For When You Are Tired

I feel so grateful for the completion of Stillwater 2026 - Winter Season! We explored 10 guided meditations between January - March. This is our meditation #9, dedicated to those who are tired. Created on the spot for a group of meditators online, we begin with a slow and satisfying breath with a full exhale. Slowly, we notice ourselves and honor body-mind-heart-spirit. Softening and opening into appropriate engagement, one can either fall asleep mindfully or rest into a relaxed aware state of consciousness. A special note for drivers is included to stay safe.

Transcript

I welcome you to breathe slowly, Fully, And exhale all the way out. Take your time with your exhale so it's long and slow and satisfying. Anytime we engage in breath work, We are experimenting with internal boundaries. We're using our minds to influence our bodies and our breath. Feel your body just as it is, Just as you are. Notice at least three sensations in your body right now. Allow yourself to feel any tiredness within and take a gentle assessment. If you are feeling tired or fatigued in any way, Is it a physical tiredness? Is it exhaustion of the mind? Is there an emotional fatigue or is your spirit tired? Where is the tiredness in you if it exists at all? Right there in any internal space of fatigue. Notice what has you tired? Have you been strong for so so long? Did you have a poor night of sleep? Is there a perpetual thought that is exhausting you? Has your spirit been working really hard at forgiveness or letting go or having faith? Something like this. Honor what is making you tired. Honor that that has happened or is happening. Give yourself the safe space to feel whatever tiredness is present. Sink into it safely. Now let go of anything making you tired that does not need to be here. If you are driving, It is important to stay aware and feel your hands on the steering wheel and be conscious of the action of driving. If you are resting, There is so much you can let go of. And for all of us, Anyone in activity and anyone at rest, There is a sweet spot of engagement where we can be relaxed and appropriately alert at the same time. See if you can find that for yourself. And the key is to let go of anything unnecessary for this space and time. A good part of the body to check out is are you clenching your jaw? So many of us have this habit and so often this is not needed. So even if you're driving or in action, It's possible to unclench the jaw if this speaks to you. Soften and open to your experience just as it is. Letting go of anything unnecessary, Especially in the body. You can feel muscles soften even as the appropriate engagement exists. And when you're ready, You may also let go of your thoughts. This is where the body transcends into the mind. And the body-mind is so precious to reflect on and gently investigate. As you let go of extra tension in your body, You may also let go of thoughts in your mind. As you let go of thoughts in your mind, You might come across some catastrophic thinking. This is natural. It's something that can happen for any or all of us. And catastrophic thinking gives us information about what we are afraid of. So this begins to interweave the heart. And catastrophic thinking can be kindly interrupted by choosing a better thought. So if there is an emotion that's embedded in the catastrophic thinking, The discipline is to actually go down towards your heart and allow the emotion to be felt and also let go of the thought. So the emotion gets front stage, Even full stage. If the catastrophic thinking is more mental and there's not an obvious emotion, It is okay to interrupt it and to choose a better thought, Which is often the prayer of what you really want to happen. So a catastrophic thought could be, Oh no, The world is ending. And a better thought, A prayerful thought might be, I love this world. I am investing myself in a better world. Or whatever is true for you. Finding a better thought is finding the thought that meets the place of pain or catastrophe. It's about finding the thought that is aligned with what you truly want. Breathe. Breathe slowly and fully. Extend your exhale long. Notice your thoughts and let go of them. When your thoughts reveal a place to have a better thought, Go for it. Have the thought that is true to who you truly are. When a thought reveals an emotion, Have the courage to feel fully, Emotionally. Allow your space of heart to be present and honored. All the while, Soften and open. Soften your skin. Soften your jaw. Allow yourself to be engaged in a relaxed and alert way, Just right for what is present for you. At the end of our meditation, I want to acknowledge that sometimes a thought is embedded in the body. So, Especially if there is a perpetual thought, It's okay to investigate meditatively and find where is this thought living in my body? And there, At that location, If you can find it, You can open. You can soften and open right where the thought lives and find out what wisdom emerges as the thought is acknowledged and allowed time and space to tell its story. Just for another moment, Listen to your body. Acknowledge yourself fully. And take some more deep breaths.