A Moment Of Self Care ✨ Sleep Meditation

[00:00:00] Hi, I'm Karissa Vacker and welcome back to Sleep Wave, a podcast where we let waves of

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[00:02:06] There's a lot of talk about self-care these days.

[00:02:09] I've always loved the idea of self-care, which to me used to mean a quick face mask and a

[00:02:14] favorite show or getting my nails done or if I was really going wild, a trip to the

[00:02:19] spa for a massage or facial.

[00:02:22] All of these things are awesome and I encourage you to do whatever makes you feel cared for.

[00:02:28] But lately I've been thinking about self-care in a deeper, more holistic light.

[00:02:34] We can get a massage and be tense again tomorrow.

[00:02:38] We can do that face mask and still be critical the next day of what we see in the mirror.

[00:02:43] What if self-care was really about caring for the part of you that needs it most?

[00:02:50] Maybe you're feeling sadness, grief, anxiety, longing.

[00:02:55] Getting to terms with these feelings may not be easy to address or as quick to check off

[00:03:00] our list as a mani-pedi, but they will nourish us in the way we most need it.

[00:03:07] Daily meditation can help ground us and reveal to us those parts of ourselves that need care

[00:03:13] most.

[00:03:14] Once we have identified what is calling to us, we can nourish it.

[00:03:19] Are you feeling anxiety and need to bring some calm?

[00:03:23] Perhaps you're feeling grief and could offer yourself compassion.

[00:03:28] Maybe you're feeling burned out and could give yourself space and deep rest.

[00:03:34] The reason why daily meditation is so beneficial for this is because in the process of life

[00:03:40] we rarely carve out time to truly listen to ourselves.

[00:03:45] But when you meditate, you create a container through which to begin to observe your thoughts

[00:03:51] and feelings.

[00:03:53] From here, you get to make choices about how you could feel better and what you could do

[00:03:57] to achieve that.

[00:04:00] The other day I went to meditate and thought I was doing just fine, only to sit down and

[00:04:05] feel a tug of grief around my heart.

[00:04:09] After breathing into it for some time and letting some tears fall, I did a gentle body

[00:04:14] scan meditation, bringing awareness to each part of my body until I felt more grounded

[00:04:20] and calm.

[00:04:21] I felt so much better after letting the grief be there and letting it move through me than

[00:04:26] I would have if I had just forged ahead with my day.

[00:04:31] Of course, sometimes we don't have time to deal with what's really going on with us,

[00:04:35] and we have to forge ahead.

[00:04:37] But that's why carving out this time for yourself to be as you are is such a radical act of self-care.

[00:04:45] We're doing that tonight here together.

[00:04:48] Get cozy and get ready to be present and loving toward yourself as we meditate together

[00:04:54] to A Moment of Self-Care by Billy Gill.

[00:05:09] Self-care is no luxury.

[00:05:11] A luxury is something extra, something extravagant.

[00:05:17] Self-care is necessary to navigate the complexities of life.

[00:05:22] C. Northcott Parkinson explained that,

[00:05:24] "...work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion," an idea that later came

[00:05:31] to be known as Parkinson's Law.

[00:05:35] In other words, if you have a certain amount of time to complete a task, you are likely

[00:05:40] to use that entire time, even if the task could have been completed more efficiently in a

[00:05:46] shorter timeframe.

[00:05:48] In the context of self-care, Parkinson's Law emphasizes the need for intentional time

[00:05:54] allocation.

[00:05:56] Unless we set aside time for self-care activities, the likelihood is that other tasks will expand

[00:06:02] into that time, leaving us depleted and burnt out.

[00:06:07] There are many ways to practice self-care.

[00:06:11] Physical self-care might include adequate sleep and rest, regular exercise and physical

[00:06:17] activity, a balanced and nutritious diet, hydration, and proper self-care routines such

[00:06:24] as a skincare regimen.

[00:06:26] Caring for our mental and emotional self could mean committing to a meditation and mindfulness

[00:06:32] practice, consciously expressing emotions, seeking therapy or counseling when needed,

[00:06:38] engaging in joyful or relaxing activities.

[00:06:42] There are many ways to promote and maintain our own well-being.

[00:06:54] It's interesting that the word care comes from an Old English word, carian, meaning

[00:07:00] to be anxious, to grieve, or to feel concern or interest.

[00:07:06] The more positive sense of the word care has developed over the centuries as a mirror of

[00:07:11] the earlier negative ones.

[00:07:13] Still, the negative aspect can inform the urgency of self-care.

[00:07:19] If we neglect our own care, it isn't a question of if we will regret it, it's a question

[00:07:25] of when.

[00:07:27] The foundational text in Chinese medicine, the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine,

[00:07:32] illuminates this in the passage,

[00:07:35] Do not wait until your family is hungry to plant a garden, indicating the necessity of

[00:07:41] taking care of health before illness arises.

[00:07:45] Many ancient cultures recognized the importance of practices that promoted physical, mental,

[00:07:52] and spiritual well-being.

[00:07:53] Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system for maintaining health and preventing illness,

[00:08:00] emphasizes the balance of body and mind.

[00:08:03] The Sanskrit word for healthy or well-being is svastha, which literally means being in

[00:08:09] yourself.

[00:08:11] It implies a sense of being established in the self or in one's own being.

[00:08:16] It doesn't simply mean the absence of illness, but signifies that true health is found in

[00:08:22] the harmony of mind, body, and spirit.

[00:08:27] Self-care allows us to be established in our own being and thus, to be healthy.

[00:08:34] Tonight's sleep meditation is a dedicated moment of self-care in itself.

[00:08:40] As we breathe and consciously release the tension and anxiety that may be lingering

[00:08:45] in the body and mind, we allow ourselves to return home and to be svastha, to plant the

[00:08:52] garden before we are hungry.

[00:08:56] Self-care is really self-love.

[00:08:59] The Christian religion often invokes the famous dictum of Jesus to love our neighbor as we

[00:09:04] love ourselves.

[00:09:06] Unless we establish time to proactively love ourselves, the love we can give our neighbor

[00:09:12] is also impoverished.

[00:09:15] Make sure that you are resting comfortably in your bed.

[00:09:20] Close your eyes and take a deep, cleansing inhale through your nostrils.

[00:09:28] Exhale through your mouth and feel any tension or worry flow out of you.

[00:09:36] Again, inhale through your nose.

[00:09:41] Notice a moment of stillness.

[00:09:43] Then, exhale through your mouth.

[00:09:48] Notice the stillness at the bottom of the exhale.

[00:09:52] Once again, inhale through the nose.

[00:09:58] Pause.

[00:10:00] Exhale through your mouth.

[00:10:07] Continue breathing mindfully in and out of the nose, keeping the lips softly closed.

[00:10:16] Pay attention to the expression on your face.

[00:10:20] Can you invite a soft smile?

[00:10:25] Notice if that changes the quality of the breath.

[00:10:31] Notice if you feel a bit more established in your own being, a bit more svasta.

[00:11:26] Envision a radiant light surrounding you, a cocoon of svasta, a place where self-care

[00:11:33] unfolds as a luminous act of self-love.

[00:11:41] As you inhale, visualize the warmth of self-love infusing every cell of your being.

[00:11:58] Let this love expand with each exhale, creating a soothing symphony that resonates through

[00:12:07] your mind, body, and spirit.

[00:12:14] Continue.

[00:13:06] Picture yourself as a gardener of the soul, tending to the delicate flowers of self-care.

[00:13:16] In the quietude of this moment, ask yourself, what blossoms need nurturing tonight?

[00:13:27] Perhaps it's the flower of rest, the bud of mindfulness, or the leaf of gratitude.

[00:13:37] Whatever it may be, grant yourself the gift of intentional care.

[00:13:51] Just as this garden is its own little ecosystem, recognize that your community is also distributed

[00:13:59] between you and your loved ones, your friends and neighbors.

[00:14:05] Feel the interconnectedness of self-love and the ability to love your neighbor as yourself.

[00:14:17] Svasta is not a solitary island, but a bridge that connects you to others.

[00:14:26] By cultivating a garden of well-being within, you amplify your capacity to extend compassion

[00:14:34] and care to those around you.

[00:14:38] Breathe in, breathe out.

[00:15:03] In the softness of this meditation, recognize that self-care is not a luxury, but a sacred

[00:15:12] duty, a practice that aligns with the ancient wisdom of Svasta and the modern understanding

[00:15:20] of Parkinson's law.

[00:15:23] Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

[00:15:31] There will always be more tasks to fill your time.

[00:15:38] Self-care is a positive step toward not only your own physical, spiritual, and emotional

[00:15:45] well-being, but it is also a way to love your neighbor.

[00:15:52] As you take this time for yourself, you contribute to the symphony of well-being, weaving threads

[00:16:00] of love that extend far beyond the boundaries of this moment.

[00:16:08] Recognize your whole body.

[00:16:11] From the top of your head to the tips of your toes, feel your whole body as one field of

[00:16:27] awareness.

[00:16:28] Everything is connected.

[00:16:41] Even if you are not able to access every part of your body with your consciousness, you

[00:16:48] are there.

[00:16:49] And there you are.

[00:16:56] Feeling the whole body, the whole, the whole.

[00:17:11] Feel your whole body as a whole.

[00:17:17] Whole body, whole body, whole body, whole body, whole body, whole.

[00:19:27] When we truly consider self-care to be an act of love, not only toward ourselves, but

[00:19:35] also toward others, the tendency to put it off decreases.

[00:19:43] Acknowledge that taking intentional and dedicated time to actively nurture and care for yourself,

[00:19:53] your body, your mind, and your spirit, you are actively nurturing and caring for others

[00:20:03] at the same time.

[00:20:08] Recognize the interconnectedness of everything.

[00:20:26] As I guide you through the following areas of the body, these individual parts are never

[00:20:33] separate from the whole of yourself.

[00:20:38] At each point, I will say a word.

[00:20:44] Repeat each word silently in your mind, and then allow about 10 seconds of silence.

[00:20:51] Bring your awareness to your feet, and silently repeat the word, feet.

[00:21:21] Knees, knees, at the root of your spine, deep within your pelvis.

[00:21:50] Bring your awareness to the root, and silently repeat the word, root.

[00:22:18] At the level of your sacrum, where sexual energy resides, say to yourself, silently

[00:22:25] in your mind, sex.

[00:22:40] Sex.

[00:22:53] Navel, navel.

[00:23:05] Heart, heart.

[00:23:27] Throat, throat.

[00:24:01] At the brow center, within the midbrain, there is a center for inner vision.

[00:24:09] Silently repeat the word, eye, eye, at the crown of your head.

[00:24:34] Bring your awareness to the crown, and mentally repeat, crown, crown.

[00:25:02] We share the air with the whole world, and the atoms that make up our body are composed

[00:25:10] of energy, which, in turn, composes the entirety of the universe.

[00:25:20] Expand your consciousness beyond the limits of your physical body in the same manner.

[00:25:27] Silently pronounce, earth, earth.

[00:25:51] Moon, moon.

[00:26:03] Sun, sun.

[00:26:24] Solar system, solar system.

[00:26:48] Galaxy, galaxy.

[00:27:12] Universe, universe.

[00:27:55] Many people accept that we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

[00:28:02] It's an axiomatic ethic, and yet when we look deeper at ourselves and at others, we

[00:28:12] see that we love our neighbors poorly when we do not show ourselves love.

[00:28:18] As you breathe, feel the interconnectedness of self-love and the ability to love your

[00:28:27] neighbor as yourself.

[00:28:30] Svasta is not a solitary island, but a bridge that connects you to others.

[00:28:37] By cultivating a garden of well-being within, you amplify your capacity to extend compassion

[00:28:45] and care to those around you.

[00:28:50] Tend to your garden now, before your family is hungry.

[00:28:57] This meditation is, in itself, an act of self-love and self-care.

[00:29:05] Take time each day to intentionally contribute to your own emotional, physical, and spiritual health.

[00:29:22] See yourself now, engaged in some activity that brings balance and fulfillment to your existence.

[00:29:37] See yourself in a moment when you feel vibrant, healthy, relaxed, centered.

[00:29:54] What expression is on your face?

[00:30:00] See the expression that you want to see.

[00:30:05] Allow yourself to feel that in this moment, here and now.

[00:30:19] Feel the warm energy that radiates from within you as you sense your body, mind, and spirit aligned.

[00:30:38] Understand the sense of svasta.

[00:30:41] Health is more than the absence of illness.

[00:30:49] When you are established within yourself, you are truly healthy.

[00:30:56] As you take time to make your well-being a priority for yourself and for your neighbors,

[00:31:08] understand how vital it is.

[00:31:13] Understand that self-care is not a luxury, but that it is your birthright.

[00:31:20] Breathe in. Breathe out.

[00:32:56] Relax deeply as you feel the gentle, easy softness of this meditation.

[00:33:04] Remain in this space.

[00:33:09] Remain in this beautiful affirmation of your own worthiness.

[00:33:19] Feel yourself accepting this moment of self-care.

[00:33:25] As you continue to breathe in and out through your nose,

[00:33:31] say to yourself silently, in your mind,

[00:33:36] I honor the need to nurture my well-being.

[00:34:04] Breathe in. Breathe out.

[00:34:32] The whole body absorbs this warm, healing energy of self-love.

[00:35:14] To love our neighbor as ourself, we must love ourself.

[00:35:26] Each moment of self-care becomes a moment of love woven into the fabric of life that connects us all to each other.

[00:35:38] Melt into this moment of release and surrender into the ocean of self-care

[00:35:46] to share this warmth and peace and ease with the world around you.

[00:35:54] Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.