Leaning Back

A gentle meditation on receiving rest.

This meditation is shared as a companion for presence and awareness.
You're invited to listen and notice what unfolds, without pressure or expectation.

~ A Gentler Way ~

© Tarja Moles

Image: alex.stemmer

Transcript

Let's take a few moments to rest here. And let's notice if a gentle shift begins to take place as we pause. There's nowhere to get to. In the next few minutes. The body can settle in whatever way suits it. Sitting. Reclining or lying down. We can let the body choose. The eyes can be open or closed. If they are open The gaze can soften. If they are close. The muscles around the eyes can loosen a little. We can also allow some loosening to happen in the forehead. The jaw. The shoulders. We don't need to hold our body rigidly. We're just allowing space for some loosening. And giving the body a chance to settle. Today we are exploring rest. And what it might be like to receive it. I wonder how often we take a break. But we are not actually resting. Not fully. The body might be still. But the mind. Carries on ahead. To whatever comes next. And afterwards. We wonder why we don't feel rested. Stopping is one thing. And actually resting is another. Perhaps we can tune into a restful sensation right now. We can notice the breath. And sense what happens in the body each time there's an out-breath. Maybe there is a gentle softening in the shoulders. The chest. Or the belly. Possibly even throughout the body. It doesn't have to be a significant shift. Towards relaxation. Rest is often more subtle. Than we expect it to be. As we are sensing the out-breath. And the subtle rest in the body. What if we didn't reach towards it? But rather we leaned back into it. And received it. Like sinking into a soft armchair that's already taking our way. And while we are leaning back, We could invite the mind to lean back as well. Both the body and the mind. Resting together. Not doing anything with it. Just receiving it we might stay leaning back. A little longer. Perhaps a little longer. Than we'd usually stay. If the mind is itching to move on we can just notice the out-breath. How it softens the body and then lean back again. Simply receiving. What's already here. We might then wonder What might it be like? If no part of us rushed forward. Or went off somewhere else. And we stayed fully. In this restful moment. And now awareness can widen again. We can notice any sounds that reach us. We can sense the space that's around us. And the surface beneath us supporting the body. There's no hurry. The fingers or the toes might wiggle a little. A deeper breath. May happen on its own. And the eyes, If they've been closed. Can open when they are ready. As we move on with our day. Maybe we can remember. That we can receive rest. The same way we've just done. Leaning back into it. And staying there for a while. And from here we can continue. In a gentler way.