Consider this your invitation to rest.
To give your body the relaxation that it needs in order to heal or simply to function.
To give your mind pause from the thoughts and to-do's that swirl around and around.
To rest your soul and allow yourself to just be.
Chronic illnesses,
Particularly invisible ones,
Are often misunderstood by those around us which can make us feel like we aren't given enough space to rest and recover from the tiring business of life.
But right now we are going to spend five minutes together relaxing,
Finding calm and honoring our amazing bodies.
Even though we are struggling we still have life within us and that means our hearts are beating,
Our lungs are breathing and we deserve rest.
We don't have to be perfect to be amazing and we can be amazing lying down with our eyes closed.
So join me now and we'll have a quick rest and then at the end you can see if you feel like taking a nice long nap.
Make sure you won't be interrupted for the next few minutes.
Lie down or get yourself super comfy in a chair and take some deep breaths and sigh them out.
If you're alone feel free to sigh loudly.
You can shake out your hands,
Gently roll your head from side to side and be present in your body.
Until I got sick I always struggled with feeling guilty about resting during the day.
I felt I always had to be productive and never ever lazy.
Now I realize that this is an unhelpful and unhealthy attitude to have.
We should feel empowered to listen to what our physical selves need and be comfortable resting when needed.
Even if there's a little voice inside saying we haven't earned the rest.
We are going to politely yet firmly tell that voice to pipe down and we are going to become aware of our breathing.
Let's work to increase the length and depth of our breath which tells our body and mind that it's time to rest and recover.
Breathing into your belly and long slow exhale to relax.
Breathe in,
Exhale to relax.
Breathe in and exhale to relax.
I'd love for you to take a moment to revel in the deliciousness of rest,
Of comfort,
Of ease.
Feel proud that you've taken this time and prioritized your health over everything else.
It's your most important job to take glorious care of your wonderful self.
Let's drift off for a few moments.
As we are coming to the end of our time together you can have a think about whether you've had enough resting time or if it's time to turn off your phone and have a proper nap.
Or maybe watch a movie,
Listen to music,
Watch clouds.
Whatever it is you do next be happy with it and put yourself first.
It's truly the best thing you can do for all the people who rely on you.
If you're not rested and resilient then you'll struggle to help them effectively.
Thank you for spending this time with me engaging in the important work of resting.
