Hi,
Welcome to this rest practice.
So I need you to get yourself comfortable lying down,
Preferably on your back,
Using as many props as you want to,
To get yourself really comfy.
You might want a blanket under the head,
You might want a bolster or cushion under the backs of the knees,
Maybe a light blanket covering you if it's a little chilly.
Then placing the arms outside of the blanket,
On top of the blanket,
Hands come gently away from the sides of the body,
Palms can be facing up or facing down.
Feet just hip-width apart and allow them to be floppy.
You might want to dim the lights or maybe something light to cover over the eyes,
An eye pillow,
An eye mask or maybe just a flannel,
Just to cover over the eyes.
What's important here is you get yourself really comfortable.
You might want to hit pause,
Just get everything gathered together and then when you're ready,
Let's meet again.
So lying down,
Bringing your attention to your breath,
Closing down the eyes if that feels comfortable and if it doesn't then just softening your gaze,
Relaxing the eyes.
Noticing the chest rise and fall with every breath and then just starting to control the breath a little with some diaphragmatic breathing.
So breathing into the belly,
Feeling it puff out and taking the air up into the chest,
Feeling that expand.
The chest contracts,
The belly falls back down.
Notice the qualities of the breath.
Is it smooth or ragged?
Shallow or deep?
And notice as you notice that things start to change.
Bring your attention to your body lying in space.
And I want you to draw an imaginary circle all the way around your body so that you're lying in the centre of that circle.
The circle can be made of anything that you want it to be.
It might be a circle of light,
Might be made from leaves or twigs,
Maybe it's flowers,
Maybe it's fire.
Just imagine that circle,
The circle of protection and you're inside,
Safe and able to fully let go.
Next I want you to bring your attention to each of the points of your body that touch the earth.
Start with your heels.
Notice,
Feel their weight against the earth.
Notice the calves,
The backs of the legs,
The buttocks against the earth.
Parts of the spine and the back touching the ground.
Notice the shoulders and shoulder blades and the arms and hands.
Notice the back of the head against the ground.
And then notice all of those points at once.
Allow them just to feel heavy.
Feel where they meet the ground.
Sense as you breathe in the ground rising up to meet all of those points.
And as you exhale,
The body sinking into the ground.
As you inhale,
Inhale the ground rises up to meet all of the points of the body that touch it.
And as you exhale,
The body sinks further into the earth.
Noticing the breath,
Noticing the movement and allowing yourself to sink with every exhale.
Deeper and deeper into relaxation.
I'm going to ask you to count down the breaths.
Starting at 27.
Breathe in 27.
Breathe out 27.
Breathe in 26.
Breathe out 26.
Inhale 25.
Exhale 25.
Continue this way,
Counting each breath.
If you lose count,
Just begin again at 27.
By the time you get to zero,
You'll be completely relaxed.
Wherever you've got to with the counting,
Just let that go.
And just lay in stillness.
Deep relaxation.
Grounded into the earth.
Gently bring some awareness back to your body.
Maybe just noticing fingers and toes.
Noticing again the points of the body that touch the earth.
Bringing a little gentle movement into those fingers and toes.
And rolling off to the right side.
Slowly returning gently.
Take your time from here.
Bringing yourself slowly up to seat.
Bringing the hands together at heart centre.
Bowing the forehead to the fingertips.
And thanking yourself for showing up for you today.
Giving yourself some space to rest.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
