Hi,
I'm Roseanne,
Your host and guide.
And today's meditation,
We are going to gently guide the body out of survival mode and back into the state often known as rest and digest.
Because the nervous system naturally moves through different states throughout the day.
Sometimes we enter the sympathetic state,
Which is a state of fight or flight.
It's where we're active and alert.
And this is the body's intelligent survival response.
Our heart rate increases,
Breathing changes,
Muscles have more blood rushing to them and they tighten slightly.
And the mind will be scanning for danger and pressure and responsibility or threat.
So this response isn't bad.
It's designed to protect you.
But many of us have spent a long time in this state,
In stress,
In overstimulation,
Hypervigilance,
And constant doing.
And so the body no longer really remembers how to fully switch off.
You know,
We stay braced even when we're resting or while we're being still or trying to sleep.
And over time,
Remaining in this activated state for too long can affect every part of our well-being,
Our sleep,
Digestion,
Hormones,
Immunity,
Mood,
Emotional balance.
The body was never designed to live in emergency mode all the time.
So tonight,
We're going to send the nervous system a different message,
A message of safety and softness and slowness and enoughness.
Not by forcing the body to relax,
But by creating conditions where relaxation can naturally begin to arrive.
So let's make a start.
So allow yourself to settle,
Sitting or lying down,
Finding a resting place where your body feels supported.
And if it feels okay to do so,
I want you to place one hand over your heart and one over your belly.
And feel the warmth of your own touch.
Feel the gentle rise and fall of your breath beneath your palms.
And before we get into using the breath in any way,
Simply notice,
Have you been holding yourself today?
Holding tension?
Holding responsibility?
Holding emotions?
Holding yourself together?
And just for this moment,
Allow the body to be held instead.
So if you haven't already,
Allow your eyes to close.
And just begin by noticing the space around you,
Any sounds you can hear,
The temperature of the air.
Maybe you can feel your clothes on your skin.
So allow your nervous system to orient itself to this present moment,
Where there's nowhere else you need to be,
Nothing to fix,
Nothing to solve.
Just allowing yourself to arrive,
Just be here.
Use the breath.
And I want you to take a beautiful soft inhale through the nose.
And as you exhale,
Release the breath with a soft hum.
Whatever noise comes as you exhale,
Maybe you need a big sigh.
Make it audible.
Feel the vibration in your chest,
Your throat,
Your face.
And again,
A beautiful,
Slow,
Deep inhale.
A beautiful humming of the breath as you exhale.
Long,
Low,
And soft.
One more time,
Breathing in through the nose,
And humming your out-breath.
Allow the vibration to soothe your nervous system from within.
This gentle humming helps stimulate the vagus nerve,
Sending signals of safety through the body.
A reminder that you do not need to stay on high alert right now.
So allow your breath to return to its normal rhythm.
And just notice if anything within you is already softened.
Maybe the jaw,
The shoulders,
Your eyes.
Feel the breath rise and fall beneath your hand that's on your belly.
And we're going to use the breath some more now.
So I want you to take a soft breath in,
And lengthen your exhale without forcing it.
Perhaps inhale softly for four,
And exhale for six.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
And again,
Inhaling softness,
And exhale any holding.
Breathing in presence,
Breathing out pressure,
Allowing each exhale to tell the body you have permission to soften.
So continue with a slow,
Easy inhale,
And a longer,
Slower exhale.
It's as though the body is beginning to sigh itself into safety.
Allow your stomach and your belly to soften completely.
Not held or tightened or braced,
Just soft,
Human and natural.
And the body cannot enter,
Rest and digest while it's still preparing for danger.
Perhaps you spent so long being strong,
Being capable,
Being responsible,
That the body forgot softness was even allowed.
Maybe it's just been one of those days you need to let go.
Because now it's allowed.
You give your body permission.
You are allowed to soften your belly,
Allowed to soften your breath,
Allowed to soften your shoulders,
And allowed to stop gripping life so tightly for a little while.
With each exhalation,
The body is slowly unclenching from the inside,
Your organs softening,
The muscles loosening,
And your nervous system unwinding layer by layer.
Just the natural intelligence of the body returning towards balance.
And you can imagine yourself somewhere really deeply peaceful,
A place where nothing is expected from you.
Perhaps wrapped in blankets,
Lying maybe beneath warm sunlight,
Perhaps by the sea,
Just listening to the waves.
And in this place,
Wherever that is,
There is nowhere to rush to,
Nothing to prove,
No version of yourself you need to become.
You're simply allowed to be.
As the body begins to trust this moment a little more,
Notice how the breath deepens naturally,
The heart rate can slow,
Digestion can take place,
Your muscles release,
And your mind no longer scans every corner searching for what might be wrong.
And allow your body to remember and say to yourself,
I am safe enough to rest,
Safe enough to receive,
Safe enough to soften.
And perhaps for a few moments now,
You simply rest here in silence.
And allow your thoughts to drift in,
There's nothing you need to do with them.
Feel the ground supporting you,
Feel the breath supporting you,
This moment you are supported.
And gently returning softly to the breath,
To the body,
To this moment.
And noticing the exhale,
Letting every out-breath become an active release,
Releasing pressure,
Releasing urgency,
Releasing the need to hold everything all at once.
You don't have to stay vigilant every second,
You don't have to carry the entire world,
You do not have to earn rest,
Rest is a part of being human.
It is healing and balance.
And notice that maybe your nervous system has taken one small step away from survival,
And one small step back towards yourself.
That is enough for now.
So,
We'll take one final deep breath in,
And slowly exhale with a gentle sigh.
Feel the body resting here,
Softer,
Heavier,
Calmer.
And before we close,
Silently repeat again,
I am safe enough to soften,
I am allowed to rest,
I do not need to brace against this moment,
My body knows how to return to balance.
And whenever you feel you're ready,
Allow the breath to deepen,
Bring a little bit of movement back into your fingers and toes.
Maybe hug yourself gently as you carry this softness into your life and your world.
