Relax, Restore, Renew

Take a comfortable seat or rest on your back on the floor. Invite the breath into your nostrils as if it were a silk scarf and let it unfold inside of you. Then, exhale out of the mouth as if releasing a cool breeze on a hot day.

Do this a few times.

Settle into whatever pose you have chosen. Feel the support of what holds you on the earth and remember a mother’s love surrounds you.

Take your left hand and rest it over your heart. Cover the left hand with the right hand. Let the grace of touch soften over your chest and allow the heart to open deeply and fully.

Invite joy into the moment.

Imagine a honey bell Florida orange holding the light of sunrise as you softly peel the soft skin and let the juice wash over your hands. Take each section, one at a time, and hold the warmth of summer in your mouth though we are in the middle of winter. Let the orange give you this moment in a splash of love as it nourishes your body.

Invite joy into the moment.

Imagine a ball of fur in the energy of a kitten playing in your hair. See the freedom she feels as she jumps and pounces. Listen to her talk as she shares in meows just how she feels. Then when the time is right scoop her into your hands and let her toy with your fingers.

Invite joy into the moment.

Remember your first kiss, the fun and adventure of it. Feel the tingle of excitement, the brush of new intimacy that meets you on your lips. Embrace the courage it took to give this bit of you to someone in a way never done before and celebrate the experience of learning when age was no more than a number.

Invite joy into the moment.

Invite love and gratitude into the light of your breath. Think of friends you share your time with and the family that is always there. Honor hope in knowing what we don’t and still planting its seeds. Let the roots of your life rest firmly in your heart and tune into the beat that feeds every act.

Take a few more deep belly breaths and as you are ready, begin to wriggle the fingers and toes, bringing the joy of relaxation to your waking state. Let the images grow in your being as you move back into your life.

Celebrate the vibrations of joy here and in your life.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

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Editor: Bryonie Wise

Photo:  Flickr Creative Commons