Imagine letting go of the holiday stress while relaxing and grounding yourself in the comforting presence of God's word. Pause with this meditation and receive the gifts of God's hope, peace, joy, and love this season.
Begin by finding a comfortable position, lying on your back with your arms by your sides and your legs extended. Close your eyes gently and take a few deep breaths, and let's find rest with God this Advent.
You'll hear these verses as you relax:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27 CEB
You who are righteous, rejoice in the LORD and be glad! All you whose hearts are right, sing out in joy! Psalms 32:11 CEB
We have known and have believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who remain in love remain in God and God remains in them. 1 John 4:16 CEB
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Hi, this is Whitney and you're listening to Exploring Peace Meditations. This meditation invites you to prepare your heart, your body, your spirit, your mind for rest this Advent season as we prepare to welcome Christ this Christmas. Things can be busy, overwhelming, rushed and hurried, but they don't have to be. You can find rest this Advent season. You're finding it now. So begin by lying in a comfortable position on your back, with your arms by your sides and legs extended. Close your eyes and take a few deep, purposeful breaths, inhaling through your nose, exhaling through your mouth. If it feels right, you could start with a few sighs, letting go of any tension audibly as you release your next breath. Choose to surrender to this present moment and rest. Rest in God's presence. Feel the surface beneath you, whether you're practicing on the floor or in your bed, on the couch or on a yoga mat. Feel the surface beneath your body. Notice the points of contact between you and what's beneath you. Notice the sensation of your breath as you inhale and exhale. Follow the sound of my voice as I guide you through this relaxing meditation. If you find yourself drifting off to sleep, that's okay. Try to stay with my voice and allow this yoga nidra to seep into your soul, offering you rest and restoration with God.
Speaker 1:
As we enter this time of AdvertRest, let us focus on the themes of hope, peace, joy and love. These gifts the season brings us, gifts that go beyond the busyness and the chaos. Allow yourself to receive these gifts now Hope, peace, joy and love. Creator, god, we give thanks for the gift of Christ and the gifts of hope, peace, joy and love that Christ brings to our lives. As we pause now for this time of restoration in your presence, be with us, remind us of your presence as close as our breath. I'll guide you through a body scan. Follow the sound of my voice, bringing awareness to each part of your body To remain present, you may simply choose to visualize and see in your mind's eye the parts of your body as I name them, or you may choose to tighten and release each body part, softening and relaxing throughout the meditation.
Speaker 1:
Take your awareness to the top of your head. Invite God's hope, peace, joy and love to cover you from the top of your head to the bottoms of your feet. Now take your awareness to your forehead the back of the skull, the neck, the bridge of the nose, the cheeks Inside the mouth, top lip, bottom lip, the whole face, the whole head, the whole face. Allow your awareness to travel into your chest, the back of the chest, the sides of the chest, the front of the chest, belly, hips, right leg, right foot, left leg, left foot, backs of the legs, front of the legs, right arm, right hand, left arm, left hand, the back of the whole body, the front of the whole body, your whole body. Relax your whole body.
Speaker 1:
Shift your attention to your breath. Notice the natural rhythm of your breath With each inhalation. Envision God filling your lungs with hope, peace, joy and love, hope. May the God of Hope fill you with joy and peace in faith, so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Pause and reflect on the hope this season brings you, the hope that Advent offers you through the gift of God's love, the hope that the Christ child brings.
Speaker 1:
So, with your next breath, notice if there is any tension or tightness remaining in your body as you exhale. Release that tension, soften and relax, allowing your body to sink deeper into relaxation and connect with God's gift of peace. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you, I give to you, not as the world gives. Don't be troubled or afraid. Relax in God's peace. Feel the peace that comes from knowing that you are held in the arms of a loving presence.
Speaker 1:
Welcome God's joy. Even when times are tough and challenging, god longs for us to receive joy. Imagine it now. You who are righteous, rejoice in the Lord and be glad. All you whose hearts are right, sing out in joy. Visualize joy, see it, sense it, feel joy in your body.
Speaker 1:
God's joy Now. Open your heart to God's love. We have known and have believed the love that God has for us. God is love and those who remain in love remain in God and God remains in them. Allow the love of God to surround you now, filling your heart with a deep sense of love and compassion this season. What does it look like to be filled with God's love? What does it feel like, soak in God's love as you breathe Full inhalations, long extended exhalations, fully relaxed, fully held in God's love. Now open your heart to God's love. God's love Now open your heart to God's love. God's love, god's love. From the top of your head to the bottoms of your feet, you've been covered in the gifts of hope, peace, joy and love. These gifts, these gifts of God, are yours to receive and share this season. Creator, god, we give thanks for the gift of Christ and for the hope, peace, joy and love you offer us. May we not only soak in these and receive these, but help us share them one with another. In Christ's name, we pray Amen.
Speaker 1:
To transition back into your day, take a few moments to gradually bring awareness to your surroundings. When you're ready, you'll gently open your eyes and carry this restoration and stillness with you into your day or your evening. If you're drifting off to sleep, may you rest well and may you wake tomorrow filled with God's hope, peace, joy and love. Thanks for allowing me to be on this journey with you. If you'd like additional Advent resources, check out Whitney R Simpson dot com slash advent for your advent calendar. Links to fully human, fully divine, lots of playlists and other podcasts. Thanks for being here and exploring the gift of God's peace with me. You can always find me at Whitney R Simpson dot com or our community that supports the podcast at exploringpeacecom slash community. Until next time, may God's peace be with you.