Hey friend,
I'm really glad you're here.
My name is Shania Gordon and I am a mindfulness and restorative practices instructor.
Today I am here to guide you through a meditation on the art of resting.
Before we begin,
I want to acknowledge that everyone arrives to practice carrying different experiences,
Histories,
And sensations in their body.
You are invited to move through this meditation in a way that honors your capacity in this moment.
You can choose how much you participate,
When to rest,
And when to step away.
If,
At any point,
The practice feels overwhelming,
You are welcome to open your eyes,
Notice your surroundings,
Or place your attention on something that helps you feel more grounded and present.
Let this be a space where you listen to yourself first and take only what feels nourishing for you.
There's nothing you need to force or achieve here,
Simply arriving in your own way is more than enough.
As we begin,
I like to welcome you to settle yourself into a comfortable position,
Away from any potential distractions.
You can be seated,
Lying down,
Walking,
Whatever you feel comfortable doing.
Once you have settled in,
I invite you to gently close your eyes.
Maybe we can start by taking a couple of deep breaths,
Breathing in through the nose,
Breathing out through the mouth.
Breathing in,
Expanding the belly,
And breathing out,
Allowing the belly to relax,
Allowing the body to soften.
And one more time,
Breathing in,
Feeling the whole body lift upwards,
Breathing out,
Gently and slowly,
Feeling the body grounding.
And now,
You are welcome to just notice your body sitting.
Notice whatever you're sitting or laying on,
Just gently opening up your awareness to whatever you experience in this moment,
Feeling any physical sensations that stand out to you,
Welcoming this experience of just resting,
However it is.
I invite you to visualize yourself as a pebble that is thrown into a beautifully calm river.
The pebble sinks into the water below effortlessly.
You are detached from the outside world,
From anything that may cause you stress,
From absolutely everything.
The pebble continues to gracefully fall,
Reaching the bottom,
The point of perfect rest.
You have arrived at an ideal state of relaxation,
Breathing in peace,
Calm,
And serenity.
You are in absolute tranquility.
Breathing in and breathing out,
Nowhere else to be,
Just here.
Being still in this perfect rest,
Allowing whatever arises to gently dissolve.
Resting in the awareness of itself before returning to the sensations of the breath,
Holding onto nothing at all.
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Imagining you are the pebble that is rested and perfectly supported.
This kind of spaciousness of heart and mind is available for you to tap into at any and every moment of your life by simply taking a moment,
Taking a breath,
And falling into rest.
As this practice begins to come to an end,
Remember it is always accessible to you.
Anytime you may need it,
You can achieve rest.
I invite you to slowly begin to bring yourself back to the room you are in,
Maybe wiggling toes and fingers,
Returning to wakefulness.
And when you are ready,
You can open your eyes.
Thank you so much for being here and taking some time for yourself.
I hope this was helpful.
And until next time,
Friend.
Namaste.
