Soften & Shine

This guided practice is intended to ease and honor the transition of spring into summer, holding light. The summer solstice is a time to linger in the warmth of the sun on the longest day. The intention is to soften your mind, body and breath as your brightness shines from the inside out.

Transcript

In this guided meditation practice,

There is nothing for you to do but listen and relax every layer of your being.

This is a guided journey through time and space,

Sensation and awareness.

The intention is to ease and honor the transition of spring into summer,

Holding light.

The summer solstice is a time to soften your body and linger in the sunshine of the longest day,

Reconnecting your mind,

Body and breath through stillness and sunlight.

Close your eyes,

Soften your jaw,

Unclench your teeth,

Relax all the muscles of your face,

Release your arms down alongside your body,

Or rest your hands over your heart and low abdomen.

Tettle and sink the weight of your body into the mat,

The floor,

The earth beneath you.

Adjust yourself until you are comfortable and then welcome yourself to this space.

Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out,

Relax your whole body.

Right now you have no responsibilities,

Nowhere to go,

And nothing to do but listen to the sound of my voice.

Your mind will wander.

It is okay if you do not hear everything I say.

It is natural to flow in and out of conscious hearing.

The deepest part of you,

Your core self,

Is always listening.

There is no way to do this wrong.

Simply listen without trying too hard.

You are in a safe environment,

A protected space.

Breathe naturally and easefully.

Find stillness in your body and remain still for deep rest and relaxation.

Your mind is awake and aware in this guided meditation.

Bring your attention toward your heart center.

What is your deepest heart's desire?

Take time to create a sankalpa.

This is your wish,

An affirmation,

Or a positive statement in the present tense based on your heart's deepest longing.

It can be as simple as I am here now,

I am calm in mind and body,

I am loved and supported,

Or I am one with the universe.

Think of your sankalpa now,

Your heart's deepest longing.

State it three times silently to yourself as though it is already happening.

Let quietness descend upon your limbs and allow all of your senses to become clear and strong.

You are seeing,

Listening,

And feeling from the inside out.

Tune into who you are and what you are,

For you are more than this body,

More than the mind.

Your pure spirit,

Pure energy,

An infinite being having a human experience.

Feel the rhythm of the whole universe within you as you breathe in and breathe out.

Bring your attention to the soles of your feet.

The most grounded part of your body is floating in space,

Yet supported by your ankles,

Lower legs,

Knees,

Thighs,

Hips,

And pelvis.

Relax your feet,

Breathe into the space between your toes.

Relax both heels,

Ankles,

Inner and outer calves.

Feel the backs of the thighs soften and the kneecaps relax.

Right hip and left hip releases with your easeful breath.

Feel the pelvis connected to the spine and breathe into your low back,

Middle back,

And upper back.

Breathe out,

Relax the spine,

And surrender the weight of your body deeper and deeper into the mat,

The floor,

And the earth beneath you.

Bring attention to the palms of your hands,

Feel them open,

Receiving the energy around you.

Allow energy to extend into your wrists,

Forearms,

Elbows,

Upper arms,

Shoulders,

And upper chest.

Relax your hands,

Breathe into the space between your fingers.

Relax your wrists,

Inner forearms,

And outer forearms.

Feel the backs of your upper arms soften and the elbows relax.

Right shoulder and left shoulder releases with your easeful breath.

If you are lying down,

Consider embodying pentacle pose.

If you are sitting,

Just imagine all five points of your body.

Crown of head,

Right arm,

Left arm,

Right leg,

And left leg.

To move into pentacle pose,

Slowly bend your knees,

Press your feet into the earth,

And move your legs away from the centerline of your body.

Extend your legs away from your pelvis and relax all the muscles in your lower body.

Reach your arms up overhead while breathing in deeply.

Exhale your arms down,

Further away from the sides of your body,

Palms facing down.

Relax all the muscles of your upper body.

Exhale or starfish is a pose of expansion,

Reaching out from within and feeling out into the space around you.

Now think about the qualities of a starfish,

The sea star,

A star-shaped echinoderm belonging to the class asteroidia.

It lives in the seabed of all the world's oceans,

From the warm tropic climate to the frigid waters of the arctic pole.

Like the sea star,

We have a center spine from which our extremities expand outward from.

The body wall consists of an epidermis and a dermis of connective tissue,

Much like our own skin.

The starfish also has regenerative qualities.

Now we may not have the ability to regrow our appendages,

But our bodies do have regenerative cells,

Specifically seen in the regrowth of our skin,

Hair,

And nails,

But also in the tissue of our liver and lungs.

Our amazing external layer of skin is the largest organ of the body,

And like the starfish,

It is sensitive to touch,

Light,

Temperature,

And the ability to orient oneself within our environment wherever we are without the use of sight or sound.

Human beings like the echinoderms are adaptable and resilient.

Think your weight down and breathe into the energy of the starfish.

Bring your awareness toward the base of your spine,

Where the pelvis supports the extension of the legs.

This is the root of your body,

Your grounded space of safety,

Your connection to home,

Earth,

Food,

Water,

And all that cares for you.

Breathe here and feel a sense of security,

Knowing all you have and all you are is here now.

Breathe into the area just below your navel,

The place of watery connections,

Release,

Relationships,

And creativity.

Feel sensations in your body and acknowledge emotions washing over you,

Fluid and flowing.

Sensations and emotions are in various states of transition.

Feel them,

Acknowledge them,

And then let them go.

Bring awareness into the area just above your navel,

The solar plexus,

The sun center of your body.

It is a complex network of nerves that come together and communicate important information to the rest of your body.

Fiery,

Warm,

Bright,

And powerful.

This is your place of confidence,

Strength,

And shine.

Breathing deeply,

Feel the rise of the upper chest meet your breath.

Hold the breath inside your body.

Allow the image of the summer solstice,

The sun standing still,

To stay in your body as you exhale long and slow.

Feel the movement of air in your body as you inhale and exhale.

At the center of your heart space,

Return to your heart's deepest longing.

Remember your sankalpa and state it three times silently to yourself.

Allow your sankalpa to be a silent wish of verbal expression and communication to your inner body.

Words can form thoughts that form vibrational sounds that are felt by your whole body.

Your voice is your power.

Speak clearly and express your heart's deepest longing to yourself and to the world.

Soften the space at the center of your forehead and feel as though someone is gently placing their hands on your forehead,

Erasing any noisy thoughts,

Future agendas,

Or to-do lists.

Imagine comforting hands under the back of your head,

Cradling,

Holding,

And supporting you in this moment.

Trust your inner wisdom,

Your intuition,

And the ability you have to guide your own healing.

Extend your awareness to the crown of your head and surrender into this moment of holding light in your body.

The sun is standing still,

Sending warm,

Healing light from the top of your head to the palms of your hands and to the soles of your feet.

Begin to notice your natural breath as it moves through you.

Feel its gentle rhythm and pace.

Enjoy the expansive quality of inhale followed by exhale.

Your whole body is complete and balanced.

We are now completing this relaxation practice.

If you are drifting off into sleep and intend to continue your slumber,

Rest now and feel deep peace in your mind,

Body,

And heart.

If you are reawakening,

Slowly begin to move your fingers and toes.

Circle out your wrists and ankles.

Bend into elbows,

Knees,

And stretch out through hips and shoulders.

And through the crown of your head,

Your spine,

Arms,

And legs,

Remembering the qualities of the adaptable and resilient starfish.

Keep the energy of the starfish with you as you draw a deeper breath into your upper chest and low belly.

Roll over onto one side of the body and pause.

The warmth of the sun and longer days are a reminder to find balance in work and rest.

Remember you are a child of the universe who wants to play,

Run,

And be free.

Feel the energy of summer in your life soften and relax your whole body.

Know that rest gives you the strength you need to shine,

Your inner light from the inside out,

Even when the days are rainy or cloudy.

When you feel ready,

Press up to a seated position,

Root down through the pelvis,

Uplift through your strong spine,

Shine heartlight into the world,

And thank yourself for your practice.

You you

Reviews

lovely healing meditation for solstice thank you