Shut down the hectic day,
Quell the brain's endless chatter,
And give your body the calming relaxation it needs with a reflection that fosters awareness,
Acceptance,
Appreciation,
And the ability to revere the common daily occurrences you experience,
Your trials,
And your triumphs.
Welcome to Resting Reverence.
An all-of-life meditation designed to bring your day to a close in a way that not only helps your physical body relax,
But purposefully gives your mind the space and room it needs to wash away daily stress and anxiety,
Lending refreshment to a weary spirit,
And getting you ready to begin the next day with gratitude for what has been and hopefulness for what will come.
Let's get started.
Find a comfortable place to sit either on the floor or in a chair,
And if you're in a chair,
Uncross your legs and put both feet flat on the floor.
Sit up tall,
Your back and spine straight.
Relax the small muscles in your neck that surround your cervical vertebrae,
And feel your head relax and your spine assume a resting state.
Lift your chin up,
Look out at the world,
Not down at your feet,
And close your eyes or lower your gaze.
Relax your shoulders and let your cares roll down in a way feeling your arms soften.
Take a deep breath through your nose and exhale out of your mouth.
And again,
Inhale and exhale.
Notice the rhythm and cadence of your breath and begin to regulate your breathing evenly,
Slowing it down,
And finding a comfortable rhythm using the built-in metronome in the back of your mind to inhale to a count that fits and exhale to that same count.
Continue breathing to this rhythm as you relax and let go of stress,
Feeling tension slip away.
Any tightness around your temples and forehead dissipate.
And as you let go of a day that is done,
Purposefully pause to take a moment for yourself.
Inhale deeply,
Feeling air stream in through your nose,
Letting your breath fill you up,
And exhale slowly,
Hearing the sound of your breath leaving through parted lips,
Emptying,
Cleansing.
Again,
Inhale and exhale.
You've made it through the day,
The labor and the lightness.
It's time to rest,
To let down,
To relax and release,
Allowing yourself to drift into reverie.
You imagine hearing birdsong fade and feeling the air cool as late afternoon yields to eventide.
In your mind's eye,
You see dusky darkness hovering between the setting sun and the glow of the moon and the stars.
Twilight whispers the promise of respite,
The reward for a hard day's work.
With eyes closed,
You can listen to the beat of your own heart,
Its life-giving pulse,
And the silence of gratitude descends to tame your thoughts,
To slow down the race.
Breathing in,
Inhaling deeply,
You feel the infusion of fresh oxygen stream through your system.
Exhaling fully,
You allow yourself to relax from head to toe,
Physically releasing the day's accumulation of stress.
Visualizing nightfall,
You surrender,
Letting a wave of relief wash away anxious thoughts.
You feel your spirit rise to recapture some of the joyfulness that may have escaped,
And to remember a bit of happiness to take along with you.
And gathering the pieces of yourself into the heart of your still center,
You offer them refuge,
Gently pulling them together to find the joy spring of hope and love that lies in the prospect of every one of your days.
Now,
Bring your awareness back into the room where you are.
Feel your body sitting in its position,
And notice the rhythm of your breath,
The relaxation streaming through your muscles,
The feeling of an expansive and open mind,
And a wave of calm move through your heart.
Bring your attention back,
Your breath back.
Open your eyes or lift your gaze,
And take away this capacity to find purposeful and peaceful rest,
Aware that your daily trials and triumphs can be framed in gratefulness for what they contribute to your journey,
Confident that no matter what the day has been like,
You have been able to create a quiet moment of soulful solitude at the end of it that will help you recognize the pure essence in,
And reverence for,
All of life.
