Welcome.
I'm glad you're here tonight.
This is a space for sleep.
Nothing to achieve.
Nothing to figure out.
Nowhere else you need to be.
Take your time settling in.
Let your body find the position it wants for the night.
There's no perfect posture here.
Just comfort.
Take a slow breath in through your nose and let it leave gently through your mouth.
Again,
An easy inhale and a soft,
Unhurried exhale.
Let the day be over now.
Even if some things feel unfinished,
They can wait until morning.
There is nothing you need to solve.
Feel the bed beneath you.
The mattress supporting your weight.
The pillow under your head.
The blankets resting over your body.
You're being held.
If your mind is still moving,
That's okay.
You don't need to stop your thoughts in order to sleep.
We're just allowing the body to begin resting and the mind can follow when it's ready.
Bring gentle attention to your forehead.
Imagine the skin there,
Smoothing,
As if the day is slowly draining out.
Let your eyes rest heavy in their sockets.
No effort behind them now.
Soften your jaw.
Let your teeth part slightly.
Tongue resting loosely in the bottom of your mouth.
Feel your neck and throat.
Nothing to hold.
Nothing to brace against.
Now your shoulders.
Let them drop a little deeper into the bed.
As if they've been carrying something all day and are finally allowed to put it down.
Upper arms heavy.
Elbows soft.
Forearms supported.
Hands resting easily.
No need to curl or grip.
Just warmth and stillness.
Bring awareness to your chest.
Rising and falling on its own.
You don't need to breathe in any special way.
Just let the breath breathe itself.
Let your belly be soft.
No holding in.
No effort.
Feel your lower back sinking down into the mattress.
Thighs heavy.
Lower legs supported.
Ankles loose.
Feet resting outward if they want.
All the way down to your toes.
Nothing to do.
Nowhere to go.
Now sense your whole body together.
Lying here.
Supported.
Held.
Bring your attention to the natural rhythm of your breath.
Like waves coming to shore and slowly pulling back again.
You don't need to make the breath deeper.
Sleep doesn't come from effort.
It comes when effort softens.
If thoughts appear,
Let them pass like distant sounds.
You don't need to follow them.
You don't need to push them away.
Feel the gentle rise of the inhale.
The easy fall of the exhale.
Your body already knows how to sleep.
You don't have to make it happen.
Imagine the day quietly closing behind you.
Like a door softly swinging shut.
Everything unfinished can wait.
Everything unsaid can wait.
Morning will come later.
Right now there is only this bed.
This breath.
This quiet night.
Feel yourself drifting a little further away from the day.
As if you're floating just at the edge of sleep.
Heavier.
Quieter.
More at ease.
In a moment my voice will fade into the background.
And a steady gentle sound will continue through the night.
You don't need to listen anymore.
You don't need to follow anything.
Just let the sound be a soft presence as you drift into sleep.
And stay asleep.
