Welcome.
So let's take this whole session to really simply and deeply relax your nervous system.
Because in our busy modern lives,
It's so easy for our nervous systems to get so caught up in ruminating thoughts,
Emotions,
Stress,
Responsibilities,
All that life stuff.
And it leads us to not feel ultimately safe in the body.
And maybe you're drawn to meditation to find some peace from all of that.
But it's challenging to meditate deeply if your nervous system doesn't feel safe.
So this is a really resourceful and nourishing place to start.
Here we are not trying to transcend the body.
We are actually learning to feel safe inside it.
Because meditation is not about control or getting rid of anything that we don't want.
It's more about awareness and allowing.
So first becoming aware of your internal processes and then learning to be able to allow,
Make space for everything and gradually cultivating a compassionate,
Steady and safe inner environment.
But let's have some time to really rest,
Relax and regulate.
Settling the nervous system and laying an enriched foundation to build on.
The meditation does have Tibetan singing bowls in it,
Played by Christophe Lambrecht from Akshara Sound Healing,
Which is amazing.
So for best listening experience,
I'd suggest using head or earphones.
Yeah,
Enjoy and see you soon.
For this practice,
You're welcome to be seated,
Either on a meditation cushion or on a sofa,
If that feels more supportive.
You're also welcome to lie down.
It's all about letting go of the trying and deeply relaxing.
As you get yourself settled,
Allow yourself to gradually arrive here,
In this space together and into that supportive ground holding you.
Take a deep breath in and let out a releasing sigh.
Letting go of expectations.
Letting go of anything going on in your life right now.
You are safe here in this space together.
And all we're going to do is deeply relax.
I invite you to slow your breath down.
Nice and steady.
Maybe like five seconds in breath and five seconds out breath.
And each time you breathe out,
Really allow your whole body to relax.
Relaxing deeper and deeper each breath.
Slowly kind of melting into the ground or chair or bed supporting you.
Letting it hold you as you deeply relax.
At the end of the next out breath,
Just gently starting to breathe naturally,
Allowing the breath to flow in and out.
And beginning to notice how that breath feels in your body.
The sensations that you're experiencing and feelings of your belly,
Lungs and ribs expanding and contracting.
And if your mind drifts off at some point,
That's absolutely fine.
It's completely normal.
We don't need to do anything.
To try to stop the thoughts or change anything.
As you notice you've drifted,
Just simply let it be and gently bring your awareness back to noticing the breath again in the body.
Feeling your belly rising and falling.
Your ribs expanding and contracting in all four directions.
And maybe notice how each time you breathe out,
There's a sense of releasing and relaxing in the body.
Allow your body to follow that natural rhythm.
Each time you breathe out,
Letting your whole body deeply and fully relax.
Starting to really notice your sense of ground and that could be the earth beneath your feet or maybe a chair or a bed.
Whatever sense of ground is supporting your body,
Notice how that ground seems to push up from below you.
How it moves.
How it meets your body with steadiness and safety.
Noticing the sensations of where your body and that ground meet.
And notice if you're really allowing yourself to fully trust that ground.
And as you breathe,
Notice each time you breathe out,
Allowing your whole body,
Each piece of your body to fully and deeply release and relax into that ground.
Resting Relaxing Held and safe.
Allowing the sounds to support you.
Allowing the ground to hold you.
Just breathing.
Deeply and deeply relaxing.
I'll leave you now for a bit to just rest.
Relax and be surrounded and supported by the sound of the bowls.
Keep allowing yourself to breathe slowly and deeply relax.
Enjoy.
As this practice comes towards an end,
You're welcome to keep resting or you can slowly begin to move the body.
Maybe stretching,
Yawning,
Sighing.
Whatever feels nourishing and satisfying for your body.
And when you're ready,
Slowly beginning to open your eyes.
