Hey my friend,
This is Aaron Hill.
Welcome to this sleep meditation.
The Dalai Lama once said that sleep is the best meditation,
So maybe sleep meditation is the next best.
I'll lead you in a relaxation practice and a guided visualization so that you can have a restful sleep.
Now let's get started.
You can start by laying in a position that's most relaxing,
Natural,
And comfortable for your body.
One way of doing this is to lay on your back with your legs resting comfortably,
Your feet falling naturally to the sides,
And your arms by your sides,
Or fold it with your hands resting on your belly.
Whatever position you choose,
Allow yourself to slowly and easily sink into the bed under you.
You can take either one or two deep breaths in and out through the nose or mouth,
And you can allow your exhales to be longer than your inhales,
In order to start slowing down your heart rate,
Relaxing your body,
And preparing for rest.
And as you let go the thoughts of the day,
You can allow the breath to release any need to review the past or plan for the future.
The only goal is to be here resting now,
Breathing deeply in and out a few more times,
And then allowing the breath to come back to its natural rhythm.
Let's do a quick scan of the body and see if there's any obvious tension or holding.
Maybe you're clenching your jaw or tensing your hands.
Can you soften any tightness that you find?
As you find it,
You can continue to emphasize your exhale to release any tension as you allow the breath to rest in its natural rhythm again.
Begin to feel the full weight of your body on the bed.
And without changing or manipulating the breath,
On your exhales can you feel yourself sinking even deeper into the bed?
Can you notice the full weight of your body resting now?
And as it rests more and more,
You feel the weight of your feet,
The weight of your ankles and shins,
The weight of your knees and your thighs.
You can feel the weight of your hips.
And can you feel the weight of your back?
Notice the weight of your arms and shoulders.
And finally,
Can you allow your head to release and feel the weight of your head?
Your body is resting on this bed,
Fully supported.
You don't have to exert any effort or pressure.
All you need to do is lay here and rest gently.
Now,
Can you feel that?
How you're fully supported right now?
Nothing to do,
Nowhere to be,
Just resting here.
And as you continue to rest here,
Can you imagine yourself in the most peaceful and comfortable place that you can imagine?
Maybe it's somewhere you've been before,
Or maybe it's a place you create in your imagination.
Bring a picture to mind of a place that is peaceful,
Welcoming and comfortable.
Imagine yourself laying down on the softest surface you can dream of,
Where whole body just sinks deep in.
Laying in this spot,
You feel everything around you supporting your rest and relaxation.
The temperature is just right,
The light is perfect,
And you hear sounds that are soft and soothing.
You can hear the sound of my voice and the soothing music,
And you can rest even more.
There are aromas in the air that are comforting.
The air itself is fresh,
Feels full of oxygen and nourishing to your body.
And as you continue lying in this peaceful place,
Fully relaxed,
You can check in again with your body.
Can you once again notice the full weight of your body resting on the bed?
And now allowing the body to soften and release even more.
Now as you become aware of each part of the body again in this way,
Allow it to soften and release a bit more.
Feel the weight of your feet as they rest.
Feel your shins and your ankles and allow them to soften and release even more.
Feel the weight of your knees and thighs.
Allow them to soften and release more.
Feel the weight of your hips.
Allow them to soften and release.
You can feel the weight of your lower back and allow this area to soften and release.
Feel the weight of your mid-back.
Allow this area to soften and release more.
Now notice the weight of your arms and shoulders and allow those too to soften and release more.
Notice the weight of your head.
Allow the head to soften and release a bit more.
Now feel the beautiful space around you supporting your relaxed body,
Bringing awareness to the breath through the belly.
As you notice the breath is very subtle now as the belly slowly rises and falls ever so slightly.
Allow the belly to soften and release as you continue to stay with the breath.
The relaxing air continue to enter and leave the body gently and easily.
Feel as if you were floating in perfect peace,
Relaxed and ready for restful sleep.
To continue to float deeper into sleep.
