Let's settle in for this meditation to relax the mind and body and allow you to relax into a deep sleep.
Let's prepare for the meditation.
Bring your attention to the world around you,
Your room,
Your bed,
And everything that is there around you right now.
Begin by listening to sounds outside your room and listen to sounds inside your room.
Allow yourself a moment to become aware of all sensations around you,
Sounds,
Smells,
Temperature.
Visualize your own body resting on your bed and become aware of your own physical presence right here,
Right now.
What do you notice?
And just allow the awareness without judgment,
Without desire to change anything.
What do you notice right now?
Bringing your awareness inward,
See if you can discover a place of haven within,
A place where you feel secure,
Loved,
Calm.
Bring your attention to your heart center and feel the warmth there.
Perhaps there is a person or a certain place that helps accentuate this feeling of safety and wellbeing.
Visualize this place.
Notice the colors,
Notice the sounds,
The power of the mind and visualization will bring you there.
And anytime you need some relaxation,
Bring yourself back there.
And now bring your awareness back to your body on your bed,
Keeping as still as possible without building up any additional stress and notice each part of your body as it is mentioned.
Notice if you find this practice easy or difficult.
Notice if any specific parts of your body are more difficult to sense.
Notice the entirety of your body all at the same time.
Feel your entire physical presence.
Allow your body to just melt into your bed.
Notice your breathing,
Breathing in slowly in and slowly out.
This allows your nervous system to let go,
Relax.
Noticing your breath,
Feel the breath entering into the body through your nostrils.
In breath,
I know that I'm breathing in.
On the out breath,
I know I am breathing out.
Notice the difference in temperature as the breath comes in the nostrils as opposed to when it releases the body.
Now let's bring our awareness to the breath as it moves into the chest area.
Deep breath in,
Deep breath out,
Letting it go fully.
And the next breath in,
Next breath out,
Letting it all go.
So follow the breath now as it moves from your abdomen to your chest,
Back up through the nostrils,
A full three-part breath.
On the inhale,
We acknowledge the life-giving breath that comes in from the nostril to the chest to the abdomen,
Everything becoming full of this life-giving breath.
And then on the exhale,
We release,
Release some air that has been in the body.
Feel each breath as energy and count your breaths.
Breathing in one,
Breathing out two.
Breathing in three,
Breathing out four.
Breathing in five,
Breathing out six.
Breathing in seven,
Breathing out eight.
Breathing in nine,
Breathing out 10.
Breathing in 11,
Breathing out 12.
Breathing in 11,
Breathing out 10.
Breathing in nine,
Breathing out eight.
Breathing in seven,
Breathing out six.
Breathing in five,
Breathing out four.
Breathing in three,
Breathing out two.
Breathing in one,
And letting it go.
Coming back to your safe haven,
Just notice if anything has changed.
How does your body feel?
Notice,
Visualize your safe haven,
Whether that was a place or with a person,
Your own safe haven.
Come back to it whenever you need relaxation.
Without judging or trying to change anything,
Acknowledge now any feelings and emotions that are currently present within you.
Do a personal body scan from your head,
Shoulders,
Arms.
Abdomen,
Waist,
Sitting area,
Thigh,
Knee,
Calf,
Ankle,
Foot.
If you notice anything specific like tension,
For example,
Simply acknowledge how it feels.
Bring curiosity to that observation without judgment or trying to fix it or move.
And now try to imagine the opposite feeling or sensation or emotion.
If you're feeling tension,
For example,
Try to imagine relaxation.
If you're feeling worry,
Bring in relaxation and acceptance.
Notice any thoughts,
Memories,
Or images that might arise of the day,
Of the week.
Just whatever comes up for you in the way of thoughts,
Memories,
And images.
Be totally non-judgmental about whatever comes up for you.
Perhaps you notice a belief or a judgment,
An event of the day.
Just notice it and then try to notice the opposite of the thought.
Letting go of the judgment and allowing for a more positive awareness.
Also,
Somewhere within your consciousness,
Visualize this series of images that come to mind.
Allowing it to relax.
Allow your mind to just go from one to the other.
One image and then the opposite,
Or one sensation and then the opposite.
Let's bring a memory to mind that holds great joy and peace for you.
Then linger there,
Imagining and remembering all the positive details of this memory.
I invite you to bring yourself into your safe haven when you imagine this peaceful and joyous memory.
Allowing yourself to fully be absorbed from all parts of your body.
Letting go of any judgment,
Any desire,
Any attachment.
Just noticing as if you were an observer,
An audience watching a play.
Who are the characters in this play?
Really noticing them,
Seeing them in full attire,
Colors.
Maybe hearing them speaking in your own sleep story,
In your safe haven.
You can direct this or you can simply notice without attention or attraction,
Without desire for the story to be different.
Just allowing your mind to let go as these images come to mind.
If you're in a meadow,
If you're in your safe haven and it's let's say the ocean.
Notice your feet,
Notice as you're walking or maybe you're sitting or lying.
Just notice that feeling on your body of what is there.
If at an ocean you notice the sand under your body,
Cradled and also grounded.
And notice the sound of the waves,
The feeling of the sun on your skin.
Let's say you're in the mountains and you stop for a moment and sit under a tree.
Looking up you see the sky through the branches of the tree.
Blue sky and drifting clouds and the sound of birds chirping in the trees.
Maybe there's a babbling brook near you and you can hear the water.
The sound of water is very soothing.
And whenever you need a little extra relaxation,
Just come back to this safe haven of yours.
Noticing any sounds,
Feelings,
Sensations on your body.
And just letting go to the earth.
Letting go to Mother Nature to take any tension away from your body.
If you're still conscious at this point,
I'm going to allow some silence.
And just invite you to stay within that safe haven.
Noticing all the sensations and the feelings of relaxation that come.
Just linger here.
Remembering the details.
Allowing the details to enter.
And then moving on to more details.
And as your mind notices them and they go away like clouds in the sky.
Your body will naturally sink into deep relaxation.
And maybe by now you've already drifted off into sleep,
Relaxation and bliss.
If I still have your attention at this time,
Reflect on this practice.
Notice your body now on your bed.
Fully relaxed.
Peaceful.
And repeat an affirmation that summarizes this practice for you.
May you be filled with joy,
Relaxation.
May your mind and your body be peaceful and at ease.
Noticing your breathing is now nice and deep and relaxed.
Filling your entire body on the in-breath.
Releasing all tension on the out-breath.
And if you desire,
You may either allow yourself to fall asleep.
Or if you would like,
You may become aware of your body.
And when you're ready,
You may choose when it's right for you.
To open your eyes and look around you at the room.
Notice the colors.
Perhaps they are more vivid than when you started this practice.
If you're ready to get up and move on with your day.
Then slowly,
Ever so slowly,
Roll over on your side.
Noticing your breathing in and out of the chest and belly and nostril areas.
Ever so slowly use one of your arms and hands.
To gently,
Compassionately push yourself up to a sitting position.
Choosing whether you would like to do some stretching.
Some twisting,
Maybe reaching to your toes.
To stretch your lower back and your legs.
Maybe reaching up to the ceiling with your arms.
Doing some neck rolls.
And then choose an intention to move on with your day.
Just a couple words.
Focus.
Mindful living.
Close awareness.
Smile.
Thank you for your practice.
