part of the process.
Keep the labeling going at a steady pace if you need help staying on track.
Rest,
Rest,
Rest.
We'll bring this guided session to a close now.
Continue on if you'd like.
Know that you've just banked another five minutes of improving your concentration,
Clarity,
And equanimity.
Great job.
Take your time to come back to your day.
