Welcome to this guided meditation for when you can't get out of bed.
No matter what time of the day it is,
Let's just call it the morning,
Whatever that has been running through your mind,
Keeping you in bed.
Imagine an enormous reset button and press it.
I invite you to place a hand on your heart and see if you can feel your heart beating.
Here you are.
This is you.
Even if you've been completely immobilized and are stuck in bed,
Held down by the weight of panic in your chest or the lethargy of depression in your bones,
Your heart still will beat for you,
And it will beat for you 100,
000 times today,
All because it loves you and because it works for you all the way to the end.
Each beat of your precious heart sends oxygen and nutrients to the trillions of cells that make up you.
You are here.
Your heart is beating,
And you are breathing.
Feel the warmth of your hand on your chest,
And now say to yourself,
Good morning.
I love you.
I wonder what surprising and magical thing will happen today.
Dr.
Shauna Shapiro created this practice to prime our brains to look for the good and the beautiful,
Instead of assuming the worst and scanning for danger.
Already,
Together,
Your body has released oxytocin,
Facilitating safety and connection and endorphins,
The feel-good neurotransmitters that reduce stress and increase feelings of care and support.
Bathe in the oxygen and the endorphins you've created.
Next,
See if you can scrunch up your face,
Even just a little,
And scrunch your fists,
Your toes.
Scrunch and release out with a sigh.
Let yourself relax deeper into the bed,
This cozy nest of yours,
Letting yourself feel safe and protected.
You are welcome to stay right here,
With no pressure or obligation,
Or,
Bathing in this goodness,
When you're ready to move,
Stretch out your arms and point and flex your toes.
Feeling a stretch throughout your body,
And instead of just focusing on what hurts,
Focus on what feels neutral or perhaps even good,
Even if it's as small as your pinky toe or your earlobe.
What feels okay enough in your body right now?
And what might feel right and good in your body?
When you're ready,
Rub your hands together briskly,
Creating warmth,
And gently cup your hands over your eyes,
Your jaw,
Or any place of you that needs attention.
Rub your hands together again and place this warmth somewhere on your body.
This is your body breathing for you,
And your heart beating for you.
Notice how eagerly your body responds to this warmth and simple affection.
Your body is always working for you,
So turn your attention away from the mind and deeper back into the body and ask,
What does the body need?
Ask without criticism or judgment.
Perhaps you are thirsty,
Or hungry,
Or need to go to the bathroom.
If there is anything you can take care of right now,
You're welcome to do it.
And if you don't know,
Just wait and allow for the answer to come.
What does the soft animal body of yours need?
Your body is your dearest,
Most loyal companion,
And even when your body hurts or doesn't seem to be cooperating,
The body has its own language and its own wisdom.
And sometimes the body becomes sluggish,
Or enters a kind of hibernation,
Or simply needs to rest.
And can you recognize that there is a kind of wisdom here,
Knowing no matter what you do or don't do,
The body will still work just as hard for you,
The best it can.
Can you feel some reverence for the body?
Notice what the body needs.
Perhaps your body needs softness,
Gentle touch,
A hug,
The recognition of its worth.
And you don't need to do anything right now.
Just listen.
Is there something looming over you,
A pressure you are placing on yourself,
Or someone is placing on you?
Set aside just a couple more minutes now,
Just you and your body,
Together now.
You don't need to confront all your problems,
And you don't need to fix your emotions.
All you need is to let yourself rest and listen.
Allow your breathing to happen,
And keep coming back to the body.
And now,
If your body wants,
Can you prop yourself up with some pillows and start to sit up?
Here you are,
Still safe in bed,
And you're welcome to stay here.
And if you're ready,
Slowly move your feet to the edge of the bed and place them on the floor.
Surrender to the weight of your body.
Feel your feet planted on the earth.
As you breathe in,
Imagine taking in energy or light from the earth.
And as you breathe out,
Release anything that needs to be released.
Worries,
Judgment,
Blame,
Criticism.
Release the stickiness of the body that holds you down,
And allow fresh energy to circulate.
Check back in with your body,
Placing your hand once again on your heart,
Feeling its warmth.
Nowhere to go,
Nothing to do,
Just being here.
And ask,
What does the body need now?
Does the body need food?
Would it delight in a long,
Warm shower,
Or be invigorated by a splash of cold water on your face?
Stay with this quiet knowing,
And let the answer come without judgment,
Shoulds,
Or guilt.
The body is meant to live in the present moment.
It does not hold grudges for how you may have neglected it in the past.
It does not keep a scoreboard of all the ways you did not take care of it.
It only wants you to live.
So,
Letting your next step come to mind,
And if you're ready,
You can stand up,
And if you need to wrap yourself in a blanket,
Let yourself do that.
Keep focusing on the unfolding of the present moment,
Not an outcome or a goal,
Or a place you need to be.
When you get swept back into the well-worn paths of your mind,
Of criticism or blame,
Come back again to the body.
Remind yourself that the body only wants you to live.
You can bring a hand to your heart and say,
Good morning,
I love you.
The practice of starting anew is so powerful.
The body,
The heart,
The breath,
All working for you because they love you so much.
They protect you.
Sometimes the world is just too big or scary to face,
And so you stay in bed.
But instead of feeling as if it's a prison,
Let this time of rest be a sanction.
A sanctuary.
See if you could just say thank you.
And when that heaviness comes that leaves you in bed,
See yourself as needing rest,
Just like any other creature.
And we all need rest.
We all need to feel safe and protected.
Breathing in now,
Take in energy and healing.
And breathing out,
Release anything that needs to be composted to the earth.
Breathing in,
Taking in.
Breathing out,
Releasing.
Hand on your heart,
No matter the outcome.
You chose to take this time for yourself.
Bathe in the warmth and love you've cultivated here today,
Even if it's just a flicker,
Knowing that whatever is here is enough.
All you need to do is plant the seeds and know that healing is coming.
As we start to wrap up,
Just know that today you already did some yoga,
Breathing,
And that is good enough.
Today you chose to take care of yourself,
So whether you're still in bed,
Now a sanctuary,
Or standing up,
Ready to take the next step,
And only the next step,
Thank yourself for being here.
Thank your heart.
Thank your body.
Thank your life-giving breath.
Thank you for being here with me today.
May you sink into the preciousness of rest.
May you be safe,
And may you be protected.
Thank you.
