Welcome.
This is a practice of deep rest for those experiencing burnout or nervous system exhaustion.
Take a moment now to lay down somewhere comfortable.
You may like to place a pillow beneath your head and a blanket over your body,
Allowing yourself to be fully supported.
If you've been feeling depleted,
Wired,
Unable to properly switch off,
Or as though rest hasn't been restoring you,
You're in the right place now.
You don't need to concentrate,
You don't need to relax in any particular way,
And you don't need to make anything happen.
This practice is about allowing your nervous system to experience safety and rest,
Perhaps in a way that it hasn't for some time.
For now,
Simply notice that you've stopped,
And that you are here.
Burnout doesn't happen because you are flawed or fragile,
It happens when the nervous system has been under sustained pressure for too long.
Over time,
Urgency and vigilance can become the body's baseline,
And rest can begin to feel unfamiliar.
This practice offers a gentle opportunity for your nervous system to experience something different.
There's nothing you need to achieve here,
Just allow the body to begin settling in its own time.
Now let's begin.
Begin by noticing where your body is being supported.
The surface beneath you is already holding your weight.
Notice the contact points between your body and the surface below.
Let your body register that it is being held.
Allow a sense of heaviness to spread through the body.
Slowly,
Let go and sink deeper into the surface beneath you.
If the mind is active,
That's okay.
If the body feels restless or numb,
That's okay too.
Just notice and allow the body to be supported.
Now let the tongue fall down into the lower palate,
Allowing the jaw to release.
Let the shoulders fall away from the ears and rest.
Now bring a gentle awareness to your breathing.
Notice that breathing is already happening on its own.
Breathing in and out through the nostrils now.
If it feels comfortable,
Allow the exhale to be slightly longer than the inhale.
You might experience the breath leaving the body as a release.
It's a quiet signal that for this moment,
Nothing is urgent and the body can be at ease.
If at any point focusing on the breath feels effortful,
You're welcome to let it go and simply return to noticing heaviness in the body.
Now bring to mind a short positive intention,
Also known as a sankalpa.
This is a simple phrase or a sentence that may reflect how you'd like to care for yourself,
Support your nervous system,
Or cultivate more ease in your day.
It doesn't need to be complicated,
Just something that feels meaningful and restorative to you.
For example,
If you're experiencing burnout,
Your sankalpa might be,
I'm learning to rest and restore,
Or I'm safe to slow down,
Or I'm calm and supported.
Feel free to use one of these examples or choose one of your own,
Then silently repeat it to yourself three times,
Letting it settle into the mind and body.
We'll now move into body awareness.
You're not trying to relax the body,
Just noticing how and where it is in space.
First bring awareness to the eyes.
Notice the eyelids,
The area around the eyes,
The eyeballs,
The space behind the eyes.
As you notice each part of the body,
Imagine a soft,
Warm light gently flowing through it.
Warming and comforting,
Inviting the body to release tension.
So feel the warm,
Soft light now on the eyeballs.
From here,
Allow awareness to slowly expand to the face,
The jaw.
Shift awareness down to the neck and throat.
Notice how the head is held and supported by the spine.
Now bring awareness to the shoulders and the upper back.
The warm light slowly moving down and spreading across your back.
Notice any sensation with the surface beneath you,
Or maybe within the body.
Move awareness slowly down to the middle back and the lower back.
Let the warm light expand to these areas,
Filling every curve,
Every point of contact.
It's safe here and you are supported.
Bring attention to the back of the pelvis and the hips.
This is a place of stability and support.
Move awareness to the back of the legs.
Notice the weight,
The contact points.
Allow the legs to rest.
Bring awareness now to the feet.
If your mind is wandering at any point,
That's completely normal.
Just gently return awareness to my voice.
Bring awareness now to the front of your torso.
Notice the chest and the rise and fall of the breath.
Feel the lungs expanding and contracting.
Awareness moves down to the abdomen.
Observe any sensations of warmth or maybe subtle movement within the abdomen.
Bring awareness to the front of the thighs,
To the ankles,
Down the shins,
To the tops of the feet.
Now bring awareness to the arms.
Feel the weight of the arms.
No movement is required.
Just awareness.
And notice the hands.
Notice the fingers at ease.
Resting gently by the side of the body.
Let the fingers soften some more.
Palms feel heavy.
Become aware now of the soft warm light encompassing the whole right arm.
The whole left leg.
The whole left arm.
The whole right leg.
The right arm and the left leg together.
Arm and right leg together.
And expand awareness to the whole body.
The whole body.
The body is still.
And the warm gentle light is illuminating the body.
The body knows how to rest.
The body knows how to rest.
As the body continues to rest,
Let these messages sink into the subconscious.
For this moment,
Nothing needs my attention.
It is safe to rest.
It is safe to rest.
If emotions arise or sensations shift,
Notice them and allow them to come and go without judgment.
As the body continues to rest,
Bring your sankalpa,
Your short positive intention to mind.
Silently repeat it three times,
Letting it settle naturally into the subconscious.
From here,
The guidance will become minimal.
You don't need to follow my voice closely.
You're welcome to drift,
To rest,
Or to simply remain aware in a gentle way.
It's completely normal to feel you are drifting in and out of awareness.
If you hear my voice,
Let it be a soft reminder that you are safe and supported.
If you do not hear my voice,
That's perfectly fine too.
Allow the body to continue integrating this deep rest in its own time.
The body is receiving signals now that it's safe to relax.
This gentle experience is teaching the nervous system that slowing down is possible and restoration is available.
You may notice some shifts,
Tingling,
Warmth,
Subtle relaxation,
Or even emotion.
All of this is normal.
Simply observe and allow the body to experience and integrate deep rest.
This is your time to integrate and repair.
The nervous system is receiving this safe and restorative experience.
When you are ready,
Begin to bring awareness back to the body as a whole.
Notice the contact with the surface beneath you.
Notice the weight of your body fully supported.
Bring awareness back to the breath.
Notice the natural rhythm.
Feel the gentle rise and fall of the chest and abdomen.
When you are ready,
Begin to bring subtle movement back to the body at your own pace.
Wiggle the fingers and toes.
Rotate the wrists and ankles.
Allow the arms and legs to stretch lightly if it feels comfortable.
Noticing any sensations that arise.
Bring awareness to the head and face.
Noticing the eyes again behind the closed lids.
This is a practice you can return to regularly.
Offering your body and nervous system a consistent opportunity to experience deep rest and restoration.
With time and repetition,
This gentle re-exposure to rest can support the gradual rebuilding of energy,
Regulation and capacity after prolonged stress or burnout.
When you feel ready,
You can slowly open your eyes.
Take your time.
Begin to notice the room around you.
The sounds,
The light and the feeling of your body at rest.
Carry this sense of calm,
Support and safety with you as you move through the rest of your day or throughout the night.
Thank you for joining me here today.
