So this sleep meditation is taken from my Tantric Buddhist meditation,
Mahamudra,
Which leads you on a gentle,
Gradual path to the experience of non-duality.
Now whether you are able to open out into non-duality or not doesn't really matter.
The journey there can be profoundly awakening and is a deep path of self-discovery.
So in this practice I will guide you gently on that path so that hopefully you can drift into a deep,
Maybe even lucid sleep.
Go ahead and lie down in your bed and take a little time to really settle in,
Noticing the feeling of the comfortable support of your mattress,
The sensations of your bed sheets under and on top of your body and how they touch the skin,
Noticing how your bed holds your body in a warm embrace as you allow your body to relax into it,
Coming deeper into your body,
Noticing the feelings and sensations of the breath in your body,
The sensation and feelings of your belly,
Lungs and ribs rising and falling naturally as you breathe,
Letting yourself be a quiet witness and curious of all the sensations and feelings that you notice with each in-breath and each out-breath.
Now paying particular attention to the out-breath,
Extending it out a little if you like,
Noticing and feeling how each time you breathe out there's a sense of releasing and relaxing in the body,
Allowing your body to really follow that natural rhythm and deeply let go and relax into the comfort of your bed each time,
Relaxing more and more each breath.
Gradually letting go of your day,
Gradually letting go of all the stuff going on in the outside world,
Gradually deepening into your body and into the safety of your bed,
Breath by breath.
Allowing your awareness to open out into your body,
Noticing sensations,
Feelings and energy in the body.
You can gently feel around different parts of your body and give some time to notice what's there,
All the way from the tips of your toes to the crown of your head.
If you notice any tension anywhere in the body,
Allow that to soften and relax,
Letting that part of your body and your whole body sink down heavily into the bed,
Supported.
Now really being aware of the space of your whole body,
Noticing its aliveness,
Its vibrations,
Pulses,
Tones and nuances.
Its own moment-to-moment sense of vitality.
Letting go,
Giving everything space to be there.
Allowing everything to be as it is,
To move how it needs to move.
So just quiet,
Present,
Open awareness.
As you rest there,
With the support of your quiet breath,
Embraced in the safety of your bed,
You can have the sense that your whole body is breathing.
This breathing process gradually dissolves the solidity to your form and connects your inner space with outer space.
So as you breathe,
Your whole body breathes and you gradually become more spacious and open.
Continuously allowing yourself to relax and let go.
And just allowing yourself to become more spacious and open.
Letting go of all that you hold so tightly to be yourself.
Softening,
Opening and eventually becoming that spacious awareness itself.
The spaciousness of clear awareness.
Letting everything just be and move and flow.
Resting.
Relaxing.
And as you rest in this spaciousness of clear awareness,
Just let go.
Letting go into the spaciousness of your true nature.
Resting in its safety and comfort.
And allowing yourself to drift slowly into a deep and restful sleep.
