So this exercise can be done sitting or lying but it's so fine to lie in bed doing this.
Starting by reminding yourself that what you're about to do is very safe,
Very healing for your system.
Staying attuned to the feelings in our body in an open and accepting way can change our relationship to lots of experiences including insomnia.
It can allow our body,
Heart and mind to be soothed and in time insomnia is likely to improve.
But remember Murphy's law,
If you go into this with the intention to get rid of the insomnia that's a whole different exercise.
So starting by bringing your awareness to your body from top to toe,
Noticing what's happening in the body,
Noticing sensations and feelings both pleasant,
Unpleasant or neutral.
It's fine if you want to come up with some descriptive words but try and keep them descriptive rather than emotive.
Like a curious scientist from outer space who's never encountered how a human being feels when they're really tired and they can't sleep.
And rather than fully immersing yourself in the sensations the way you might in a breath meditation,
Keeping a part of you that observes the sensations at a little distance.
Maybe you're like like you're snorkeling or scuba diving and observing all the interesting fish and coral and other sea creatures in a friendly curious way.
Just lying there,
Floating,
Slightly and affectionately observing what's happening.
Maybe you might even have a little smile to yourself if you see a particularly interesting or weird looking sea creature.
This weird sea creature might be a difficult sensation related to insomnia.
Keeping a nice broad open awareness,
Not needing to delve into any sensation too deeply.
Allowing whatever is happening right now to happen.
No need to interfere,
No need to poke anything.
Doing your best to not need to change anything.
It's freely allowing whatever you notice.
And of course a big part of what your experiences will probably be thoughts and feelings.
There's no need to struggle with these,
It's counterproductive to try and block them out.
Just allowing them to just be in the background,
Gently returning to observing feelings in the body in the foreground.
Whatever is happening,
Can you let it happen?
Keeping up that gentle friendly manner,
Perhaps experimenting with not trying to control,
Not trying to change what's happening.
It's completely natural in human to drift off every now and then with your attention.
Again,
Just noticing where your attention went and gently bringing it back to the body.
So strengthening the mindfulness part of the brain.
Doing some rewiring,
Some healing.
Can you be with and allow whatever body sensations or feelings you notice,
Even intense ones.
Letting your body speak,
Letting your body express itself.
Reminding yourself if there are intense unpleasant sensations.
This is just a system expressing that it's time to sleep and our brains is getting a little overprotective and ironically going into alert mode thinking it's being helpful.
You don't need to be in alert mode,
You're safe.
Your body tissues are safe.
Resting and being mindful of the body can be just as beneficial as sleep.
Being a witness,
Being a kind observer.
If you like the snorkeling metaphor,
Just continuing to float,
Feeling so comfortable and relaxed.
Just kindly observing all that you notice in the underwater landscape.
Giving your body space to do its thing.
Maybe breathing around or through any intense body sensations.
Not to get rid of them.
Just to soften and allow them.
Can you stay curious?
Very healing work and can evolve in mysterious ways.
Perhaps noticing is there any change,
Any subtle shift in sensations?
Perhaps a change in intensity or the sight or the quality or the texture.
Can you allow this to shift and change like like a seaweed shifting and changing underwater?
What is happening right now?
Can you step back and allow whatever is unfolding to unfold?
It's very likely that emotions will arise.
Is it possible to allow fear,
Sadness,
Anger,
Irritation,
Confusion,
Disappointment if it arises?
Allowing them to flow without getting lost and overwhelmed by them.
They won't last.
Giving your body total permission to express itself any way it wants.
What are you noticing?
What are you feeling?
There's no right or wrong answer.
Remember it's counterproductive to try and get rid of it.
Can you relax and soften around it?
And if there is a lot of resistance to whatever is,
Can you bring some curious allowing to this,
This resistance?
Just let it be.
It'll play out in its own time.
You can send a gentle reminder to any struggle or resistance that you're perfectly safe.
You're not under threat.
This process is actually healing.
It's therapeutic.
You're doing this amazing neuroplastic work.
A true mind-body practice.
Each time you do it,
Your system will be convinced a little bit more that you're safe.
Your brain will be a little bit more likely to interpret sensations as okay signals,
Not danger signals.
What's happening with the sensations?
How are they unfolding?
Are they shifting?
Are they staying the same?
We're just trying to protect you.
Just going a bit overboard and not indicating any danger in your body tissues,
In your system.
Even if the brain's not completely convinced yet.
By keeping soft and relaxed and open to the sensations,
You can remind your brain,
These are just sensations.
Thanks brain for your hard work but I don't need to feel them as unpleasant anymore.
I'm okay.
I'm safe.
Again,
Noticing your body.
Can you be okay with what's happening now?
Can you trust your system to know how to process this stuff?
As we're coming to an end of the guidance,
Perhaps comparing how you felt at the start to how you're feeling now.
Noticing even the tiniest,
Subtlest change.
Perhaps continuing this process on your own if that feels right for you right now.
