Letting Go Of Stress And Worry For Sleep

This track is a guided sleep meditation to help you gently let go of stress, worry, and thoughts from your day. You’ll be invited to settle into a comfortable position, connect with your breath, and use a simple “noting” technique to label thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them, creating more space for calm. As you continue to notice and name what arises, you’ll be guided back to the breath and the sense of the body being supported, allowing tension to soften and the mind to quieten. You can use this practice at bedtime or if you wake in the night, knowing that each time you return to it, you’re training your mind and body to relax more easily into sleep.

Music - Music Of Wisdom: Unlimited Being

Transcript

Hello, It's Eve here. I'm sorry if you're feeling stressed right now. This meditation is designed to help you release the thoughts, Worries and experiences of your day so you can ease into a restful sleep and wake up feeling rested and restored. Stress is really good at keeping us awake so together we're going to invite a sense of ease into the mind and body so you can let go of the day and sleep soundly. So we're going to practice the noting technique and this is a core mindfulness practice that helps you observe your thoughts without getting caught up in them, Making space for calm, For ease and for letting go. So take a moment to get into a comfortable position, Lying down in bed if that feels good or perhaps unwinding on the couch and really inviting the body to relax. Feel the softness of the fabric of a blanket or a cushion supporting you and gently closing your eyes, Allowing the eyes to feel heavy and relaxed and take a slow breath in through your nose and exhale gently out through your mouth and repeating this a few more times, Allowing your body to begin to relax. So often when it comes time for bedtime the mind can feel busy and stressed from the day so let's begin by anchoring your attention on the sensation of the breath, Noticing the gentle rise and fall in your belly or your chest noticing where in the body you feel the gentle movement of your breathing. So being curious about where you feel the sensation of the breath in the body, And paying attention to each inhale and each gentle exhale. There is nothing else to do right now, The day is done, It is time to rest. And if your mind starts to wander, There's nothing wrong if that happens, The mind was designed to think. But in that moment that you notice you've been carried away by a thought, Just see if you can gently note it. You might just silently say okay thinking if you find that your mind is generating thoughts about the day, Or perhaps remembering if you are recalling an event or a conversation about something. Or maybe it's planning if you're thinking about tomorrow, Or maybe worrying if you notice some anxiety rising. There's no need to judge or change anything, We're simply observing things as they are with compassion for what is here and then gently letting them go. Much like you watch clouds pass by in the sky, We're just observing, Observing thoughts in the mind without getting too mixed up in them. And it's okay if you have to do this every few seconds, It doesn't mean that there's something wrong with how much you're thinking. It's in noticing that we're able to return to the present moment. Acknowledging each thought with a simple gentle label and then returning your focus to the breath. And using it as an anchor to the present moment. And in doing this we're giving the mind and body some space to relax, To soften so that in turn you can then easily fall asleep. And emotions may arise, That too is okay. You maybe feel a certain sensation in the body when a certain emotion arises, Maybe it's restlessness, A sense of unease, Anxiety. And you can gently note these too. A simple label of okay this is worry, This is anxiety, This is frustration, Whatever it might be. In noting it we're giving it space to be there. And then intentionally coming back to the breath, A steady anchor in the body. You're not trying to push thoughts away or empty the mind. The practice is to see your thoughts and feelings like passing clouds in the night sky. Observing them, Naming them and letting them drift by. Creating space for ease and sleep. Continuing to breathe, Allowing the body to soften and relax. Gently noting when the mind gets distracted. And remember it's a very soft, Gentle noting. My meditation teacher described it to me once as it's as gentle as a feather would be on a glass. There is no need to criticize that you got distracted or that the mind is busy. You may have had a really difficult day and there may be much on your mind. This practice is an invitation to begin to put that down. To know that you don't need to carry it with you into sleep. With each return to the breath, You're training your mind to let go. Supporting deeper relaxation and readiness for sleep. So gently breathing, Feeling your body relaxed, Supported and ready for sleep. It's okay if you wake in the night. Know that you can return to this practice at any point. I'll let the music play for a few more minutes. So just resting here. Breathing, Inviting the mind and body to soften into sleep. And taking a moment to thank yourself for taking this time to care for your mind and body. Rest well and sweet dreams.