Welcome to this healing meditation for rest or for sleep that will help us to connect with Spirit.
Regardless of your religious beliefs,
We all have a connection to something larger than us.
Perhaps it's nature,
Perhaps it's the land,
Each other,
Our own bodies.
Whatever that connection looks or feels like to you,
We will connect to it,
Breathe into it,
And rest in its pocket.
Take a few moments to get comfortable.
Arrange your body in seated or lying down.
Place a scarf over your eyes if you like.
Take a few deep breaths to settle in space.
When we're missing our connection to Spirit,
It's often because we are feeling lonely,
Lost,
Confused,
Or disconnected in some other way.
Finding our way back to the numinous and the universal can comfort our bodies and souls,
Allowing us an experience of rest and recovery.
Do your best to give yourself permission to rest and relax,
To take this time to simply be with yourself,
With your own spirit,
And the universal energies that hold us all.
You may or may not fall asleep.
Either is fine.
Your subconscious mind will be doing the work of connecting,
Whether you're conscious or not.
Now,
Begin to notice the earth beneath your body,
This ever-present earth,
Which is so much older than you and me.
Take a moment to honor and acknowledge this land and the people who were here before you.
When you know the names of the traditional peoples of this land,
Take a moment to remember them,
To say them in your mind.
Allow your body to sink into this loving,
Present earth.
Feel the way it rises up to meet your body,
Holding you up so that you don't have to.
Notice that it's okay to relax your shoulders.
It's okay to relax your jaw.
You are safe enough to relax your belly,
To allow your breath to begin to soften and slow down.
Feel the heaviness of your legs,
The softness of your feet,
The muscles of your back beginning to let go,
Your jaw,
Your tongue in your mouth,
The space around your eyes,
Between your eyebrows,
Your head heavy,
Your brain beginning to slow down,
To let go of the stuff of the day,
Shifting into a slower,
Lower wavelength,
Preparing for rest,
For sleep,
For connection to something bigger and much older than you.
Imagine that you are nestling into a furrow of earth,
Held as if in the palm of the hand of spirit.
Feel the heartbeat of the earth below you,
Slow and steady,
Alive and breathing.
You are connected to everything that exists,
To every sprout of every seed nestled in the earth beside you,
To the wind whistling and playing above you,
To the heat of the fires that warm our hearths and energize our bodies,
To the water that flows through our rivers,
Our oceans,
And our blood.
You are a child of the earth.
You are loved for exactly who you are.
You are a part of the ground,
The trees,
The fruits,
The flowers,
Even the stars.
You have never been forgotten.
You have always been loved.
You are never alone.
Spirit is with you.
What does it look like?
Perhaps it's a person,
A deity,
A god or a goddess,
An old friend or ancestor.
Perhaps it's the ocean,
The wind,
A flame flickering wildly in recognition.
An energy that loves you,
Has always loved you,
Will always love you,
No matter how many mistakes you make,
No matter how alone you feel.
Rest in the presence of spirit.
Feel your connection to everything.
You have always been connected.
You were one before you were born.
You will be one again when you die.
Life is a short gift where it's easy to forget our connection.
A short gift where connecting to others is a choice,
A fleeting moment,
A birthright we can forget when we're alone for a while,
When we feel abandoned or lost,
Or when we abandon ourselves with harsh words,
Judgments or cruel actions,
Mistreating our bodies or other people.
We are forgiven.
We will always be forgiven for our mistakes.
We will always be invited back to connection,
Back to love,
Back to spirit,
Which is eternal,
And so much bigger and older than our small everyday problems.
Here,
In the palm of the hand of your beloved,
You are safe.
You are loved.
You are seen for exactly who you are and accepted for the huge range of things that you are.
You can rest here in the furrow of earth by the fire,
The water in your body flowing like the great oceans.
Rest,
Knowing that spirit can never be far because you are already spirit.
You are a part of the great everything.
Love is always available.
Allow yourself to rest.
Remain here as long as you would like.
Continue to rest in this furrow of earth,
Allowing yourself to drift off into sleep and dreams.
If you feel that this meditation is complete for you,
That your rest is complete,
That you feel restored,
You may begin to gently move your body,
Deepen your breath,
And draw yourself out of this meditation,
Knowing that this connection is always here,
Always true,
That this connection is always here,
Always true,
That you are safe in the palm of the hand of spirit,
That you are always loved.
Thank you for listening.
