Hello and welcome.
My name is Lee Anderson and I'm very excited,
Honored to guide you into the practice of deliberate stillness.
There is so much movement in life,
Even in our sleep.
But yoga and meditation provides the perfect antidote for the simple act of lying down and being still.
So as you do this,
Recline back,
Lay into a shavasana posture.
You'll start to notice that this really is just the beginning.
As you rest from all the gross body movements,
All the action,
Gives you a chance to pay attention to your inner energies.
And you notice that nothing is really still.
There's still the rise and the fall of the chest and the belly as you breathe.
There is still your heart beating,
Blood flowing through your veins and maybe even gurgling noises from your tummy and the organs involved with digestion.
And then there is the mind jumping from thought to thought,
From past to future,
Constantly resisting stillness.
So it would be fair to wonder,
Is relaxation even possible?
And you'll be happy because it is.
So even though the supports help relieve our muscles and bones of their roles,
As you lay the body still,
Your nervous system starts to send and receive fewer messages and the pathways become quieter.
The layers of tension begin to melt away and you can practice being present in this partial stillness to what is happening in your body and mind in each new moment.
So to be here now in this moment,
Invite in a deep full breath and then release out a loud sigh.
You can swallow and relax your jaw.
Soften your eyelids and let your cheeks fall hollow and loose beneath your cheekbones.
Let your arms go,
Your fingers curl and your hands fall limp.
Your legs can roll outward as your entire body feels rested and at ease and you are in complete contact with the floor or your chair or other supports.
And invite in a deeper sense of relaxation.
Notice the arms and the legs getting longer and longer and heavier.
The larger muscles in the legs and your back,
They drop away from the bones and the smaller muscles of the arms,
Neck,
These muscles too seem to fall away from the bones.
And notice how all your bones are feeling heavy and your skin feels loose and it just hangs all over your body.
Your abdominal organs just seem to nestle gently back into the body and you can savour the silence,
The stillness.
So for these next moments,
Allow yourself stillness,
Allow yourself this pause,
Just feeling into the space you have allowed for yourself in this moment,
In this moment.
And find stillness.
Feel into your steadiness in this moment as you rest,
Allowing in peace,
Calm and bliss,
Nurturing your heart and soul,
Restoring your mind and body.
Savouring stillness.
