So in tonight's episode of the Grounded Sleep Podcast,
We're gonna allow ourselves to really melt into the darkness of the night.
But before we do,
I want you to take a moment and just notice the lighting in your room and see if it's dark enough for you.
And I will confess that I like my room really dark.
I use blackout curtains and I even put a sock over the light that comes off my humidifier.
But we're all different.
But just take a moment and make sure the lighting in the room or the darkness in the room is right where you want it.
This podcast is not sponsored by any socks that I use to cover up lights.
So when you're ready,
Go ahead and get into bed,
Get under that blanket and find that sweet spot.
And tonight let's explore the profound gift that darkness offers us.
And darkness is not something we have to fear.
It's a natural sanctuary that really allows a human being to sleep.
And let's begin by understanding what happens in the body when darkness comes.
So as the light fades around us,
The pineal gland,
A small pine cone shaped structure deep in the brain begins its nightly ritual.
It starts producing melatonin,
Which is often called the sleep hormone.
And this isn't just chemistry.
It's also,
We can say,
An ancient conversation between your body and the natural world around you.
And since the beginning of human beings,
We've followed the rhythm of light and dark.
Our ancestors gathered around fires as the night got dark and their bodies naturally started preparing for rest.
Just notice before we go any further that your eyelids are getting heavier.
That melatonin is beginning to do its gentle work.
Perhaps your core body temperature is coming down.
Your heart rate is slowing.
And every cell in your body is preparing for the restoration that comes when you sleep.
And let's start to sink a little deeper into the darkness together.
And so darkness is not just an absence of light,
But let's imagine it has a presence of its own.
It has a soft,
Enveloping presence that holds you while you sleep.
And it's here to help you rest and regenerate.
And it gives you a break from the day.
Allow yourself to breathe naturally.
And with your eyes closed,
Just notice your own inner darkness.
And this darkness has a stillness to it.
And it's unaffected by the demands of the world or what happened today.
And you can let your body start to get heavier and more relaxed in your bed.
And you can notice the darkness that exists both within you and around you.
You can feel the darkness that surrounds your physical form.
And it has almost like a soft presence.
And this darkness isn't just empty space.
It has a fullness to it.
In a way,
It's supportive.
And as you fall asleep,
It holds you in a gentle embrace.
In many wisdom traditions,
Darkness is seen as the void from which all things emerge.
It's not just empty space,
But let's say it's a pregnant space that's filled with potential.
And it's a very peaceful space.
And as you fall asleep tonight,
Let yourself connect with that ancient understanding of darkness.
And make sure you're slowly and deeply breathing and allow your entire body to start to relax more and more.
Notice that darkness has a restfulness texture to it.
And if you've had any resistance to darkness in the past,
See if you can embrace it as your ally tonight.
As you fall asleep,
If thoughts arise as they will,
You don't need to fight them.
You can just acknowledge them like clouds passing through the dark night sky.
They simply move through and dissolve.
And you can notice that your body has an intelligence and knows how to sleep.
And there's nothing you need to do to make it happen.
And slowly your nervous system is shifting from its job during the day of being alert into restoration through the night.
And when you really let yourself start to dissolve into the darkness of the night,
You can just notice how peaceful that really is to not have to do anything.
Simply rest in this ancient healing darkness.
Allow it to carry you into a restorative,
Restful sleep.
You might notice your body getting heavier and heavier in the bed.
You might notice your breath getting slower and deeper.
And see if you can just allow yourself to feel fully supported.
Allow yourself to feel really safe.
And just like light has a purpose,
It brings life.
Darkness also has a purpose.
It brings restoration.
It brings rest.
It brings stillness.
You can allow yourself to enjoy falling asleep.
There is no effort.
It's not a chore.
And it can be the best kind of boring.
Allow yourself to dissolve into that deep,
Deep sleep.
Darkness tonight.
