Rest The Mind (Live)

So making any of those final preparations that you need to so that you can really give yourself fully to this practice so that you can really be here for yourself take a good long slow look around the space that you're in taking in what's there this is a really good way to satisfy your nervous system that it's safe that you're in a safe space and that will enable a deeper release of all the protection and defense that naturally builds up in our day-to-day lives so as you take in your space really slowly slowly above you behind you we are starting to slow down which also sends a signal to our nervous systems that it is time to make the switch from busyness activation to rest,

Digest,

Tend,

Befriend,

Heal and then once you are ready to to settle into a comfortable posture making whatever adjustments that you need to so that you can commit to stillness of the body and as we progressively relax the body ever more deeply this evening you don't even need to try to control your mind the mind follows the body so let's just focus on letting go of all of the tensions of the day the tensions of the day taking a quick weather report of what's going on within your system just noticing is there a lot of activation tension maybe tiredness how do you feel right now how do you really feel and we're just acknowledging whatever feelings or emotions are present we're not analyzing them we don't need to figure them out we are not trying to get rid of anything but just really acknowledging it may be the first time today that you've stopped and you really care about yourself enough to inquire compassionately how am i feeling and to welcome whatever feelings are present the comfortable ones and the uncomfortable ones the pleasant ones and the unpleasant feelings and the uncomfortable feelings making space for how you feel and then if it feels comfortable for you placing one hand over your heart and the other over your abdomen and let that touch convey a sense of care that you really care for your human self let the weight of your whole body drop into the surface beneath it start to let your whole body soften and start to let your breath go just a little bit deeper that little bit deeper down into your belly than it usually goes without trying to stretch the breath or overfill but just a really gentle lengthening of the inhalation followed by a long soft releasing sigh either through the nose or across the lips extending the exhalation by drawing your tummy muscles in and back towards your spine to really empty out and as you lie here quietly take these slightly deeper yet unforced breaths followed by these soft long out-breaths taking as many of those breaths as your system needs to really feel a sense of safety that you're in a safe space I invite you to really receive receive feel and embody the words of this really beautiful poem that I have chosen for us this evening which is called Rest the Mind Inside the Heart by the amazing poet Dana Faulds and it goes like this rest the mind inside the heart a refuge from all the planning deciding and doing that life requires it is quiet in the heart space enveloped by love each moment feels timeless the heart receives everything you place there pain judgment longing anxiety they all find their way to love when you rest the mind inside the heart everything seems different and more spacious divine presence abides in those inner open places and with it unconditional love who wouldn't choose to make that journey are such beautiful words there is so much contained within that short verse that short poem who wouldn't choose to take this journey into our hearts where unconditional love abides this is the journey that I invite you to come on together this evening to give yourself a break from all of the planning the deciding and the doing that life requires we can't avoid that but we can bring in some balance by dropping into the quiet in the heart space the heart receives everything you place there hand everything over friends let your heart be like an altar where you bow down and you hand over and you hand over all the pain the judgment the longing the anxiety whatever current life challenges are on your table hand them over to the divine presence of your heart the heart of you the essence of yourself that which can hold it all and alchemize everything give up trying to figure it all out within your small self and hand everything over place all your concerns all your worries on the altar your mind beginning to settle and drop to come to rest in the heart your heart is spacious there's space for every aspect of yourself that shows up moment by moment right now just be with your breath if your system needs a few more of those really slow really low releasing breaths and just let your body your highly intelligent body that knows exactly what it needs to make the shift from mind to heart and once your body has taken as many of those deep breaths as it needs see if you can continue to just be with the immediate feeling of your breath just quietly noticing the sensation at the tip of your nostrils the temperature of the in-breath and the temperature of the out-breath just noticing just allowing all the commentary to fall away let the narrator rest just be with your breath aware as you breathe in and as you breathe out and aware as you breathe out you may check out you may numb out you may go into restless mind or body let all of it be okay let all of it be okay absolutely no judgment every time you notice that you've checked out in one way or the other gently come back come back to now to here just for a moment feel sense imagine how it would be to bathe in a warm bath of unconditional love how would that feel what effect would that have on your mind your body your soul notice what happens in your body as you really sense bathing in that warm bath of unconditional love maybe you sense a softening a releasing of all the gripping the defending and as we journey around the body together now as I mention each part imagine that part bathing in that warm bath of unconditional love held every cell coming to rest inside the heart feel sense the weight of the eyes eyes bathing dissolving into that warm bath of unconditional love brain forehead skin the inside of the mouth the hinges of the jaw throat dissolving into that warm bath of unconditional love back of the head base of the skull back of the neck whole spine tailbone bathing in an effortless bath of compassion permeating every cell infusing every bone every muscle every organ and the body heaving a sigh of relief coming home to its natural state just for now feel all of the places where body meets the support beneath let that contact dissolve body and that support melting into that warm bath of love feeling the whole front of the body the touch of air on the skin the gentle rise and fall of this body as it breathes just noticing the physical heart beating pulsating in tune with life's rhythm the softening deep down in the belly arms giving up their weight upper arms elbows forearms wrists hands the immediate direct current feeling hands pure sensation palms of hands thumbs second fingers third fourth little fingers arms bathing in a wide open warm bath of unconditional love that is right here that you don't need to generate or synthesize that you don't need to work for or earn hips releasing their weight thighs knees shins calves ankles heels soles of feet big toes small toes second third fourth little toes legs into the spaciousness of that warm bath of unconditional love the whole body whole body softening maybe just that little bit more into the welcoming embrace of your heart the heart of you your divine presence awake aware being beautiful friends let's abide here together in our shared open presence fully present anytime you check out just keep choosing to check back in to simply being resting as a wide open aware presence just being just being mind resting in the heart body deeply at rest bathing in a warm bath of unconditional love feel where body meets the support beneath let the sensation come to you that plane of contact where body meets that support notice any remaining areas of holding tension clenching gripping resisting and and hand it all over giving it all up allowing it all to dissolve down and out of your system feel the touch of air on the skin the aliveness here right now sounds waves of vibration the pulsation as heart beats the aliveness that's here breath moving let your breath go just that little bit deeper once again down down into your belly just a little deeper unusual give the exhalation away with a long soft sigh across the lips making that out breath long going right to the end emptying out and then let that breath flood back in enjoy a long slow drink of life force energy let the exhalation go just letting it all go and as you continue to just breathe to welcome and receive a long slow in breath to give back a long slow out breath let's call forward a prayer for our lives taking some moments to check in to listen to your heart to the calling of your heart to your longing whatever that might be what your human self longs for more than anything let that be seen heard and acknowledged what really matters what really matters and together friends let's call forward whatever help we may need on our on our journey to knowing this love within our hearts let's ask for whatever help we need to see the blocks the outdated beliefs or that obscures the fears what help do you need in seeing clearly what no longer serves you and embracing that recognizing all that has served you in one way or another thanking these parts of yourself that have kept you safe and calling forward the help that may be needed to open your heart even wider maybe even wider than that how wide can we open our hearts let's spend some time together friends in gratitude in gratitude for all the blessings of our lives let's take these moments to acknowledge what we're grateful for who we're grateful for and really feel that gratitude springing forth from your heart recognizing how lucky we are how lucky we are to spend this time together and I invite you as you step back into life beyond this formal meditation our togetherness continues the meditation continues continuing to rest the mind inside the heart it's a refuge remembering that that refuge is always available and how lucky we are to retreat to that refuge together that there is an altar where we can place all that is challenging and we can choose to make that journey into our hearts as you check in with your body now really listen to what it needs what does your body need now would your body love to move and can you give your body space to just move in whatever way feels good stretching yawning or maybe continuing to rest and to bathe in that warm bath of unconditional love be guided by the intelligence of your body continuing to breathe slowly and deeply and perhaps let's let's remember our togetherness here that you're not alone and let's take a deep breath in together so as we in a moment inhale together whatever love or peace you have touched upon within yourself this evening as we breathe out together send that out to every corner of the earth and to all the beings that could do with that that they may receive that in their hearts and then as we take a following breath on for that let that boomerang back into your own heart as if we have one lung taking a deep breath in exhaling sending out the love the peace that you've touched upon this evening and as that breath comes back in let it land right back here in your heart thank you friends for being here this evening I hope that you have a wonderful week take your time go really slowly go really easy on yourself