Welcome.
This is a guided Christian meditation based on the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 11.
Come to me,
All you who labour and are heavy laden,
And I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you,
And learn from me,
For I am gentle and lowly in heart,
And you will find rest for your souls.
This practice is an invitation to pause,
To lay down the weight of striving,
And to receive rest that is given,
Not earned.
You don't need to do anything perfectly here,
Simply allow yourself to come as you are.
When you're ready,
Let's begin.
Find a comfortable position.
Allow your body to be supported.
There is nothing you need to accomplish in this moment.
Take a slow breath in,
And gently release it.
Let your breath find its own natural rhythm.
With each breath out,
Allow unnecessary effort to soften.
You are not preparing.
You are arriving.
Come to me,
All you who labour and are heavy laden,
And I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you,
And learn from me,
For I am gentle and lowly in heart,
And you will find rest for your souls.
Come to me.
Hear these words as if spoken only to you.
Come to me.
Come to me.
Not when you are stronger,
Not when you are less tired,
Simply come.
Let your attention turn toward Christ.
You are not crossing distance.
You are consenting to presence.
All you who labour,
Let the word labour settle in you.
This is long effort,
Sustained striving,
The fatigue of carrying responsibility day after day after day.
Notice where labour lives in you right now,
In your body,
In your thoughts,
In your inner life.
You do not need to fix it,
Only to notice it,
And are heavy laden.
Heavy laden,
Loaded down,
Pressed upon.
Bring to mind what you are carrying today,
A responsibility,
A concern,
A quiet weight.
Let yourself acknowledge without judgment,
This is heavy.
You are fully seen in your heaviness,
And I will give you rest.
Listen carefully.
Rest is not demanded,
It is given.
You are not asked to earn it.
You are not asked to prove your need.
And as you breathe out,
Imagine loosening your grip,
Not on life,
But on the belief that everything depends on you.
Let rest come to you.
Take my yoke upon you.
A yoke joins two together.
This is not heavier labour,
It is shared life,
Shared direction,
Shared burden.
Imagine your pace adjusting to Christ's pace,
Slower,
Steadier,
Unforced.
You are no longer carrying alone.
And learn from me.
This learning does not rush,
It unfolds through nearness.
To learn Christ is to be with him,
To notice how he is,
How he moves,
How he rests.
Stay open.
Do not strain to understand,
Presence itself is instruction.
For I am gentle and lowly in heart.
Let these words shape your inner image of Christ.
Gentle,
Not harsh,
Not impatient,
Lowly in heart,
Humble at the centre of his being,
Meeting you where you are.
Notice how your body responds to this gentleness.
Let any guardedness soften.
You are safe here.
And you will find rest for your souls.
Soul rest is not escape,
It is alignment.
Being rightly held,
Rightly guided,
Rightly known.
Rest here for a few moments.
Do nothing.
Simply receive.
If your attention wanders,
Gently return to the word rest.
As this meditation comes to a close,
Notice what remains.
Perhaps not answers,
But steadiness.
Perhaps not resolution,
But companionship.
Carry this rest with you as you return to your day.
Still yoked,
Still learning,
Still held.
Come to me,
All you who labour and are heavy laden,
And I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.
For I am gentle and lowly in heart.
And you will find rest for your souls.
Thank you.
