Lie down in the position that feels most comfortable for you,
Allowing your body to settle into the surface beneath you.
You don't need to stay awake for this or even hear every word.
If you fall asleep at any point,
Let yourself drift off.
There's nothing you need to finish.
Nothing you need to figure out.
Nothing you need to fix.
For the rest of the evening,
Your only job is to rest.
Take a slow breath in through your nose.
And let it leave gently through your mouth.
Again,
Breathe in slowly.
Breathe out even more slowly.
One more time.
And let it go.
Now let your breath settle into a slow,
Gentle rhythm.
Breathe in through your nose for four.
Two,
Three.
Four and slowly breathe out for six two three four five six again breathing in two three four and out two 3.
.
.
4.
.
.
Five,
Six,
One more time.
Two.
Three.
Four and out two three four five six Now release the counting.
Let your breath return to its natural rhythm.
There's nothing you need to control.
Simply let your body breathe.
Now bring your attention to your hands.
Gently press your fingertips into your thumbs.
Feel the pressure where they meet.
And hold that pressure for a moment.
And release.
Again,
Gently press.
Hold.
And release.
One more time,
Press,
Hold.
And release.
Now let your hands go completely soft.
Noticing the difference between effort and release.
Let them rest.
Feel the surface underneath your body.
Notice everywhere your body makes contact with the surface.
Feeling the weight of your body being held beneath you.
You don't have to hold yourself up anymore today.
Just let the surface beneath you do that for you.
Take another slow breath in.
And as you breathe out,
Unclench your jaw.
Let your tongue rest softly inside your mouth.
Let the muscles around your eyes soften.
Let your forehead become smooth.
Now listen to the sound of my voice.
Feel the temperature of the air against your skin.
Feel any covers you have resting over your body.
Feel the gentle movement created by your breath.
You are here.
The day is over.
And now your body gets to rest.
Bring your attention all the way down to your feet.
Feel your toes.
The bottoms of your feet.
Your heels.
Letting them become heavy.
Your feet have nothing else to do tonight.
So let them rest.
Move your awareness into your ankles.
Your calves.
Your shins Feel them sinking a little deeper into the bed.
And bring your attention to your knees.
And then your thighs.
Let the entire weight of your legs be held by the surface beneath you.
Nothing to tighten.
Nothing to brace.
Let your legs rest.
Now bring your awareness to your hips and pelvis.
Let them become heavy.
Let your stomach soften completely.
Feel your belly gently rise as you breathe in.
And settle as you breathe out.
You don't need to control your breathing.
Your body knows how to breathe all on its own.
Let it begin to find its own rhythm.
And bring your attention to your lower back.
Your middle back.
Her upper back.
Feeling the surface beneath you supporting every part of you.
Let your shoulders drop.
Let your arms become heavy.
Your upper arms.
Your elbows.
Your forearms.
Your wrists.
Your palms.
And each finger.
Nothing left to carry tonight.
Nothing left to hold.
Bring your attention to your neck.
Nothing you need to stretch or change Simply let it be supported.
Soften your jaw again.
Let your cheeks soften Let the tiny muscles around your eyes release Let your eyelids become heavier.
Let your forehead smooth.
And now become aware of your whole head.
You don't need to search for the headache.
You already know it's there.
And you don't have to fight it.
You don't have to measure it.
You don't have to check whether it's getting better.
Right now,
You're simply allowing the rest of your body to soften around what you feel.
Imagine the sensation taking up one small area inside an enormous amount of space.
There's space beneath it.
Space above it.
Space behind it.
Space around it.
The sensation can be there without taking up all of that space.
Now take a slow breath in.
And let it go.
The sensation does not need to disappear for your body to soften around it.
Let your jaw stay loose.
Let your shoulders stay heavy.
Let your hands remain open.
Let your belly remain soft.
Your body can rest without waiting for everything to feel perfect.
Now imagine that it's evening and you're lying beneath a large tree in a quiet meadow.
The sky above you is deep blue.
The last light of the day is disappearing behind the hills.
The grass beneath you is soft and cool.
The trunk of the tree is wide and strong.
Its branches stretch high above you.
The green leaves move slowly in the evening breeze.
You hear them rustling overhead.
Slow.
Soft.
Study.
Beside you is a clear stream.
The water moves slowly over smooth stones.
You hear the quiet sound of the water passing over them.
Nothing here is rushing.
Nothing here is asking anything from you.
The day is ending here too.
Feel the coolness of the grass beneath your feet.
That coolness moves slowly into your ankles,
Through your calves.
Into your knees.
Through your thighs and hips.
Across your stomach.
Through your back.
Across your shoulders.
Down both arms.
Into your hands.
Your entire body feels comfortably cool and heavy.
Now feel that coolness moving gently through your neck.
Across your jaw.
Behind your eyes.
Across your forehead.
Around your temples.
Across the top and back of your head.
It doesn't push.
It doesn't pull.
It doesn't need anything to change.
It simply creates space.
Quiet.
Spacious.
The stream continues moving beside you.
Study.
Slow.
Soft.
A single leaf falls from the tree and it lands gently on the water.
The stream catches it and the leaf begins to float away.
You watch it move farther from you.
Slowly drifting downstream.
Farther away.
And farther away.
Until it disappears around the bend.
Another leaf falls.
It touches the water.
And this dream carries that one away too.
You don't need to follow it.
You don't need to know where it goes.
You simply let it leave.
Another leaf falls and it drifts away.
And another.
Each one carried effortlessly downstream.
Thoughts can pass the same way.
A thought comes.
And then it moves on.
Nothing to follow,
Nothing to solve.
Nothing to remember for tomorrow.
The stream will carry it.
Your body can stay here.
Heavy.
Quiet.
Support it.
The sky above you grows darker.
The first stars appear between the branches.
The air becomes still.
The leaves become quiet.
The stream continues its slow rhythm beside you.
And your body becomes heavier against the earth.
Your feet are heavy.
Your legs are heavy.
Your hips are heavy.
Your stomach is soft.
Your shoulders and arms are heavy.
Your hands are soft.
Your jaw is loose.
Your eyes are resting.
Your forehead is smooth.
Your whole body is allowed to become still.
Take a slow breath in.
And release it without effort.
Another slow breath in.
And let it go.
You don't need to listen closely anymore.
My voice can begin to move farther away.
There's nothing else you need to do.
Your breathing will continue without thinking about it.
Your body knows what to do while you sleep.
The stream keeps moving.
Slow steady.
And soft.
The night sky stretches above you.
The earth holds you underneath.
And you are completely supported between the two.
You don't have to make sleep happen.
You can simply allow yourself to drift toward it Let your thoughts become quieter Let the spaces between them become longer.
Let my words become less important You don't have to follow them anymore.
Just rest.
The stream keeps moving.
The night becomes quieter.
Your body becomes heavier.
Your breathing becomes softer.
And everything else can wait until tomorrow.
Nothing needs your attention tonight.
Nothing needs to be solved tonight.
Nothing needs to be carried tonight.
Your body is supported.
Your mind can become quiet.
Her breath can become soft.
Rest.
Soften.
Let go.
The stream keeps moving.
Slow.
Study.
Your body keeps breathing.
The Earth keeps holding you.
The night stays quiet around you.
There's nowhere you need to go.
Nothing you need to do.
Nothing you need to change.
Just rest.
And allow yourself to drift farther and farther into sleep.
You are supported.
You are resting.
And there's nothing more you need to do.
