Welcome.
Whatever has led you in the search of a moment of rest today,
I am glad you're here.
If it's possible for you to lay down,
I invite you to find a comfortable position.
Where your legs can be heavy.
And your arms can rest comfortably.
And your eyes can close.
And if you would prefer to stay seated for this meditation that is completely okay.
Find a comfortable seat where you can allow your hands to rest heavy in your thighs.
Your shoulders to soften from your ears and your eyelids to settle softly over your eyes.
Whatever position you're in,
Simply allow your body to feel fully supported.
And let's begin with a few slow breaths together.
Through your nose,
Bringing in a deep inhale.
And allowing your lips to part as you give that breath back.
Again,
A slow and easy inhale.
And a long,
Unhurried exhale.
Now simply allow your breath to settle into its own natural rhythm.
There is nothing to control here,
Nothing to force.
Just allowing your body to breathe.
There is something many of us have come to believe.
That recovery only begins once the day is over.
Once the work is finished.
Once the house is quiet.
Once everything has been crossed off the list.
But your nervous system doesn't recover because the clock reaches evening.
It recovers whenever you create the conditions for it to recover.
And that is what we are doing together now.
This practice is called non-sleep deep rest or NSDR.
It is a state of deep relaxation where your body begins to shift away from stress and toward recovery.
As you rest.
Your heart rate naturally begins to slow.
Your breathing becomes easier.
And your brain has a chance to step out of constant vigilance.
The best part is you don't need to make any of that happen.
Your nervous system is very smart.
It knows how to recover.
It just needs opportunities like this one to do so.
Notice if your belly is stiffening against the breath as it comes in and see if you can keep your belly soft.
Allow a little more of your weight to surrender into the surface beneath you.
And notice how your breath begins to move with a little less effort.
By being here right now you have already realised that you don't have to push through.
And allow that same realization to guide the way you approach this practice with a total release of effort.
There is nothing to get right,
No correct way to experience this practice.
Whether you drift into sleep or remain awake,
Both are perfectly okay.
The rest itself.
Is enough.
I'd like you to bring your attention now to the space of your forehead.
And allow the muscles there to soften.
Become aware of.
The muscles around your eyes.
The area of your cheeks.
Your jaw.
Your lips.
Your tongue.
And see if you can release just enough tension in your face to allow it to feel effortless.
Slowly.
.
.
Moment by moment.
Feel that same sense of release.
Washing over your entire body.
Like a wave that began.
In the center of your forehead.
And expand it out all the way through your fingertips.
All the way through.
To your toes.
Allow your awareness now to widen.
Sensing.
The areas of your skin that connect to the air around you.
Noticing the subtle sensation of temperature.
The sensation of the clothing against your body.
Noticing to where your body meets the surface beneath you.
The weight of your body.
The gentle pressure of surrendering muscles and bones.
Notice those organic,
Subtle movements in your body.
The quiet rise of your breath.
A gentle fall.
Simply observing.
Connect in with the quieter but ever-present sensations.
The beating of your heart.
Perhaps the subtle pulse you feel.
In the palms of your hands or your feet.
Perhaps tiny movements inside the body that usually pass unnoticed.
Or perhaps nothing in particular.
You There is nothing you need to find.
You are simply observing what is there to be found.
Notice too the stillness that surrounds all of those sensations.
The space that has been here all along.
Resting your attention inside of that spaciousness.
In the feeling of being supported.
In the quiet rhythm of your breath.
Perhaps noticing if.
Your breathing feels.
Even a little more effortless.
If your body feels.
Even a little more.
Rested.
If your mind feels just a little more spacious.
Sometimes that is all we need.
Not perfection.
Just enough safety,
Just enough space.
To shift back toward recovery.
Wherever you find your attention in this moment.
I'd like you to shift it to any sounds you hear nearby.
Perhaps even the subtle sound of your own breathing.
Noticing how it feels to bring his slightly deeper breath in.
And how it sounds as you slowly breathe out.
Again,
A fuller inhale.
And an easy exhale.
Begin to invite a little movement back into your body.
Perhaps gently stretching in whatever way feels good today.
There's no rush,
Take your time.
And whenever you feel ready,
Gently open your eyes and allow your gaze to rest softly somewhere as you take this moment to acknowledge yourself.
Your nervous system may know how to recover.
But it still needs to be given the chance to do so.
And that is what you gave yourself today.
That is worth being grateful for.
Thank you for sharing this pause with me.
