Making Time to Rest
And a meditation to get you started
Hello.
How are you doing? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you taking time to rest?
Being well-rested is essential to our overall well-being. When we are tired or overwhelmed, we don’t think as clearly and that can affect our decision-making. We might feel more irritable than usual, and that can play out in ways that are not helpful for our relationships. We might get a little short with loved ones, or lose our cool over trivial things.
It’s easy to see how it happens. When life gets too busy we become distracted. At those times, we might be tempted to just get by and keep going, going, going. We will lose sight of the fact that the emotions we feel, such as stress or anxiety, can lead to tension and pain in the body. That cycle makes us tired. It’s hard to feel at peace and relaxed when our bodies are holding all that emotion.
We feel and express emotions in our bodies though we might not realize it in real-time. When we are sad, we tend to slow down a little- maybe stay home more. It’s hard to get moving. When we are agitated, it might be hard to sit still. When we are feeling proud, we might sit up a little taller. Have you ever been so excited that you jumped up and down?
We can’t always change what’s happening around us, but we can change how we relate to it. Understanding what we have going on, in our bodies, and our minds, is a good first step.
A good body scan meditation helps us pinpoint the physical sensations we experience, and maybe even understand not just how we feel in our bodies, but also how that might correspond to a mental state. I’ll explain more in this week’s audio meditation.
This week our meditation is a traditional body scan to help you explore, release, and relax. Do it any time of day, but it might help you fall asleep faster if you want to try it before bed. Or, try it when you are overwhelmed. It will help you feel more grounded and settled.
Please note: this one is a bit longer than usual, a full twenty minutes of relaxation.
Take care.
Five Senses Body Scan Meditation
Leave a comment below and tell me what you thought of this week’s meditation.