Hello,
This is Nathan.
This guided meditation is an offering for rest,
And it's offered in a spirit of solidarity and compassion for all of us who may be feeling spent or depleted or just tired.
And this is dedicated especially to those of you who want to give more of yourself in service to others,
But understand that you may need to pause and rest to be at your best.
There's a quote by Thich Nhat Hanh,
And he says,
Knowing when to rest is a deep practice.
Sometimes we try too hard in our practice,
Or we work too much without mindfulness,
And we become tired very easily.
The practice of mindfulness should not be tiring,
Rather it should be energizing.
But when we recognize that we are tired,
We should find every means possible to rest.
To take care of ourselves is to take care of our whole community.
" So to begin the meditation,
I invite you to set your intention for this practice to actually allow yourself to release and to rest.
Begin by noticing your posture.
You might choose to lay down or to be seated.
Whatever feels comfortable and allows your body to relax.
And as you find your position that allows for easy breathing,
Take a few breaths,
Exhaling a little bit slower than your inhale.
Noticing the air entering in through the nostrils,
Down into the lower belly.
You might place a hand on the lower belly to feel it as it rises with each inhale and falls gently with each exhale,
Allowing your breath to move at its natural pace,
Not forcing any particular rhythm.
Just noticing what feels natural.
And as you follow the breath in and out of the body,
You may extend awareness to the top of the head.
Begin to notice any sensations that you may feel as you scan sense the scalp,
The skin on your face,
The muscles.
Breathing in with awareness and breathing out,
Releasing and relaxing the face muscles.
Noticing as the cool air enters with the inhale and the warm air comes out with the exhale.
And as you continue to scan the body for sensations,
Noticing with curiosity the feelings in the muscles in the neck and shoulders.
If there's any tightness or tension,
Not resisting it,
Not struggling to change it.
Just breathing with awareness into that space.
With the inhale,
Expanding,
Opening that space.
And with the exhale,
Releasing and relaxing.
If even just a little bit.
Continuing downward,
Feeling the arms any density or lightness as you scan down your arms down into the hands.
Feeling any circulation,
Any movement.
And also moving down the back,
Feeling into the muscles,
The joints,
Spine.
Breathing in with awareness breathing out and letting go,
Releasing any tensions.
Just observing and allowing.
And if there is any strong sensations,
Pausing for a moment,
Just being present with them.
Breathing in awareness,
Breathing out,
Releasing tension.
Resting into the space.
Continuing to move down through the body into the pelvic area and the abdomen.
Feeling into the space.
Noticing if there's stillness or openness.
If it feels calm or agitated.
Breathing into that space.
Moving down to the upper legs,
Feeling the weight and the density.
The ankles and into the feet.
Noticing any vibration,
Any tightness in the muscles.
Breathing in,
Feeling the muscles.
Noticing any tension.
Noticing any movement.
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