Contact Kay for a recording for you to listen to whilst in Active Rest.
Setting yourself up for an Active Rest Session
Lie on your back with your head resting on a number of paperback books, the number of books depends, they should offer sufficient support for your back to be level, that is, neither your chin pointing in the air, nor your chin resting on your chest.
Let the books take the weight of your head. Let your neck release and lengthen, there are 7 vertebrae in your neck and the top vertebrae, the atlas is right behind the nose, higher than you might expect. The musculature and soft tissue, need to caress rather than tighten around your neck.
Let your head enjoy the support of the books and your neck enjoy the lengthening of the spine. We sometimes forget that the neck is part of the spine.
Allow yourself to lengthen through out the whole body
Notice any tension in your face and release. Let the eyes stay open and soft so they can be aware of the environment and also, any changes in your body. Let there be no effort in observing.
Release the forehead, visualising a smoothing out any creases caused by unnecessary tension. Let the tongue rest on the bottom of the mouth. Release the jaw and unclench the teeth.
Revisit the head and neck and just let them be. Notice any restrictions in the neck and add or reduce the number of books, if required.
Become aware of the shoulder blades and notice their contact with the floor and how the ground is supporting them.
Notice the breath travelling in and out through the nose, just let it happen.
Observe and think about the capacity of your lungs and how your breath fills your lungs in your front and deep into your back. Don’t try to change anything, just let it happen.
Return to your head and neck, notice any tension and release, you will find that you will chase the tension around your body throughout this activity.
Travel to the front of your body and let it release and sink into your back, and then, at the same time notice your back release on to the floor.
Allow your shoulders to soften and your arms to release away from the shoulders.
Let the ground support your upper arms and allow the weight of your elbows to release to the floor.
Observe the triangle that is made by your head, down to your left elbow, across your body to the right elbow and back to the head, and notice the space between them. Allow expansion releasing ad creating space in the joints.
Bring your attention to your hands, notice any fiddling or any movement and any tension and just let it go.
Then, travel through each finger one by one and the thumbs, paying them loving attention, and reminding them that they can just be.
Return to your head and notice and release any tension that has developed in that short time.
Return to your shoulder blades and extend your awareness to the sense of the ground, supporting your whole back. Enjoy the support, travelling with your mind from the top to the bottom, and across from one side to the other.
Notice the involuntary movement of the body breathing, taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. Notice your belly rising ad falling, under your hands.
Whilst you are enjoying the support from the floor, bring your attention to your legs ad feet. Notice your feet soft on the ground, let your legs be supported by your feet. Bring your attention to each toe and release, without moving them, just let them be. No need to do anything, just THINK release.
Notice the balls of your feet and the arches soften and release, allowing your feet to spread onto the floor. Notice the support of the ground, under your heels.
Return, slowly, back to your head, up the whole length of the body and notice any tension that has developed whilst you have been focussing on other parts of the body.
Let your head, neck, shoulders, back and feet melt, like warm chocolate on to the floor.
No
Revisit your face………..eyes…….and jaw……… and remove any evidence of trying too hard to release, just let it happen. Travel from the top of your head, slowly to the bottom of your feet.
Notice any tension in the ankles……….back to the knees……. And observe how the knees float to the ceiling. Let go of any holding or effort from the hips. Your knees can balance there and should be able to sway slightly, if the hips are not fixed. Let your pelvis sink into your lower back and allow the lower back to release and enjoy the support of the ground.
Slowly travel back through your whole body, noticing areas of tension. Softening and releasing and allowing a lengthening of the spine, from the top vertebrae, the atlas, down to the sacrum.
Quietly observe….
Your feet….ankles….. toes…. Your knees floating up to the ceiling, your hips releasing…… Notice the space in the joints.
Your lower back melting onto the floor….. your shoulder blades sinking, releasing….. Your arms releasing from the shoulder blades , down to your elbows and the weight of your elbows on the floor. Your wrists…… and each of your fingers….. Your eck lengthening…. Your head resting on the books….. soft mouth…. Unclenched jaw…..released eyes…. smoothed forehead.
Release the weight of the whole body into the ground, let the knees float away from the hips to the ceiling , allow space in the joints. Let your feet be supported by the ground,
Revisit your jaw cheeks temple and release.
Observe your breathing and let it be.
Enjoy the contact with the floor and the joy of leaving yourself alone.
Calm the mind, still the body, lift the spirit
Calm the body , still the mind, lift the spirit.
Notice the length and breadth of your whole body and let it be.