Melt away stress with non-sleep deep rest.
Welcome.
This is a space to let go,
To soften and to simply be.
Stress and struggle arise quite often not from what happens to us,
But from how tightly we hold on.
As we settle into this non-sleep deep rest meditation,
You'll find yourself invited to release that grip.
To allow the tension,
The weight and the noise of the day to simply melt away.
Let's begin.
Lie down somewhere comfortable.
And if there's a chance of you getting even remotely cold,
Lie under a blanket.
And now surrender.
Allowing your body to settle into the surface beneath you.
Notice the support,
The way the earth holds you completely.
There's nowhere to go and nothing to do.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
And gently exhale that breath back through the nose.
And feel the breath in the body as it moves through you,
Like a wave.
Carrying with it any tension or heaviness.
All that weighs you down.
Drifting out to sea.
Way beyond the horizon.
And let your arms rest by your sides.
Palms facing up if that feels good for you.
And if you haven't already,
Gently close the eyes and soften the muscles around them.
Feel the quiet invitation of stillness.
Now we will scan the body.
Gently bring your awareness to the crown of your head.
Imagine a warm,
Soothing light there.
Feel that light melting away any tension in your scalp.
Your forehead.
Your temples.
Let the muscles in your face relax completely.
Allow this soft light to travel down your neck.
Bringing warmth.
Releasing any tightness as it flows into your shoulders.
Feel the weight of your shoulders falling away.
As though they are sinking into the earth.
Bring your attention to your arms.
Your hands.
Your fingers.
Feel them soften in the sockets and begin to unfurl.
And run your attention along each finger,
Right to the fingertips.
And notice the sensation of letting go as the light moves through them.
Now feel the gentle expansion of your chest with each breath.
Notice the direction that the sternum moves in.
The rise and fall that occurs with the breath.
Effortlessly,
Without your interference.
Notice the lower ribs.
Moving ever so slightly out to the sides.
Expanding outwards on the in-breath.
Contracting back on the out-breath.
Allow the light to soften your heart centre.
Creating space for ease.
For peace.
For love.
And for surrender.
Let the light continue down into your belly.
Releasing any tension you might be holding there.
Feel your abdomen softening.
Spreading.
Melting.
As the light flows into your hips.
Your thighs.
And your knees.
Notice how your legs grow heavier and heavier as they surrender.
As if the ground is welcoming them.
Finally,
Let the light travel all the way to your feet.
Feel it pooling there.
A warm glow of relaxation.
The feet falling out of the ankles.
The toes falling out of the joints.
Everything letting go.
Surrendering.
More and more.
And now allow this sense of light.
Warmth.
And surrender.
To spread across the whole body.
So the body is bathed in calm.
In peace.
In weightlessness.
Yet deeply grounded.
And while you're in this receptive state of deep relaxation.
I'd like to speak a few profound truths.
When we struggle.
It is often because we are resisting life's natural flow.
But what if you didn't need to fight?
What if you left the battlefield?
What if everything you needed was already within you waiting in this stillness?
All of the peace.
The love and joy.
You so desperately seek out.
In the eyes of others.
And remember how the river gets where it needs to go.
Without struggling to push the rocks out of the way.
It simply moves around them.
With deep grace.
You too can flow.
Letting life carry you where you need to go.
It's okay to rest.
It's okay to stop holding on altogether.
This can bring up fear sometimes.
As if there's something to lose.
But when you soften,
You don't lose yourself.
You find yourself.
Now return to awareness of your breath.
Feel it moving in and out naturally.
You don't need to change it.
Just observe it as it is.
Imagine each inhale is a wave.
Rising effortlessly.
And each exhale is the wave receding,
Carrying stress away with it.
With each breath,
Feel yourself sinking deeper.
Inhaling,
Softening.
Exhaling,
Releasing.
Allow your breath to take you to a quiet place within.
A place where time feels slow.
Where you are held by something greater and there's nothing to fear.
Nothing to fix.
Nothing to do.
And can you get a sense?
Can you feel how safe?
How whole?
How complete you are?
You are enough.
Carry this knowing with you.
That no matter what struggles you face.
You will always have this place.
This sanctuary within you to return to.
And we'll bring this to a close now.
So gently bring your awareness back to the room around you.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Take a deep breath in.
And sigh it out.
Rest.
Move your toes and fingers.
Maybe stretch your arms above your head.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes.
And thank yourself for taking this time to rest.
To soften and to let go.
Remember,
True strength comes not from holding on.
But from knowing when to let go.
May your day ahead feel lighter,
Softer and more free.
