Welcome.
And this meditation will help your mind and body find peace and relaxation,
Even when you're not in your own bed.
Whether you're travelling,
Or simply in a new space,
This session is designed to help you ease into a deep and restful sleep.
Let's begin by finding a comfortable position.
Letting your arms rest gently by your sides,
Palms facing upwards.
Allow your feet to fall slightly apart,
And close your eyes gently.
Take a deep breath in,
And exhale slowly.
Feel the air move into your body,
And then back out,
Taking with it any tension or stress from the day.
Breathe in again,
A little slower,
A little deeper,
Holding it,
And exhaling fully,
Letting your body begin to relax even more.
As you continue to breathe deeply and evenly,
Bring your attention to the top of your head.
Imagine a sense of relaxation beginning to spread downwards,
From your scalp,
Down to your forehead,
Feeling the muscles loosen and soften.
Moving your awareness to your eyes,
Letting them relax deeply.
The muscles around your eyes softening,
Your eyelids feeling heavier with each out-breath.
Now let this peaceful feeling flow down into your cheeks,
Your jaw,
Letting go of all tension.
If your teeth are slightly apart,
Allow them to touch gently,
Letting your jaw be loose and relaxed.
Breathing in calm,
Breathing out tension.
Feel the relaxation spread down your neck,
Into your shoulders,
Allowing these areas to release any burden or heaviness you're carrying.
Now focus on your arms,
Feeling them becoming heavier,
Sinking into the surface beneath you,
From your shoulders to your elbows,
From your elbows to your wrists,
And down,
Down to the fingertips,
Each part relaxing fully,
Relaxing deeply.
Bring your attention back to your chest and stomach.
Feel your breath here,
Causing a gentle rise and fall.
With each breath,
Your chest and stomach becoming more relaxed,
More at ease.
Feeling this wave of relaxation moving down to your hips,
Your thighs,
Deeply sinking,
Releasing all the tension,
Down to your knees,
Your calves,
Your ankles,
And finally to your feet.
Every part of your body now completely relaxed,
Completely at peace.
Now let's gently shift our focus to a visualisation.
Imagine you're walking down a small,
Beautiful path in a quiet forest.
The ground beneath your feet is soft,
Covered with fallen leaves.
The sound of a gentle breeze rustling through the trees surrounds you.
As you walk,
You notice a small clearing ahead with a perfect spot for resting.
There's a comfortable-looking hammock strung between two strong trees with soft,
Welcoming cushions.
As you approach it,
Feeling a sense of deep tranquillity filling your body.
Lie down in the hammock,
Feeling it mould perfectly to the shape of your body.
As you settle in,
Look up.
The canopy of leaves above forms a protective,
Soothing barrier between you and the sky.
The leaves filter the soft moonlight,
Creating patterns of light and shadow that dance gently across your body.
Feel the hammock rock gently.
With each sway,
You sink deeper into relaxation,
Deeper into calm.
You feel so safe,
So secure.
The forest sounds continue to soothe your mind,
A distant owl,
The whisper of the wind.
And here,
In this moment,
You are safe.
You are at peace.
Everything is okay.
You are exactly where you need to be to find rest and rejuvenation.
Stay here,
In this peaceful place,
For a while.
Feel free to return to this visualisation any time you need to during the night.
Each breath you take,
Each gentle sway of the hammock,
Takes you deeper into sleep.
Deeper into dreams.
And you know that when you're ready,
You can let yourself drift into a deep,
Restful sleep.
You can drift deeper and deeper down into sleep.
Deeper,
Deeper down into sleep.
Deep down asleep.
