Deep Rest

Welcome to tonight's wind down. Take a moment to get nice and comfortable wherever you'd like to fall asleep. And as you're getting settled, just notice any sense of relief, or ease that comes from giving yourself this permission to rest. This is time just for you, time to rest, let go, and feel supported by this guided practice, and the comfort of the space that you're in. So just allow your body to be completely held by the bed, or the surface that you're resting on, letting the feet, the legs, the hips, the back, the arms, the hands, and the head sink into the bed as you surrender, and let go of any tightness, or holding in the body. And just invite your body and mind to arrive here in the present moment. And as you take a nice deep breath in, invite the words, "I have," and as you breathe out slowly, silently invite the word, "Arrived." "I have arrived." (no audio) And now just let your breath be natural and easy, letting go of any effortful breathing. And we'll take a moment to connect with your deepest wish for this practice. It could be the wish to rest completely, maybe to sleep uninterrupted, or to just feel peaceful and at ease. Whatever it is, just allow yourself to acknowledge your deepest wish for this session. (no audio) And imagine that this wish is coming true right now. What would it feel like to wake up fully rested, or to have a day full of presence and ease? Just imagining these possibilities and touching into the felt sense of them for a moment, letting go of any judgment, or concerns about how it will happen, just opening to the possibility. (no audio) Now, we'll bring our attention back to the body. We'll scan through the body, inviting each area to be acknowledged, and as you do so, imagine your awareness is flowing like warm water from one area to the next. So we'll start by bringing awareness to your right toes and the top of your right foot. And allow your attention to flow through the front of your shin, over your knee, over the right thigh, just noticing sensations. And now, bring your awareness to your left toes, the top of your left foot, and continue to flow like warm water up the shin, the knee, and the front of your left thigh. (no audio) And continuing to scan up to your hips, your lower abdomen, and just pausing to feel the belly rising and falling gently with each breath. And allowing this flow of awareness to continue to your chest, your heart, your lungs, and your ribcage, just feeling the chest expand as the lungs fill with air, and feeling the chest fall as you exhale. Just enjoying the steady, effortless rhythm of your body being breathed. (no audio) And now, moving up to your right shoulder, and flowing down the front of the arm...