Rest is not a reward for finishing everything.
It's a way of returning to yourself.
Take a moment and let those words settle in your heart.
Rest is not earned.
It's not something to achieve.
But something we allow ourselves to receive.
Now gently arrive here.
Finding a comfortable position either sitting or lying down.
And join me in taking a big breath in through the nose.
And as you settle,
You might start to notice that familiar pull.
Maybe the sense that there's something else you could be doing right now.
Maybe there's something waiting.
Or that this moment could be used somehow in a better way.
And just notice that.
That voice isn't new.
It's been practiced and reinforced.
And carried for far too long.
The one that tells you your value is measured in how much you do.
Take a slow breath in.
And as you exhale,
Let your body soften just a little more.
Again,
Inhale.
And exhale,
Release.
And silently say to yourself,
I am allowed to be here.
Because even when things are unfinished or your thoughts are still moving through to-do lists and chores,
Family,
Job,
There's that quiet edge of guilt that seems to linger when we take time to rest.
Now there's nothing wrong with you for feeling this.
But you do not have to follow it.
Because deep down,
There is another kind of knowing.
A quieter one.
There is an American writer,
Anne Lindberg,
Who once wrote that rest is a form of wisdom.
Your body knows and understands that it is not meant to be in motion all the time.
Your body needs space and it needs stillness.
Your mind needs quiet.
And deep down it knows that stepping back is not falling behind.
So if guilt rises,
Let's move through it.
We will not chase it.
We will not try to solve it.
We will just return to our anchor,
Which is our breath.
Allow your shoulders to drop.
Your jaw to soften.
Feel the support underneath you of the chair or the floor.
And know that nothing about this moment is wasted.
Something meaningful is happening here.
You are finding your way back to your center.
Stay here for a few breaths.
Inhale and exhale.
Breathe in restoration and breathe out expectation.
Breathe in replenishing and breathe out guilt.
Today we are allowing this moment to be enough.
Not because everything is done,
But because you are allowed to pause in the middle of it.
There is nothing that says everything must be perfectly accomplished before you are allowed to sit and to be,
To reconnect.
No matter how much our brains want us to believe that we have to finish all of our to-do list,
We can pause at any time and return to our breath.
Now bring your attention to where you feel your breath the most.
As you inhale,
Do you feel it in the back of your throat,
In your lungs as they expand,
In your belly?
And as you exhale,
Allow your body to release tension a little further and continue to breathe.
Inhale and exhale.
And when you are ready to come back,
Come back slowly.
First to the room that you are in.
Coming back slowly to your body and opening your eyes.
Thank you for joining me today.
My name is Mariette and I appreciate you being here with me.
Please leave me a rating or review and if you feel inclined,
Give me a follow and I'll see you here next time.
