Today's world can often feel so fast-paced,
With so much complexity and so many demands,
Many of us feel rushed,
Stressed,
Overwhelmed,
Overstimulated,
And that we can barely keep up.
It feels more important than ever to take time to slow down,
Rest,
And come back to balance regularly to maintain a calm,
Present,
Grounded,
And loving state of being.
Oftentimes,
The best way to move forward is to take a step back,
Slow down,
And come back to balance.
From a balanced state of being,
We can often gain perspective,
And instead of acting out of grasping,
Lack,
And reactivity,
We can come from a deeper place of love and wisdom.
By taking time out of your day to listen to a guided meditation,
You've already taken the hardest step,
Which is to slow down.
I honor you for that,
It's not easy.
So let's rest back to balance together so we can bring a calm and loving way of being into our day,
For our benefit and all those we connect with.
Let's start with a few deep breaths,
Slow,
Deep breath in through the nose,
Holding for a moment,
And exhaling with an audible sigh.
Try that a few times.
With each inhale,
Invite a sense of peace and calm.
With each exhale,
Relax the body and release any tension.
One of the best ways to come back to balance is to rest in being,
That is to be in a state of non-resistance,
Non-attachment,
Just being with the moment as it is.
To guide you into a felt sense of this restful,
Peaceful,
Restorative,
Rejuvenating way of being,
I'll offer some simple phrases and techniques.
Because each of us is unique,
Some may resonate,
Some may not.
For this meditation,
Try to notice which ones resonate with you,
Which ones bring a sense of calm and equanimity,
And just let go of the rest.
Bring your attention back behind your eyes,
To the middle of your head,
Back and down.
Visualize some small suction cups representing your attention,
Attached to your dark visual field,
Representing your entire field of experience,
Thoughts,
Sounds,
Sensations.
Imagine these suction cups gently detaching from that dark surface,
Representing your attention zooming out,
Creating more space between you and any phenomena that may arise in your experience.
Now,
Just rest.
There's nothing you need to do right now.
Nowhere you need to go.
Just rest.
Rest in being.
Just relax.
Relax into being.
You've done a lot.
You do a lot.
Now is the time to just be.
There's no technique to follow.
Let go of the idea that you're even meditating.
You're just being.
It's okay just to be.
It's enough just to be.
Just resting.
Let everything be as it is.
Allow everything to be as it is.
Everything is okay right now.
Everything is perfectly okay.
Just rest.
Enjoy resting.
Just being.
You do all day.
Now is your time just to be.
You are a human being,
Not a human doing.
Just be where you are,
As you are,
Here,
Now.
Just being.
Visualize laying down your sword.
Just resting.
It's like the feeling of lying down to rest in bed.
Not trying to go to sleep,
But just to rest.
To rest your body and your mind.
Your body works hard for you all day.
Your mind works hard for you all day.
They deserve to rest.
You deserve to rest.
Release all control over your attention.
Let awareness be free to move as it wants.
We're not trying to get anywhere right now.
Not trying to accomplish anything.
Not even to heal anything or improve anything.
Just take a break.
Take a break.
Be like a robot that is just powered down.
Just rest.
Completely relax your entire body.
Your face,
Your shoulders,
Your arms.
Be so relaxed that if someone were to pick up your arms,
They would just immediately flop down like a rag doll.
Depending on where you were when you started,
It takes some time to relax.
Just be patient.
Give your body and mind time to gradually ease and to rest and calm.
If anything arises in awareness,
Thoughts,
Sensations,
Breath,
That's okay.
No need to give them any attention right now.
Be indifferent to whatever arises.
Just completely letting go.
No effort.
No meditating even.
It's like the feeling of ahh.
Like the feeling of melting into a hot spring.
Or having your feet up and your hands behind your head.
Just being.
Just resting.
Rest.
Rest.
Resting.
Just resting.
Resting.
Resting and being.
Just being.
Just being.
Just being.
Allow everything to be as it is.
Allow everything to be as it is.
Let go.
Let go.
Release all control over your awareness.
Release all control over your awareness.
Let your awareness be spacious.
Take a break.
Take a break.
Just be.
Just be.
Now we'll give you a few minutes in silence.
If you'd like,
You can try repeating one of the simple phrases I used,
Like a mantra,
To deepen into being.
Or just rest in silence.
Whatever helps you rest in being.
Gently wrapping up our practice.
Thank yourself for taking the time to rest and just be.
Your body thanks you.
Your mind thanks you.
Resting and being can be relaxing,
Restorative,
And rejuvenating.
But it's also an expression of peace,
Which is an expression of love.
Many of us feel the most loved when someone is able to just be with us,
As we are,
However we are in that moment.
Not trying to fix us,
But just accepting us.
To me,
That's the essence of this meditation.
We're learning to simply be,
To let go of control,
And express love to our experience by being with it exactly as it is,
However it is.
And from this balanced,
Unattached,
Calm place,
We can respond more wisely,
With more clarity,
Ease,
And perspective.
If you feel called,
Choose one moment in your daily routine where you can take a one-minute break to repeat one of the phrases that helped you rest.
It could be when you're sitting in the car before you drive,
Before leaving your bedroom in the morning,
Before you start working on the computer,
Or before starting a meal.
If that feels like too much,
Even one deep inhale,
And ahhh,
Can make such a difference in our mental state.
Meditation is so much more powerful when we take it off the cushion and integrate it into our daily lives.
So I encourage you to gradually build these touch points of being into your daily routine until resting just becomes your default state.
Thank you for being with me today.
Feel free to come back to this meditation anytime you need to rest back to balance.
Wishing you balance,
Peace,
And calm,
Equanimity,
Perspective,
And love.
