Hi,
This is Aidan,
And welcome.
If you're lying in bed right now,
Tired,
But unable to switch off,
With thoughts looping,
Replaying,
Planning,
Worrying,
Tonight,
You don't need to stop your thoughts.
You don't need to solve anything.
You don't need to force sleep.
This time is simply about changing how you relate to your thoughts,
So your mind can gradually settle,
And sleep can arrive in its own time.
So,
Make yourself as comfortable as possible,
Letting the bed support you completely.
Allow your arms to rest where they feel most natural,
And gently close your eyes if they aren't already closed.
There's nowhere you need to go,
Nothing you need to do,
And nothing you need to fix tonight.
Just allow yourself to be here,
Resting,
Listening,
Breathing.
We'll begin by gently relaxing the body,
Not by forcing anything,
But by allowing softness to spread.
Bring your awareness to your feet,
And gently tense the muscles there,
Just a little,
And then let go,
Feeling the feet soften,
Sink,
And rest.
Now,
Your calves,
A gentle tightening,
And releasing,
As warmth and heaviness spread downward.
Your thighs,
Briefly engaging,
And then letting go completely.
As the legs feel heavier,
More supported by the bed.
Bring attention to your abdomen,
The belly,
Perhaps holding tension without realising it.
Allow it to soften,
To fall,
To move naturally with the breath.
Your chest,
The muscles around the ribs,
Softening,
Creating space for the breath to flow.
Easily.
Your shoulders,
Often carrying the weight of the day,
Gently lifting,
And then releasing,
Allowing them to melt downward,
Away from your ears,
Eyes,
Arms,
Forearms,
Hands,
Fingers,
All softening,
Loose,
At ease.
Your neck,
Your jaw,
The tongue resting in the mouth,
The muscles around the eyes,
The forehead smoothing,
Looser,
Heavier,
More settled,
As if the bed is gently holding you.
In your imagination,
Picture a staircase,
10 steps leading downward.
This staircase leads you away from thinking,
Away from effort,
And toward rest.
At the top of the staircase,
You feel safe,
Supported,
Ready to go down at your own pace.
With each step down,
Your body softens further,
And your mind becomes quieter.
Beginning now,
9,
Deeper,
Calm,
7,
Breathing slower,
Halfway down now,
Already less gripping,
8,
At the bottom of the staircase,
There is a doorway,
A simple doorway,
Gently lit,
And safe.
When you open this door,
You step into a place of deep calm,
A place where the mind can rest,
Take a moment,
And when you're ready,
Open the door and step through.
You find yourself lying comfortably on a gentle,
Green hillside.
The grass beneath you is soft,
Warm,
Supportive,
The temperature is just right,
Not too warm,
Not too cold,
The air is still,
Fresh,
Easy to breathe.
Above you,
The night sky opens wide,
Just deep,
Just space,
Supported by the earth,
Noticing the stars,
There's nothing you need to do here,
Nothing to change,
Just observing.
As you lie here,
You may notice thoughts still appearing,
Thoughts are simply mental activity,
Like stars appearing in the sky,
Clouds drifting past,
Just notice them,
As points of light appear and fading,
Some thoughts may be brighter,
Some dimmer,
Passing quickly,
Others lingering a little longer,
Resting.
You are not inside the thoughts from a distance,
Each time you notice a thought,
You can gently return your awareness to the vastness of the sky,
The steady support beneath you.
It's very natural for the mind to be active at night,
Day,
We're busy,
Distracted,
Moving,
Doing,
At night,
When things finally slow down,
The mind often uses the quiet to process,
To reflect,
There is nothing wrong with you,
Because your mind is active right now,
You're not failing at sleep,
You don't need to be silent for sleep to happen,
It happens when there is enough safety,
Nothing you're thinking about tonight needs to be solved right now,
Tomorrow will still be there,
With more clarity,
More energy,
More perspective,
Without urgency,
And as you continue resting here,
On the hillside,
Under the stars,
You may notice longer spaces between thoughts,
Perhaps thoughts becoming softer,
Less defined,
Or maybe you simply drift,
Without noticing anything at all,
There's no need to check,
Your body knows how to sleep,
In its own time,
You can stay here as long as you like,
Resting,
Floating,
Drifting,
And if sleep comes,
It comes naturally,
Thoughts can pass without needing attention,
You can observe without engaging,
Thoughts are not,
They are passing experiences,
And supported,
Awareness can rest even while thoughts move,
The body is heavy and supported,
Breathing happens easily,
On its own,
Muscles soften more,
The nervous system is settling now,
Rest is spreading naturally,
Nothing needs to be done,
Nothing needs to be solved,
Rest is enough,
Come when it's ready,
And as you continue resting here,
You may notice longer spaces between thoughts,
Thoughts are not,
They are passing experiences,
And supported,
Awareness can rest,
The body is heavy and supported,
Breathing happens easily,
On its own,
Thoughts are not,
They are passing experiences,
And supported,
Awareness can rest,
Rest is spreading naturally,
Nothing needs to be done,
Nothing needs to be solved,
Rest is enough,
Sleep will come when it's ready,
Thoughts can pass without needing attention,
Without engaging,
Thoughts are not,
They are passing experiences,
And supported,
Awareness can rest even while thoughts move,
The body is heavy and supported,
Breathing happens easily,
On its own,
Muscles soften more,
The nervous system is settling now,
Rest is spreading naturally,
Nothing needs to be done,
Nothing needs to be solved,
Rest is enough,
Sleep will come when it's ready,
