This is a deep rest practice that you can use as an alternative to a nap during the day as a way to reset your nervous system and to restore your energy.
It's best to do this practice lying down but you can also do it sitting.
If you prefer to sit,
I suggest sitting upright so that your spine is relatively aligned but with your back resting against a surface so you can more fully relax.
So we'll begin this practice by closing the eyes or letting your gaze soften and your eyelids drop.
With one hand resting on your belly and the other on your chest,
I'll invite you to take some full breaths in through your nose if possible and then release that exhale through pursed lips as if you were blowing out through a straw.
Breathing in a deep inhale and then a long slow exhale completely emptying your lungs.
Continuing to breathe in this deep way at your own pace.
With each exhale allowing yourself to sink into the out-breath and let it bring your body to settle more fully into the surface beneath you.
Letting your muscles soften allowing gravity to pull you down toward the earth.
This practice of allowing your exhale to be long and slow,
Longer and slower than your inhale invites your heart rate to slow and brings your nervous system into the parasympathetic state of rest.
If it feels good to sigh or hum or make any other noise as you exhale,
Go ahead and do so.
As you breathe deeply,
Consider that just as nature has rhythms of day and night,
Seasonal cycles of growth and regeneration,
So too do our animal bodies have their own rhythms of activity and rest,
Of doing and being,
Of inhale and exhale.
When we engage in intentional practices of rest,
We are bringing our systems into balance,
Nourishing our bodies and minds and working with our biology rather than against it.
You can continue these deep breaths if it feels nourishing for your body or you can allow your breath to settle into its own natural rhythm.
Directing your awareness now to the muscles around your eyes,
Consciously allow those muscles to soften.
Allow your eyes to rest and sink back into your head,
Letting them soften and settle.
Now keeping your eyes closed,
Allow your breath to be a gentle breath.
Move your gaze to the right as if you're looking to that side of the space you are in,
Not so far that you feel strain but enough to feel the movement.
Hold here and take a full breath in.
As you breathe out in a long exhale,
Shift your eyes to the left as far as you can go without straining and hold them there as you again inhale.
Exhale and move them back to the right.
Again,
Breathe in deeply while you hold your eyes to the right.
And exhaling slowly,
Move them again to the left,
Hold and inhale.
Exhale and let your eyes relax and become still and again inviting them to sink heavy back into your head.
Now we'll move our awareness through the body.
As if we're shining a spotlight into different areas.
If it's possible,
See if you can infuse this light of your awareness with warmth,
The sort of warm light you might feel standing in the sun.
As you move this spotlight to different parts of your body,
Just be aware of sensation in that area as you move through,
Whether that's tingling or numbness,
Temperature,
Pressure,
Pulsing,
Or anything else that is present,
Including a lack of sensation.
We will move quickly,
Keeping our awareness in motion and flowing through the body.
Start by bringing your awareness to your forehead and let it rest there for a moment.
Moving to the space between your eyebrows,
The muscles around your eyes,
Your cheekbones,
Jawline,
Your tongue resting in your mouth,
Teeth,
Back of the tongue,
Back of the tongue,
Into the throat,
To your ears,
Behind the ears,
The back of your head,
Base of your skull,
To the spinal cord along the back of your neck.
The sides of your neck,
The front of your neck,
The hollow at the base of your throat between your collarbones,
Along your right collarbone to the rotator cuff of your right shoulder,
The top of your right shoulder,
Down to the back of this shoulder and your shoulder blade.
Your right upper arm to elbow,
Forearm to wrist,
The back of your hand,
The palm of your hand,
Your fingers,
Thumb,
Index,
Middle,
Ring,
Pinky.
Moving to the fingers of your left hand,
Pinky,
Ring,
Middle,
Index,
Thumb,
The palm of your left hand,
The back of this hand,
Your left wrist to forearm,
Elbow to upper arm,
Your left shoulder blade,
Back of the shoulder,
Top of the left shoulder,
Rotator cuff,
Left collarbone,
Back to the hollow at the base of your neck,
To your sternum,
The bone at the center of your chest where your ribs meet,
Your chest,
Pause for a moment,
And invite a deep breath here,
Noticing sensation inside the lungs and ribcage.
Moving the spotlight of your awareness to the solar plexus,
Belly,
Low belly,
Pelvic bone,
Moving the spotlight of your awareness to the solar plexus,
Belly,
Low belly,
Pelvic bowl.
Another deep breath here,
Bringing awareness to the space inside of your belly and the lower half of your torso.
Moving to your right side body and ribs,
Right hip,
Front of the right hip,
Circling to the back of the right hip and backside,
Down into your glute muscles,
Right sit bone,
Where your glutes meet your hamstrings,
Right sit bone,
Where your glutes meet your hamstrings,
Down the right thigh,
Right knee,
Lower leg,
Ankle,
The top of your right foot,
Bottom of your right foot,
To your toes,
Pinky toe,
Fourth toe,
Third toe,
Second toe,
Big toe.
Over to your left foot,
Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Pinky,
Pinky,
Bottom of your left foot,
Top of that foot,
Ankle,
Lower leg to knee,
Left thigh to sit bone,
Glutes,
Back of the left hip,
Around to the front of the left hip,
Side hip,
Side body,
Left side ribcage.
Now,
Move that warm spotlight of awareness to the center of your chest and just allow it to rest there for a moment.
Inviting small movements into your fingers and your toes,
Just barely engaging your muscles.
Small movements to your ankles and wrists.
The barest hint of a bend in your knees and your elbows.
A micro-lift of your legs,
Just enough to engage the muscles,
And the same with your arms.
A small shift of your hips forward.
You're welcome now to rest in this space for as long as you'd like.
When you're ready,
Keeping your gaze soft and your eyes relaxed,
Slowly allow your eyes to open and take in the colors and shapes of the space that you're in.
Move at whatever pace feels best to transition back into the world.
