Welcome to this meditation.
Please take a moment or two to get yourself comfortable.
And so you might be lying down or sitting somewhere cozy.
Or finding another position where you don't need to do anything and that you feel safe for the next few minutes.
And for now,
There is nowhere else you need to be,
Nothing you need to achieve or figure out.
This is just a little pocket of time.
So you can let yourself arrive,
Maybe soften your eyes,
Relax your jaw and let your shoulders drop away from your ears.
And notice where your body is being held by whatever is beneath you.
And just feel into the sense that you don't need to hold yourself quite so much.
You can let yourself be supported.
And together let's take a slow breath in.
And a long,
Easy breath out.
Again,
Breathing in and breathing out.
And you can just let your breath return to whatever rhythm or flow feels natural.
You don't need to control it.
Your body already knows how to breathe beautifully.
And as you sit or lie where you are,
Just gently notice what it feels like to not be doing.
Maybe that feels easy today or maybe it feels slightly uncomfortable.
Maybe your mind is already making a list of the things you need to do instead and that is okay.
You don't need to get rid of thoughts.
You don't need to make your mind feel completely quiet or clear.
You can let the thoughts you're having just come and go.
And.
.
.
For these next few minutes,
You can make the choice that you don't have to follow them.
And simply go.
.
.
And if you like,
You can imagine that you've stepped into a little cocoon,
A warm and quiet space around you.
The world is still happening outside.
There are still things to do,
Things to organize,
Plans to make.
They can wait outside the cocoon for a little while though.
You don't need to carry them in here.
This is a space where you don't have to feel productive.
You don't need to impress or be useful.
You don't even need to be happy.
You can be just exactly I'll see you all.
And you can perhaps notice your body.
Your forehead,
Your eyes,
Your jaw,
Your neck.
Just letting everything feel soft and held.
Your shoulders,
Let them soften.
Feel arms becoming heavy Your hands resting.
Your chest gently moving with your breath.
Your stomach softening.
Your legs becoming heavy.
Your feet resting.
Your whole body relaxing and finding a sense of calm and peace.
Just allowing yourself to be.
And perhaps bring this idea to mind.
I don't have to earn my rest.
I don't have to finish everything before I'm allowed to slow down.
I don't have to reach the point of tired before I deserve to pause.
I don't have to justify taking some time to myself to feel calm.
Rest is simply part of me being alive.
Just letting those words sink into your body.
That doing less doesn't necessarily make you any less.
That a quiet day can still be a good day.
A slow morning.
Can be very meaningful.
That lying here imagining your cozy,
Calm cocoon.
Breathing.
Noticing.
Existing.
That is enough.
And if your mind is starting to tell you that you should.
Go and do something,
Just notice and gently come back to the feeling of being supported.
Back to your breath.
Back to your calm cocoon.
You may even imagine that with every breath out,
You're putting something down.
A responsibility,
An expectation,
Something you feel needs to be resolved today.
You can put it down and you can pick it up later.
And perhaps from this calm space,
Asking yourself gently,
What would help me to feel restored?
What would help me to feel supported,
More like myself.
Maybe it's sleep,
Movement,
Being outside,
Being hugged by someone you love.
Maybe it's doing absolutely nothing.
Maybe you don't know yet and you don't need to know.
Just notice what comes up.
And take another slow,
Deep breath in.
And let it go And remember,
You can return to this feeling of calm.
You can make little pockets of time for rest and moments of softness.
Places where you don't feel that you need to perform or produce anything.
You can simply come back to yourself.
And when you're ready,
Just gently begin to notice the room around you.
The surface beneath you.
Temperature,
The air.
Sounds around you.
Maybe stretch if that feels good.
And take one final slow breath in.
And out.
Before you move on with the rest of your day,
Just remember.
.
.
That you are allowed to do less.
Just take your time,
There's no where you need to rush off to.
Just whenever you're ready.
Gently.
Opening the eyes.
