Guided meditation for deep relaxation,
Sleep,
Rest and falling back asleep.
Welcome to this meditation for deep relaxation,
Restful sleep and peaceful rest.
Whether you're settling in for the night or returning to sleep after waking up unexpectedly,
This practice is designed to guide your body and mind into profound ease and natural sleep.
As you rest your body and mind and simply listen,
You'll be invited to connect more deeply with your nervous system,
Release all forms of tension,
And cultivate the conditions for deep,
Restorative sleep.
As you rest your body and mind and simply listen,
You'll be invited to connect more deeply with your nervous system,
Release all forms of tension,
And cultivate the conditions for deep,
Restorative rest and being able to easily fall back asleep.
This meditation helps you transition into sleep or fall back asleep with greater ease,
Quiet racing thoughts and nighttime anxiety,
Release physical and mental tension held throughout the day.
And helps your nervous system return to a state of calm regulation whenever you need it.
So let's begin.
As you lie in bed,
Take a moment to arrive fully.
In this moment and in this space.
Notice and appreciate how you are choosing to prepare yourself for deep relaxation and sleep.
Allowing yourself to care for your body and mind,
Rest deeply and enjoy a truly restorative night.
Now,
If you'll start by taking a deep inhale through your nose,
Immediately followed by a second shorter inhale through your nose,
And then exhale through your mouth with a deep sigh,
It would sound something like this.
Hmmmm.
.
.
And repeat this process at least two more times.
Sigh.
Sigh.
Until you get a yawn,
A burp or some other internal shift.
This is the signal that your rest and digest system is coming online and that your vagus nerve is releasing health tension so that you may experience deeper restfulness and sleep.
If you don't experience a yawn or some other form of release,
Then I invite you to open your mouth wide and close it a few times.
Releasing tension held in your jaw.
And inviting a yawn in.
Maybe even mimicking one until it comes.
Being very patient with yourself in this process.
You're not trying to force a yawn or some other cathartic release.
You're simply inviting one.
And if no yawn comes.
Just allow yourself to let go of any expectation and continue with the meditation trusting that rest and relaxation will come once you've released enough stress or held tension.
Now,
If you lovingly ask your body,
What would it feel like to fall asleep right now?
And let the answer come from your body rather than from your mind.
As you start developing a deeper relationship with your body and truly listening to what it has to tell you.
Maybe it will show you what else it needs to be able to feel safe and comfortable enough to fall asleep and rest deeply.
Maybe your body wants you to cover your eyes for extra sensory comfort and less stimulation.
Maybe your body wants you to move around for a bit until you find a position that actually provides you with enough support and deep comfort.
Allowing your body to yield into this gentle support.
Or maybe your body would benefit from the temperature in your room being cooler,
So that it mimics how nights get cooler in nature,
And how our ancestors were able to find rest at night when they felt safe,
And their biology started slowing down.
As if hibernating.
Or maybe it's some sort of white noise in the space that would be calming and help block other sounds from the environment that might be too stimulating for your nervous system at this time.
Whatever your body needs,
See if you can simply listen and respond by being deeply attuned to your body's needs through active listening.
And even directly asking your body what it feels it needs.
And then doing your best to offer anything that supports meeting those needs.
Trust and know.
That if you give your body what it truly needs to feel safe and supported,
It will start to settle down.
And what that looks like is going to be very different.
For different people.
Now,
Take a little time feeling into the comfort of your bed or the surface you're lying on.
Remaining in that open appreciative state of tuning into any type of comfort and really paying attention.
And noticing how comfortable your body can become and is becoming right now.
And if you haven't settled into comfort yet,
And you still need to find that level of comfort that will allow your body to feel safe and supported,
See if you could just let yourself move around a little more until your body is truly comfortable.
Noticing and savoring,
Being in a comfortable,
Cozy and safe space right now.
Realizing that the more you savor the comfort,
The easier it will be for your body and mind to let go and allow sleep to come.
Gradually.
Naturally.
Now,
Lovingly ask your body once more.
What would it feel like to just fall asleep right now?
And deeply feel into that,
Not as a concept in your mind,
But as an embodied experience.
You simply feeling the comfort,
Ease and pleasure.
On what it might be like to fall asleep right now.
Without thinking,
Allow your body to take the shape it would take and to relax all tension from its muscles and tissues as you envision what it would feel like to simply fall asleep right now.
Lovingly,
Effortlessly.
Allow your body and mind to fall into a pleasant and restorative slumber.
And if you're still on your way to dreamland or deep sleep.
Sinking deeper and deeper with each gentle breath.
Just know that I'll continue talking and other times I'll be completely silent.
And I am here with you,
For you.
Supporting you to find your greater sleep.
Your most restorative and rejuvenating time for yourself.
And so I were drifting into sleep now and allowing the music and the sound of my voice to simply accompany you.
Allow your eyes to relax even deeper into their sockets.
Deeply and safely resting into your skull.
Entering the realm of your inner world.
And letting go of the busyness of the day.
So that if your eyes aren't closed yet,
They can begin to close now.
As your eyelids get heavier and heavier.
Your eyes naturally close.
Now,
If you're still aware of my voice and need a little extra help falling asleep and feeling comfortable and safe in your environment,
Without opening your eyes.
Begin to move them behind your closed eyelids as if you were looking around in the dark and sensing into your space.
Orienting to your space and the safety and comfort it provides you.
With your eyes closed,
If that's okay with you,
And resting deep into their sockets.
While simultaneously connecting to the familiar elements of your space.
Like the walls around you.
And objects in your room that bring you a sense of safety and comfort.
And really supporting your body to feel safe and comfortable now.
Beginning to feel the weight of your sheets or covers.
Feeling the comfort of your pillow.
Sensing the softness of your skin on the fabric you're lying on and connecting to any relaxing or comforting scent in the room you're in.
If there are any discernible ones.
If at any point now or later.
You notice your mind wandering into all the things you might be planning or concerned about tomorrow or in the days ahead.
Don't ignore it.
Instead,
Gently and lovingly turn towards your mind and tell it that you hear it.
And that you're aware of all these things that you'll be engaging with tomorrow or that feel unfinished from the day.
And that you'll give them your full attention tomorrow after you've enjoyed a restful night.
And then gently and lovingly let those thoughts go,
One by one.
Maybe watching them like you would autumn golden leaves floating away on a stream.
Carried by the soothing and calming rhythm of water.
Gradually washing away all your worries and concerns.
And as you watch the golden leaves slowly flowing down the stream.
Let them know that you see them.
And that one each time.
You will be there to meet them and handle them.
With the greatest care,
Love and wisdom.
Because you'll be freshly rested and resourced.
And keep watching them float away,
Slowly.
Poetically.
Freeing yourself from stress and worry.
So that you can gradually feel lighter and lighter and more and more relaxed.
And while you continue to watch your worries and concerns slowly flowing down the stream.
See if you can non-judgmentally sense the feelings and sensations in your body.
That are both driving those thoughts.
And that are also being revalidated and magnified by those thoughts.
In an infinite body-brain feedback loop.
And simply acknowledge that this is happening.
And choose to be extra kind to yourself as those thoughts,
Feelings and emotions continue to surface and float away.
Gently let your body and mind know that tomorrow when you awake,
After a deeply refreshing and restorative sleep,
You'll have the clarity and the energy to handle whatever needs to be handled.
And that rest right now is the very best thing you can do to prepare yourself for everything that's still ahead.
And realize that by resting now.
You're giving yourself the gift of presence,
Capacity.
Flexibility.
And resilience for all that awaits you.
And allow your mind to become more and more quiet and still.
Visualizing and feeling the deeply healing effects on your brain of pure white light entering,
Calming and soothing both hemispheres of your brain.
As you lovingly and silently repeat to your brain.
Breathe in calming pure white light.
Breathe out.
It's safe to let go and relax.
Deeper and deeper relax with each and every grounding and calming breath.
Deeper and deeper calm in your brain and mind as you bring in more soothing,
Calming,
Organizing pure white light into your brain.
And simply allow yourself to be just as you are right now.
Sinking into deeper and deeper rest and relaxation.
While also allowing anything that comes up to simply arise in your awareness.
And let it gently flow down the stream of consciousness like beautiful golden autumn leaves on a stream.
Breathing calm.
Breathe out stress.
Breathe in comfort.
Breathe out strain.
You Breathe in peace.
Breathe out worry.
Breathe in love.
Breathe out anxiety.
You Breathe in.
.
.
Breathe out.
Breathe in… breathe out Breathe in.
.
.
Breathe out.
And simply be.
Letting the sound of music and the sound of my voice.
Take you deeper and deeper.
Into the deepest state of calm.
Relaxation.
And well-being.
Where your mind,
Body,
Emotions and your entire being.
Can fully let go and heal.
If you're sound asleep and can hear the sound of my voice.
Just allow yourself to remain in deep,
Relaxing and restorative sleep.
If you've woken up,
And it's still the middle of the night.
Just allow the sound of my voice to gently guide you back into deep sleep.
And this may happen pretty fast.
Or it may happen more slowly and gradually.
And if you'll just make a little space for whatever your body and mind need to settle back into sleep right now.
Releasing all expectations that you should not be waking up as much as you can.
So that your nervous system can settle down more easily.
Cultivating being kind and patient with yourself.
Even if you feel agitated or frustrated about waking up.
The more kind and patient you can be with yourself.
The easier it will be for you to settle down and fall back asleep.
And know that it's totally okay to get agitated or frustrated because you woke up and you're afraid that you might not be able to fall back asleep.
Simply notice that this is coming up for you right now as you continue to be gentle and patient with yourself.
Even gently and lovingly.
Turning towards the part that's agitated,
Frustrated or anxious about waking up in the middle of the night and potentially not being able to fall back asleep and all of what that may mean for you and for the day ahead.
You Know that it's totally natural and normal to want to have a good night's sleep.
And let that part of you know that you hear it and that you understand.
All those sleepless nights and all the ways that this limits your joy,
Your aliveness and your well-being.
Acknowledging that.
As you continue to be gentle and loving with yourself.
And especially with that part of you that may have built up stress and anxiety around not being able to get a good night's sleep.
Knowing in your heart that you deserve a good night's sleep.
And that the more attuned you are with that deep desire,
And the kinder and the more patient you are with that part of you that's stressed and anxious about waking up.
The easier it will be for you to fall back asleep over time.
Now,
If you're still awake.
And would like some help calming your vagus nerve so that hopefully you can fall back asleep faster.
Let's practice the physiological sigh one more time.
If you'll take a deep inhale through your nose followed by a second shoulder inhale through your nose and then exhale through your mouth with a deep sigh.
It would sound something like this Hmm.
And repeat this process as many times as you wish.
Until you get a yawn.
This is the signal that your rest and digest system is coming online and your vagus nerve is releasing health tension so that you can experience deeper sleep.
If you don't experience a yawn,
Then I invite you to open your mouth wide and close it a few times.
Releasing tension held in your jaw.
And inviting a yawn in.
Even mimicking one.
Until it comes.
Being very patient with this process and yourself.
You're not trying to force a yawn.
You're simply inviting one.
And if no yarn comes.
And see if you can just let go of your expectation and simply continue with this meditation.
Now,
If you'll lovingly ask your body,
What would it feel like to fall back asleep right now?
And let the answer come from your body rather than from your mind.
As you continue to develop a deeper relationship with your body.
And truly listen to what it has to tell you.
Maybe we'll show you what else it needs to be able to feel safe and comfortable enough to fall back asleep and rest deeply.
And as you're giving your body what it needs,
If you haven't yet fallen back asleep,
I invite you to continue with a full body relaxation.
That will allow your body to fully let go.
Practicing gently and lovingly relaxing your body now.
You and so if you'll continue finding the most comfortable position in your bed.
And exploring whatever posture will allow you to rest the most.
Allow comfort to gradually deepen.
Be comfortable.
So deeply comfortable.
Inviting that level of comfort in yourself until you find it.
Gently exploring for yourself what it feels like to be comfortable.
And how much more comfortable you can become.
You are getting so much more comfortable now.
With each number down,
Find deeper comfort.
5.
Deepening your level of comfort.
4 more and more comfortable with each number down.
Feel comfort sinking in deeper and deeper.
You are so much more comfortable now.
One,
Allowing comfort to fill your entire being.
You allowing your shoulders to relax and gently drop down as you let comfort sink deeper and deeper.
And noticing the sensations in the tissues,
Muscles and fascia all around your shoulders.
And even sensing the bone structure of your shoulders as they continue dropping down more and more and more.
With each and every exhalation.
And if your eyes are not fully closed yet.
Feel your eyelids becoming gradually heavier.
As your eyes sink deeper into their sockets.
Your eyelids are becoming so heavy.
That it's now really difficult to keep your eyes open.
And so if you'll allow your eyes to naturally close.
When the time is right for you.
Without any effort on your part.
Simply because they feel heavy and they want to rest.
And even softening your eyes as your eyeballs sink deeper and deeper into their sockets.
You and as your eyes gently close and rest deep within their sockets.
Allow your attention to move deeper within.
Turning inwardly towards the place of deepest comfort in your body in this very moment.
Exploring ever more deeply what it feels like to be truly comfortable in your body.
Finding the place of deepest comfort in your body.
And allowing this feeling,
This felt sense,
Wherever you feel it in your body.
To expand and spread throughout the rest of your body.
Now,
If you'll become aware of the places where your body makes contact with your bed,
Or any other surface that's holding you right now.
And let your body yield into that surface.
As your entire being yields into support.
A feeling of support.
Being supported.
Let yourself feel and receive that support and gently let gravity root you to the earth.
Feeling the ground pressing upward into your body.
Offering you complete support.
So that you can heal even deeper.
As you surrender into this support Next,
Gently and lovingly become curious and notice any areas of contraction or tension your body might still be holding.
Holding patterns that might have developed through time when your body may not have felt fully supported before.
Or where your body might still be holding on to some shock,
Situation or event that felt challenging to you.
You and while being kind to yourself and to those tender places within you.
Gently acknowledge in your awareness these places in your body that may still be holding some tension or pain.
Subtle or more pronounced.
And lovingly turn toward them like you would toward a young child who's in pain.
And who's asking for your love and attention.
Now,
If you'll gently take three slow deep breaths in through your nose and slowly out through your mouth,
Gently and gradually lengthening your exhales.
And if you like,
And if it's easy for you,
You can once again make a loud sigh as you breathe out.
Hmm.
Imagine that each sign is a representation of what you are letting go of.
And that with each sigh you become lighter and lighter.
Continue with these deep gentle breaths,
Gradually emphasizing the exhales and sighing with relief until breathing in this way becomes so natural that it happens on its own.
And so you don't have to put any effort into it.
It's just happening naturally.
You You're naturally breathing slow,
Deep,
Rhythmic breaths that are gradually taking you into deeper and deeper relaxation with each and every exhale.
Making you feel lighter and lighter.
As your natural breath takes you deeper and deeper into relaxation.
Notice how your body is sinking deeper.
And yielding into the comfort of the surface it is on.
And imagine that you are able to watch yourself and your whole body in this comfortable position.
Watching and observing yourself with soft loving eyes as you would a young child whom you have deep love and care for.
Because you are still that young child deep inside.
And that young child inside you needs your love and care.
If you happen to still be awake.
Continue being kind with yourself.
As you keep envisioning yourself gradually falling into the deepest and most restful sleep.
Begin to gently scan your body.
From the top of your head all the way down to your fingertips and toes simply noticing where there is tension.
And without making any story or creating any narrative about what the tension means.
Simply be with the sensations as they are.
Meeting yourself.
And being with yourself exactly as you are.
And if you encounter any discomfort,
Contraction,
Tension,
A sense of constriction or even pain.
See if you can soften into it.
Being with yourself in the most loving way.
Maybe even holding yourself.
Gently wrapping your arms around yourself.
And softly hugging yourself to give yourself a sense of containment and gentle support.
Or maybe bringing a pillow between your thighs and tucking your knees in a little closer to your chest,
Closer to your heart.
Finding a space of deep comfort within your own body and the surface you're lying on being ever so kind and gentle with yourself.
A great sage once said.
When your toe hurts.
Can you still be kind to yourself?
Simply explore if you can apply this wise teaching to your whole body,
Your thoughts and your emotions.
And anything that arises within your consciousness.
And allow yourself to soften more.
And more.
And more.
And continue to gently let your body yield into deeper comfort and support.
Maybe for the first time ever.
And as you gradually yield into comfort and support,
More.
And more.
And more.
Begin to bring your attention on your toes.
Lovingly inviting them to soften and relax.
You Feeling what you feel in your toes and gently inviting any tension you feel in your toes to begin to dissolve as you allow your attention and presence to be in your toes.
Once you start feeling your toes more relaxed and even becoming aware that more energy is flowing into and around the areas of your toes,
You can begin to bring your attention to your feet.
And as you maintain your attention on your feet,
Gradually start relaxing all the small muscles inside your feet,
One by one.
Even if you're not aware of what those muscles are or where they are.
Simply bring your awareness into the space of your feet.
And imagine every single muscle in your feet almost melting away as you let your breath soften and become more easeful.
Maintaining your attention only on your toes and feet in this moment.
With the intention of dissolving any remaining tension in your toes and feet.
And you may find that your thoughts naturally wander off and that you become distracted.
That's totally okay.
Let your awareness wander naturally without trying to control it.
It's completely natural and a healthy process.
The mind has been conditioned into.
This is where your nervous system is leading you,
Because it feels that's where you need to pay attention.
So simply let it.
And then as you notice that your mind has wandered Let it wander for a moment.
And simply begin again.
Gently choosing to bring your attention back to the small muscles of your toes and feet.
And gradually relaxing them deeper and deeper with each and every breath.
Once you feel that your toes and feet have become more relaxed and that they feel softer,
Lighter and more at ease,
Continue moving this deep sense of relaxation that you are currently cultivating upward.
As you now begin bringing your attention to your calves and thighs.
Sensing the larger muscles of your legs and inviting them one by one to gradually relax more and more.
Until you feel they have almost melted away.
As you continue to gently breathe in and out in sync with this beautiful unwinding.
Once you feel that your calves and thighs are more relaxed and surrendering to gravity.
Move your awareness into the muscles of your abdomen and chest with the intention of gradually allowing them to relax and come back to their natural state of comfort and ease.
Maybe you can even sense that your breath has become more easeful,
Softer,
Calmer.
Once your chest and abdomen feel a lot more relaxed and yielding into support,
Begin to bring your attention to your spine.
As you gradually relax the muscles along your back.
All the way up to your shoulders and neck.
Softening more and more as you bring a deep sense of relaxation to more and more areas of your body.
And if you become aware of any places where you're unintentionally carrying heightened tension or strain,
You might experiment with sending an easy and gentle breath directly into those places,
Inviting them to loosen,
And allowing any tension they're holding to gradually dissolve.
Once you feel that your spinal muscles,
Shoulders and neck have softened and relaxed,
Begin to bring your attention to the muscles of your face and scalp.
Inviting them to also relax and lighten.
Releasing any tension they have been holding.
Sensing into the deep relaxation that has come over your entire body and bringing your attention.
On the feeling of relaxation itself.
And as you extend the relaxation of your muscles all over your body,
Notice that there is a calmness coming over your entire body.
Notice how this calmness in your body simultaneously calms your mind.
Notice the pleasure and pleasant feelings of being calm in body and mind.
And become gently aware of the feedback loop that is always present between body and mind.
Where being relaxed in your body immediately helps relax your mind.
And where when your mind relaxes,
The relaxation in your body also deepens.
At this point you may be feeling sleepy or even sense yourself falling back asleep.
Just let that process happen naturally in its own timing.
You and if you are sound asleep and can still hear the sound of my voice somewhere in your consciousness,
Let yourself truly savour being asleep and resting your body and mind completely.
If you're still in the process of falling back asleep.
And you sense that there is still some tension or you're struggling a little to connect with any feelings of calm.
See if you can be with that too.
It may take multiple progressive steps to relax the body and mind more fully.
Depending on your nervous system state when you begin the progressive relaxation.
Simply remember.
When my body is tense and I can't connect with feelings of calm in this moment,
Can I still be kind with myself?
And see if you can just do that.
Be kind with yourself.
And any impatience that arises.
By being kind to yourself and with all that arises.
You're gradually rewiring your nervous system and brain teaching them to more easily and sustainably experience a state of peace and regulation.
And a return to homeostatic balance.
Once you've relaxed your whole body to the best of your ability in this moment,
Begin to bring your attention to your heart.
Think of your heart as a muscle that you are relaxing as you slowly continue to gently breathe in and out.
You and you may notice that your heartbeat is slowing down as your body gradually relaxes more and your breath slows down too.
And you may notice that your heartbeat is slowing down as your body gradually relaxes more.
And your breath slows down too.
Imagine,
Sense or feel your body in a state of complete relaxation.
You maybe bringing up a moment in time when your body has felt very deeply relaxed.
And sensing into what that was like in all five of your senses.
To be this deeply relaxed.
Completely relaxed.
And then letting go of the memory and simply staying with the feelings.
Or even moving deeper within and being with the felt sense of that experience you brought into memory.
Feeling deeply relaxed.
More and more relaxed with every passing moment.
So deeply relaxed now.
And see if you can bring your awareness to a sense of simply being as you slowly breathe in and out.
Nothing to do.
Nowhere to go.
No one to be.
Just pure beingness.
Just being you,
Just as you are right now.
Without having to change anything.
And as you experiment with what it feels like to simply be.
To just be yourself just as you are.
Maybe you can feel a sense of warmth or stillness or contentment emerging from within.
You might feel as if you are floating and be overcome with a sense of calmness.
Or you might simply feel lighter,
As if something had lifted.
This is a wonderful time to develop and set an intention to allow well-being to come in.
To take in these emerging feelings of pleasure and peace.
And to anchor them deep within your nervous system and brain,
So that you can easily recall these feelings anytime you choose in the future.
You using this opportunity to let your nervous system know that this state of relaxation is possible,
Desirable and accessible to you.
Whenever you need.
And choose it.
Allowing yourself to remain in this state of deep relaxation,
Calm and true rest for as long as it takes for you to fall asleep.
And just resting in the experience you're creating for yourself of being completely at peace.
Completely relaxed.
Yielding into support.
And gently and lovingly.
Falling asleep now.
One with yourself.
One with all that arises.
One with relaxation.
You one with deep breaths.
One with sleep.
If you're sound asleep and can hear the sound of my voice.
Just allow yourself to remain in deep,
Relaxing and restorative sleep.
If you've woken up.
And it's still the middle of the night.
Just allow the sound of my voice to gently guide you back into deep sleep.
And this may happen pretty fast.
Or it may happen more slowly and gradually.
And if you'll just make a little space for whatever your body and mind need to settle back into sleep right now.
Releasing all expectations that you should not be waking up as much as you can.
So that your nervous system can settle down more easily.
Cultivating being kind and patient with yourself.
Even if you feel agitated or frustrated about waking up.
The more kind and patient you can be with yourself.
The easier it will be for you to settle down and fall back asleep.
And know that it's totally okay to get agitated or frustrated because you woke up and you're afraid that you might not be able to fall back asleep.
Simply notice that this is coming up for you right now.
As you continue to be gentle and patient with yourself.
Even gently and lovingly.
Turning towards the part that's agitated,
Frustrated or anxious about waking up in the middle of the night and potentially not being able to fall back asleep and all of what that may mean for you and for the day ahead.
Know that it's totally natural and normal to want to have a good night's sleep.
And let that part of you know that you hear it and that you understand.
All those sleepless nights and all the ways that this limits your joy,
Your aliveness and your well-being.
Acknowledging that.
As you continue to be gentle and loving with yourself.
And especially with that part of you that may have built up stress and anxiety around not being able to get a good night's sleep.
Know in your heart that you deserve a good night's sleep.
And that the more attuned you are with that deep desire and the kinder and the more patient you are with that part of you that's stressed and anxious about waking up.
The easier it will be for you to fall back asleep over time.
Now,
If you're still awake and would like some help calming your vagus nerve so that hopefully you can fall back asleep faster,
Let's practice the physiological sigh one more time.
If you'll take a deep inhale through your nose followed by a second shoulder inhale through your nose and then exhale through your mouth with a deep sigh.
It would sound something like this.
Hmm.
And repeat this process as many times as you wish.
Until you get a yawn.
This is the signal that your rest and digest system is coming online and your vagus nerve is releasing health tension so that you can experience deeper sleep.
If you don't experience a yawn,
Then I invite you to open your mouth wide and close it a few times.
Releasing tension held in your jaw.
And inviting a yawn in.
Even mimicking one.
Until it calms down.
You being very patient with this process and yourself.
You're not trying to force a yawn.
You're simply inviting one.
And if no yarn comes.
See if you can just let go of your expectation and simply continue with this meditation Now,
If you lovingly ask your body,
What would it feel like to fall back asleep right now?
And let the answer come from your body rather than from your mind.
As you continue to develop a deeper relationship with your body.
And truly listen to what it has to tell you.
Maybe we'll show you what else it needs to be able to feel safe and comfortable enough to fall back asleep and rest deeply.
And as you're giving your body what it needs,
If you haven't yet fallen back asleep,
I invite you to continue with a full body relaxation.
That will allow your body to fully let go.
Practicing gently and lovingly relaxing your body now.
And so if you'll continue finding the most comfortable position in your bed.
And exploring whatever posture will allow you to rest the most.
Allow comfort to gradually deepen.
Be comfortable.
So deeply comfortable.
Inviting that level of comfort in yourself until you find it Gently exploring for yourself what it feels like to be comfortable.
And how much more comfortable you can become.
You are getting so much more comfortable now.
With each number down.
Find deeper comfort.
5.
Deepening your level of comfort.
4 more and more comfortable with each number down.
Feel comfort sinking in deeper and deeper.
You are so much more comfortable now.
One,
Allowing comfort to fill your entire being.
Allowing your shoulders to relax and gently drop down as you let comfort sink deeper and deeper.
And noticing the sensations in the tissues,
Muscles and fascia all around your shoulders.
And even sensing the bone structure of your shoulders as they continue dropping down more and more and more.
With each and every exhalation.
And if your eyes are not fully closed yet.
Feel your eyelids becoming gradually heavier.
As your eyes sink deeper into their sockets.
Your eyelids are becoming so heavy.
That it's now really difficult to keep your eyes open.
And so if you'll allow your eyes to naturally close.
When the time is right for you.
Without any effort on your part.
Simply because they feel heavy and they want to rest.
And even softening your eyes as your eyeballs sink deeper and deeper into their sockets.
And as your eyes gently close and rest deep within their sockets.
Allow your attention to move deeper within.
Turning inwardly towards the place of deepest comfort in your body in this very moment.
Exploring ever more deeply what it feels like to be truly comfortable in your body.
Finding the place of deepest comfort in your body.
And allowing this feeling,
This felt sense,
Wherever you feel it in your body.
To expand and spread throughout the rest of your body.
Now,
If you'll become aware of the places where your body makes contact with your bed,
Or any other surface that's holding you right now,
And let your body yield into that surface.
As your entire being yields into support.
A feeling of support.
Being supported.
Let yourself feel and receive that support and gently let gravity root you to the earth.
Feeling the ground pressing upward into your body.
Offering you complete support.
So that you can heal even deeper.
As you surrender into this support Next,
Gently and lovingly become curious and notice any areas of contraction or tension your body might still be holding.
You holding patterns that might have developed through time when your body may not have felt fully supported before.
Or where your body might still be holding on to some shock,
Situation or event that felt challenging to you.
And while being kind to yourself and to those tender places within you.
Gently acknowledge in your awareness these places in your body that may still be holding some tension or pain.
Subtle or more pronounced.
And lovingly turn toward them like you would toward a young child who's in pain.
And who's asking for your love and attention.
Now,
If you'll gently take three slow deep breaths in through your nose and slowly out through your mouth,
Gently and gradually lengthening your exhales.
And if you like,
And if it's easy for you,
You can once again make a loud sigh as you breathe out.
Hmm.
Imagine that each sign is a representation of what you are letting go of.
And that with each sigh you become lighter and lighter.
Continue with these deep gentle breaths,
Gradually emphasizing the exhales and sighing with relief until breathing in this way becomes so natural that it happens on its own.
And so you don't have to put any effort into it It's just happening naturally.
You You're naturally breathing slow,
Deep,
Rhythmic breaths that are gradually taking you into deeper and deeper relaxation with each and every exhale.
Making you feel lighter and lighter as your natural breath takes you deeper and deeper into relaxation.
Notice how your body is sinking deeper.
And yielding into the comfort of the surface it is on.
And imagine that you are able to watch yourself and your whole body in this comfortable position.
Watching and observing yourself with soft loving eyes as you would a young child whom you have deep love and care for.
Because you are still that young child deep inside.
And that young child inside you needs your love and care.
If you happen to still be awake.
Continue being kind with yourself.
As you keep envisioning yourself gradually falling into the deepest and most restful sleep.
Begin to gently scan your body.
From the top of your head all the way down to your fingertips and toes you simply noticing where there is tension.
And without making any story or creating any narrative about what the tension means.
Simply be with the sensations as they are.
Meeting yourself.
And being with yourself exactly as you are.
And if you encounter any discomfort,
Contraction,
Tension,
A sense of constriction or even pain.
See if you can soften into it.
Being with yourself in the most loving way.
Maybe even holding yourself.
Gently wrapping your arms around yourself and softly hugging yourself to give yourself a sense of containment and gentle support.
Or maybe bringing a pillow between your thighs and tucking your knees in a little closer to your chest,
Closer to your heart.
Finding a space of deep comfort within your own body and the surface you're lying on being ever so kind and gentle with yourself.
A great sage once said.
When your toe hurts.
Can you still be kind to yourself?
You Simply explore if you can apply this wise teaching to your whole body,
Your thoughts and your emotions.
And anything that arises within your consciousness.
And allow yourself to soften more.
And more.
And more.
And continue to gently let your body yield into deeper comfort and support.
Maybe for the first time ever.
And as you gradually yield into comfort and support,
More.
And more.
And more.
Begin to bring your attention on your toes.
Lovingly inviting them to soften and relax.
Feeling what you feel in your toes and gently inviting any tension you feel in your toes to begin to dissolve as you allow your attention and presence to be in your toes.
Once you start feeling your toes more relaxed and even becoming aware that more energy is flowing into and around the areas of your toes,
You can begin to bring your attention to your feet.
And as you maintain your attention on your feet,
Gradually start relaxing all the small muscles inside your feet,
One by one.
Even if you're not aware of what those muscles are or where they are.
Simply bring your awareness into the space of your feet.
And imagine every single muscle in your feet almost melting away as you let your breath soften and become more easeful.
Maintaining your attention only on your toes and feet in this moment.
With the intention of dissolving any remaining tension in your toes and feet.
And you may find that your thoughts naturally wander off and that you become distracted.
That's totally okay.
Let your awareness wander naturally without trying to control it.
It's completely natural and a healthy process.
The mind has been conditioned into.
This is where your nervous system is leading you,
Because it feels that's where you need to pay attention.
So simply let it.
And then as you notice that your mind has wandered Let it wander for a moment.
And simply begin again.
Gently choosing to bring your attention back to the small muscles of your toes and feet.
And gradually relaxing them deeper and deeper with each and every breath.
Once you feel that your toes and feet have become more relaxed and that they feel softer,
Lighter and more at ease,
Continue moving this deep sense of relaxation that you are currently cultivating upward.
As you now begin bringing your attention to your calves and thighs.
Sensing the larger muscles of your legs and inviting them one by one to gradually relax more and more.
Until you feel they have almost melted away.
As you continue to gently breathe in and out in sync with this beautiful unwinding.
You Once you feel that your calves and thighs are more relaxed and surrendering to gravity,
Move your awareness into the muscles of your abdomen and chest with the intention of gradually allowing them to relax and come back to their natural state of comfort and ease.
Maybe you can even sense that your breath has become more easeful,
Softer,
Calmer.
Once your chest and abdomen feel a lot more relaxed and yielding into support,
Begin to bring your attention to your spine.
As you gradually relax the muscles along your back.
All the way up to your shoulders and neck.
Softening more and more as you bring a deep sense of relaxation to more and more areas of your body.
And if you become aware of any places where you're unintentionally carrying heightened tension or strain,
You might experiment with sending an easy and gentle breath directly into those places,
Inviting them to loosen,
And allowing any tension they're holding to gradually dissolve.
Once you feel that your spinal muscles,
Shoulders and neck have softened and relaxed,
Begin to bring your attention to the muscles of your face and scalp.
Inviting them to also relax and lighten.
Releasing any tension they have been holding.
Sensing into the deep relaxation that has come over your entire body and bringing your attention on the feeling of relaxation itself.
You and as you extend the relaxation of your muscles all over your body.
Notice that there is a calmness coming over your entire body.
Notice how this calmness in your body simultaneously calms your mind.
Notice the pleasure and pleasant feelings of being calm in body and mind.
And become gently aware of the feedback loop that is always present between body and mind.
Where being relaxed in your body immediately helps relax your mind.
And where when your mind relaxes,
The relaxation in your body also deepens.
At this point you may be feeling sleepy or even sense yourself falling back asleep.
Just let that process happen naturally in its own timing.
And if you are sound asleep and can still hear the sound of my voice somewhere in your consciousness,
Let yourself truly savour being asleep and resting your body and mind completely.
You If you're still in the process of falling back asleep and you sense that there is still some tension or you're struggling a little to connect with any feelings of calm.
See if you can be with that too.
It may take multiple progressive steps to relax the body and mind more fully.
Depending on your nervous system state when you begin the progressive relaxation.
You simply remember.
When my body is tense and I can't connect with feelings of calm in this moment,
Can I still be kind with myself?
And see if you can just do that.
Be kind with yourself.
And any impatience that arises.
By being kind to yourself and with all that arises.
You're gradually rewiring your nervous system and brain teaching them to more easily and sustainably experience a state of peace and regulation.
And a return to homeostatic balance.
Once you've relaxed your whole body to the best of your ability in this moment,
Begin to bring your attention to your heart.
Think of your heart as a muscle that you are relaxing as you slowly continue to gently breathe in and out.
You and you may notice that your heartbeat is slowing down as your body gradually relaxes more and your breath slows down too.
And you may notice that your heartbeat is slowing down as your body gradually relaxes more and your breath slows down too.
Imagine,
Sense or feel your body in a state of complete relaxation.
Maybe bringing up a moment in time when your body has felt very deeply relaxed.
And sensing into what that was like in all five of your senses.
To be this deeply relaxed.
Completely relaxed.
You and then letting go of the memory and simply staying with the feelings.
Or even moving deeper within and being with the felt sense of that experience you brought into memory.
Feeling deeply relaxed.
More and more relaxed with every passing moment.
So deeply relaxed now.
And see if you can bring your awareness to a sense of simply being as you slowly breathe in and out.
Nothing to do.
Nowhere to go.
No one to be.
Just pure beingness.
Just being you,
Just as you are right now.
Without having to change anything.
And as you experiment with what it feels like to simply be.
To just be yourself,
Just as you are.
Maybe you can feel a sense of warmth or stillness or contentment emerging from within.
You might feel as if you are floating and be overcome with a sense of calmness.
Or you might simply feel lighter,
As if something had lifted you.
This is a wonderful time to develop and set an intention to allow well-being to come in.
To take in these emerging feelings of pleasure and peace.
And to anchor them deep within your nervous system and brain,
So that you can easily recall these feelings anytime you choose in the future.
Using this opportunity to let your nervous system know that this state of relaxation is possible,
Desirable and accessible to you.
Whenever you need and choose it.
Allowing yourself to remain in this state of deep relaxation,
Calm and true rest for as long as it takes for you to fall asleep.
And just resting in the experience you're creating for yourself of being completely at peace.
Completely relaxed.
Yielding into support.
And gently and lovingly.
Falling asleep now.
One with yourself.
One with all that arises.
One with relaxation.
You one with deep breaths.
One with sleep.
You you you you you
