Set Down The Day In Stillness

As the day comes to a close, this meditation offers a gentle opportunity to set down what has been carried, allowing the body and mind to settle into stillness. You are invited to pause, release mental activity, and soften the nervous system after the pace and demands of the day. Through simple guidance, the practice supports letting go of effort and transitioning into a quieter, more restful state.

By resting in stillness, thoughts and sensations are allowed to ease naturally without the need to analyze or resolve them. This practice encourages a sense of presence and inner calm, creating space for the day to complete itself. Over time, setting down the day in stillness may support relaxation, emotional balance, and a smoother transition into rest or sleep.

This recording comes from a live Journey You Own meditation gathering, so there are natural pauses and a quiet sense of shared practice held within it.

Transcript

Let's take a moment to notice the inhalation and the exhalation,

Filling our lungs completely and then exhaling fully.

If you choose to meditate with your eyes open,

I invite you to take a soft gaze,

Slightly lowered.

On your next breath,

Notice the feeling of the air entering your nostrils,

Becoming curious to its quality.

Is it warm or cool?

Moist?

Dry?

With your next breath,

Draw the air deeply into your nostrils so that they fill your sinuses,

Relaxing your cheeks,

Noticing any tension you might be holding in the space below your eyes.

Noticing your eyelids and your eyebrows,

Forehead and your temple region,

Releasing any tension you might be holding in your jaw,

Your mouth,

Noticing the breath as it enters your mouth and the inhalation and exhalation.

With your next breath,

Draw that same awareness deep into your throat,

Relaxing the muscles of your neck,

Coursing down to your shoulders and the attachment along your back,

Areas where we often hold a lot of tension towards the end of the day.

So breathe into this space gently,

Releasing any hold that you might have.

Draw this awareness even further down to your chest,

The rise and fall of your shoulders with each breath,

Noticing the muscles along your back and also those along your sternum.

Take a few deep breaths here,

Gently inviting your body to settle into your seat.

Now drawing your attention to your abdomen,

Your pelvis,

Taking a moment to shift the weight from one leg to the other and feel how your body is supported,

The stability of the ground,

Finding your center.

Now we bring this awareness from our core down to our extremities,

Noticing your thighs,

Your calves,

And the bones that maintain your structural dynamics as you're seated.

And releasing any tension that you might be holding in your legs,

Feeling the support of the ground against your feet,

Noticing your toes.

And taking a moment to notice your body in its entirety here,

Including your arms,

Your fingers,

Any spaces that maybe need a little attention.

Now if your eyes are open,

I invite you to close your eyes for this visualization,

To slowly bring to mind a path before you,

The edge of a woods.

It's twilight and it's dark,

But not too dark,

So there's a gentle glow.

And you're holding a lantern,

A small light that's casting enough light so that you can see a few feet ahead of you.

Slowly,

You're taking steps forward onto this path as grass and leaves below your feet,

A soft,

Gentle,

Secure path.

And as you walk,

There are spaces before you to either side of the path,

Small seats or benches,

Whatever you choose to visualize,

Where you can place your thoughts from the day.

And here I invite you to view your thoughts as a stone or a pebble that you take out of your pocket and that you place on this space.

And as you walk forward,

Notice what thoughts you're ready to let go of.

With each thought that you let go and each pebble that you place,

You notice a lightness in your step,

A weight being taken away.

And before you,

There's a clearing,

And as you walk to it,

Release yourself of all thoughts so that when you enter that clearing,

You're ready to sit with the stillness of the woods.

What weight can you release to make room for lightness?

Visualize yourself in the clearing looking up to the sky,

Surrounded by trees.

Skies full of stars shining down,

Space,

The vastness of the universe above you.

And let us take a few moments in silence to sit with that stillness.

Now I invite you to dissolve the entire visualization and rest in open awareness.

Now turn your awareness back to the breath,

Bringing yourself to the body,

Noticing the experience in this present moment,

Any physical sensations.

See if you can keep both your body and the stillness and awareness present in your mind simultaneously.

Now,

As we come to the close of our practice,

Let's take a few minutes to offer some gratitude.

This can be for any beings in your life,

Any circumstances.

What are you feeling grateful for today?

If you choose,

You can place an aspiration or intention out to the universe as well.

Close out the gratitude practice.

And then when you hear the bell,

I invite you to take a few more deep breaths before returning to our space together.