Softening Into Sleep

Giving up the weight of the body is key to relaxing the mind as we prepare for restful sleep. This languorous, easy meditation will guide you into a place of surrender with gentle music so you can find a place of rest, relaxation and deep sleep again and again and again.

Transcript

Good evening meditators,

Yogis,

Those seeking sleep.

Let's make sure that we're making the whole body comfortable as we find our way into bed.

We've plumped the pillows,

Maybe shaken the duvet around.

And as we lay ourselves into a comfortable resting position,

It might be the back of the body,

We might be on our sides curled up into a fetal pose.

Or maybe laying like a starfish on the front with the arms and legs quite wide.

We'll spend these opening moments finding that position,

The one that calls to us,

We're not overthinking it.

We're just following the body into a place that feels comfortable and supported.

And as we settle into this position,

We want to commit the full weight of the body into the mattress.

Knowing how the muscles and the bones and all the vital organs just begin to relax from the day that has been and gone.

There is no need to hold on to anything in the body.

Instead we're just encouraging and inviting everything to sink down,

To become nice and heavy,

Really giving away the weight of the whole body.

And feeling how the support underneath us softens as it takes us,

As it holds us.

And as we let the physical body drift and melt downwards.

You can also get a sense of the skin softening,

The outer edges of the body just relaxing and releasing downwards into the mattress,

Towards the earth.

Knowing that there is nothing for us to do here,

Nothing to achieve,

Nowhere to get to,

Nothing to put any effort into,

As we continue to release and relax and allow the whole body to soften a little more.

And as we continue on this journey towards precious sleep.

Towards the welcome embraced of rest and quiet.

Let us continue to invite the body into a place of surrender.

Bringing our awareness now to where the head meets the pillow.

Becoming aware of the heaviness of the skull and the brain.

Allowing that heaviness just to reach downwards,

To drop completely into a space of surrender,

Nice and heavy,

Nice and easy.

And in the same moment we allow the eyeballs to soften,

Just turning them down towards the cheeks,

So that the muscles around the eyes relax.

There is no effort involved in keeping the eyes anywhere in place.

We are literally beginning to withdraw the senses,

Signalling to the mind,

To the brain,

That this is our time for rest and quiet.

And as we continue to relax around the eyes,

We can relax the eyebrows,

Relax the third eye and the forehead.

Relaxing the temples,

Relaxing the scalp,

Relaxing the ears.

Continuing that relaxation throughout the whole face as we soften into the cheeks.

Allowing the lower jaw to drop away from the top teeth.

And while we keep the lips together,

The mouth is open and soft,

The tongue also relaxed.

The chin and the jaw totally soft.

And the whole face releasing,

Shedding itself of any expression that's been built during the course of the day,

As we invite ourselves another layer deeper into this place of stillness and sleep.

And as we move our awareness down the body,

Drawing attention down into a place of deeper and deeper relaxation.

The whole body preparing to step deeper towards and into sleep.

Allow the muscles around the neck and the throat to also give up their weight to relax,

To soften down towards the mattress effortlessly,

Easily,

With your full permission.

And the shoulders too.

Top of the spine,

Shoulder blades and upper arms softening.

Relaxing the body into this place of sleep.

And moving awareness down through the length of the arms.

Trying to invite and encourage the muscles of the arms to melt away from the skeleton.

And for the skin to soften for any sense of the outline of your body just dissolving.

And the body becoming effortlessly heavy,

Effortlessly relaxed.

Without even trying,

We're just opening the door and allowing the body to soften into throes of sleep again and it as the body got more relaxed towards the face on the face.

We relax the wrists.

We relax the thumbs.

We relax the forefingers.

We relax the middle fingers.

We relax the ring fingers.

We relax the little fingers.

And relaxing the little fingers.

And with all the fingers relaxed,

We relax the palms of the hands.

The palms of the hands softening and releasing.

Both hands relaxed.

Both hands relaxed and heavy.

Motionless.

Effortless.

Both hands sinking down into the mattress.

Taking you deeper and deeper into your relaxation.

Taking you deeper and deeper into your relaxation.

And the spine giving up.

Giving up its weight.

A gentle sense of spaciousness just gently opening up between the vertebrae of your spine as you continue to relax into it.

From the spine feeling the relief of giving over the weight of the body.

Continuing to soften.

Deeper down.

Deeper down.

Deeper down.

And all the while the muscles that surround the spine and that support the spine,

They're also melting.

Melting like chocolate test.

Letting go.

Into a space of deeper rest and deeper relaxation.

And as all the muscles of the torso around the back and across the chest continue to soften.

We're also encouraging and allowing effortless deep relaxation of the tummy and the organs.

All the organs of the body resting.

Settling in.

Heading towards a deep sleep.

And in that heaviness in the body we might become gently quietly aware of the heaviness around the centre of the body.

The core and the muscles of the core letting go of any effort.

Dropping all resistance as we become soft and heavy.

And a little deeper and a little deeper and deeper still.

And as we go deeper into the body and deeper down we relax the weight of the hips and the pelvis and the buttocks and the thighs.

All the muscles around the core of the body.

Nice and heavy,

Nice and easy,

Totally relaxed.

The body is going to sleep.

Moving into a deep and long and nourishing sleep.

The whole body sleeping as the legs are heavy.

All the muscles in the legs are sleeping now.

Nice and sleepy.

Sleeping all the way down into the ankles and the feet.

And this relaxation deep and deep and deep.

Deep relaxation in the feet.

The toes relaxed.

The toes relaxed.

The toes relaxed.

And the whole body now in a deep state of sleep.

Sleepy relaxation.

Deep sleep.

The whole body relaxed.

The whole body relaxed.

The whole body relaxed.

We are letting ourselves be pulled under and down.

We are letting ourselves be drawn and drifted into this resting place.

Under the surface.

Deep deep deep down.

Giving ourselves to this deep journey of conscious relaxation and effortless letting go.

Allowing the voice and the sound and the weight of your body to just keep on drawing you down.

Getting deeper and deeper and deeper.

Down down down down.

Deep deep down.

Deep deep down.

Deep deep down.

Deep deep down.

Deep deep down.

Any tension in the body just flowing out effortlessly through your fingers and your toes.

Draining away.

Leaving the body.

With every moment and with each breath you can feel and sense tension and worry draining away from the body just flowing out with ease.

There is no need to focus or think.

Just letting the mind drift.

Gently drifting.

Softening.

Opening to this deep state of relaxation.

Nothing to resist.

Nothing to change.

And the rivers of tension and worry and anticipation just floating freely away.

Noticing how all that remains is a feeling of relaxation.

A soft,

Warm,

Easy feeling.

Your body is so relaxed.

Your body is so heavy.

Not so easy just to go back to sleep.

Thoughts might be drifting.

But you're so tired and feeling very sleepy.

It's no longer easy or possible to focus.

Your mind is drifting away.

You're drifting back to sleep.

Drifting back towards this deep,

Deep sleep.

Falling asleep.

Falling asleep.

Feeling very sleepy.

Just drifting away.

Your mind drifting away as you fall asleep.

Falling asleep.

Any other thoughts just pleasantly drifting away.

Your mind,

Thoughts so relaxed,

So sleepy.

Drifting away.

Back to sleep.

There,

Sleepy and calm.

Sleepy and calm.

Unable to focus.

It's okay just to relax the whole body.

Nothing to focus on.

Allowing sleep to draw you down.

Deep down into deep relaxation.

Letting go of the mind.

Letting go of thoughts.

Drifting.

Drifting back to sleep.

It feels so good to surrender to that heaviness in the body.

The heaviness of sleep.

Drawing you down.

Drawing you down.

Drifting away.

Drifting away.

Imagine a beautiful place.

Somewhere in the natural world.

A place of peace and serenity.

So calm.

So beautiful.

So serene.

It's just a place that makes you happy.

A place that is safe and quiet and peaceful.

And your body is like a feather.

And it floats ever so gently into this peaceful landscape.

Into this peaceful place of sleep.

Feel how the land opens to receive you as you feel your body drifting back and forth and down and down and down and down.

Making its way gently,

Softly through the air.

And trusting that you'll soon be coming to rest in this place that is so peaceful.

Softly resting.

Sinking down.

So peaceful.

So relaxed.

So sleepy.

Drifting.

Resting.

Sinking deeper.

So sleepy.

Drifting down.

Down.

Sinking down into sleep.

Back to sleep.

So deeply asleep.

So heavy.

So relaxed.

So sleepy.

So deeply asleep.

Reviews

i fell into a deep sleep and slept eight hours 😴😴😴

Thank you for this beautiful meditation ❣️🩷💜 fell asleep very quickly.

Simply amazing 🤩 for relaxing and sleep 😴, thank you dear Elle 🪷🪷🪷

Love this meditation - it’s a life line. Thank you Ellie ❤️

This recording is good. I was asleep before I knew it ❤️.

Highly recommend this to feel relaxed. Thank you :)

A wonderful meditation that really helps!😴 Nice, kind, calm voice.
I am Dutch, but I understand every word.
Thank you so much.🙏💐
Blessed Be;
Morgaine🌺

Very nice! I drifted off to sleep. Thank you !💓🙏🌷😴

Your voice is so relaxing and comforting.. I sink into a deep and resting sleep each time I listen to this. 💖

I woke up so clear minded and actually felt like I slept a good whole 6 hours! Woke up with a smile

Ellie is amazing. She has the most relaxing voice. I liken the level of relaxation to getting a virtual massage.

Not even sure what I listened to as I fell asleep so quickly!

It works for sure. I fell asleep within 2 minutes 👍🏾

This was just awesome. Soothing and relaxing

Well done! One of the best among the many I've tried! Thank you. 🙏🏽🌸

Stellar 😍😍❤️❤️

Thanks Grace, very nice!

Soothing.... relaxing. I have yet to hear the end! 😊😴 Thanks so much! 🙏 💟

so calming. i thank you hugely for helping me get to sleep. with kindest best wishes...

I listen to this every night! So soothing. Thank you.