Greetings,
Insight Timer community.
My name is Lisa Reed and I am a yoga instructor.
I teach both the physical portion of yoga called asana as well as meditation.
This meditation is dedicated to deep rest.
Sometimes our meditation is what we need in order to get out of our own way,
In order to find deep rest for our body,
Mind,
And spirit.
No matter the time of day or night,
Whenever you need to rest deeply,
This meditation is here for you.
Remember that I will not bring you out of this meditation,
So if you need to,
Set an alarm for your awakening.
Let's begin by finding supreme comfort wherever you may be or however this needs to look.
This is for you at your comfort level.
Remember that this looks and feels different for all of us at all times.
You can be in whatever shape that feels like a relief.
Seated,
Lying down on your back,
Belly,
Or side,
You choose.
As you settle in,
Notice if you can become 5 or 10% more comfortable.
As you soften into the surface you're resting on,
Ask the body for permission to allow the muscles to release,
The tension to start to slip away.
Scanning the body to allow the tightness or gripping to be recognized and then to be released.
We will start from the head and move downward.
Allow your eyelids to soften and drift closed,
Checking in with the muscles in your face,
Allowing the tiny muscles around the eyes to drop all expression.
The muscles that connect the space in between the eyebrows to release and widen the space.
The jaw begins to relax and separate,
Creating a bit of space between the top and bottom jaw.
Let the tongue fall away from the roof of your mouth.
Relax your lips,
Let them soften.
Take a deep breath in and a long breath out.
Let all expression fall from the face.
Give permission to the shoulders and neck to soften.
The shoulders release from the ears or the jaw if you're lying on your belly or your side.
Fencing softness where it's calling to you,
Where it's available.
Bring attention to the heart space,
Your chest.
Notice if you feel closed off or hunched forward.
Release the tension in your shoulders and upper back so there's less pinching or rounding,
Even if you're on your side.
Uncovering hidden tension.
The space between your ribs softening,
Releasing.
The belly becomes that much more soft and tender.
Breathing the breath with joy and warmth.
Hips sink into the surface you're on,
Heavy and restful.
The seat is soft and unclenched.
Legs are supported,
Ankles and feet supremely relaxed.
You're welcome to stretch,
Readjust if need be,
Settling into this newfound softness.
Breathing into this ultimate relaxation.
Remember that you are doing the best for your body,
Mind and spirit at this very moment.
Feeling into this deep sense of peace.
Take a deep breath in through your nose or your mouth and a prolonged breath out through your nose or your mouth.
Again,
A long breath in through the nose or mouth and an even longer breath out.
One more time,
Deepest breath in and the deepest breath out.
Now coming back to your natural breath,
However that appears to you.
Breathing soft through the body,
All expression released from the face.
Listening to the sound of your own breath.
Inhales,
Exhales,
Breath in,
Breath out.
We recognize the rhythm of the ocean in our chest and belly.
Like a wave rising and falling,
So does our own belly,
Our own chest.
We come back to this natural rhythm.
We breathe in energy and out restoration.
Body breathing,
Finding balance,
Letting the attention become abstract,
Shapeless.
The natural rise and fall of the body as we release further into our rest.
The body and mind getting softer.
The spirit returning to its state of rest.
Breathing the word in,
Exhaling the word out.
Letting this rhythm guide your body into its restorative state.
When thoughts rise and fall,
Allow the breath to rise and fall with them.
Inhaling the thought in,
Exhaling the thought out.
Allow the breath to cover you like a warm blanket,
A soft sheet.
The inhale and exhale allow the body and mind to surrender further into your rest.
Breath in and breath out.
Body and mind at ease.
Breath replenished,
Resting deeply in the supreme state of comfort.
