Welcome to this practice of sleep meditation.
Know that everything that's offered to you throughout the practice is an invitation.
So feel free to modify or skip any of the invitations.
Part of this practice will lead you through a healing dialogue.
This is a conversation with a symptom,
A body area,
A sensation,
An emotion,
Or a thought.
And it might be helpful to take a moment now to consider what you would like to dialogue with.
Start the practice by taking a moment to settle into a relaxed position.
You can be laying down or seated.
Eyes can be open or closed.
Just observing your body.
See if there's anything that you can do to make yourself just a little bit more comfortable.
Now begin to set an intention for your practice.
What might be your best outcome for this practice?
Perhaps you're seeking health or inner peace.
What is it you wish for in this moment?
When you're ready,
Formulate your wish or your intention into a one-sentence affirmation in present time.
Something like,
I am radiantly healthy.
Or my deep inner peace contributes to global peace.
Or whatever affirmation seems right for you now.
Once you've established your one-sentence intention,
Affirm it to yourself silently.
We'll come back to this intention at the end of the practice.
Now take a moment to imagine a place where you feel a sense of calm or ease.
It might be a room in your home,
A place in nature.
It might be with someone you love or a beloved pet.
You can imagine anything here.
This is your inner sanctuary.
As you imagine yourself here,
Notice how you feel.
Taking a moment to feel the effects of being in your inner sanctuary.
It might be helpful to carry this sensation with you as we continue on with the practice.
Now become aware of the sensations of your whole body.
Feel the sensations of your body resting on the surface underneath it.
Bring your attention to the sensations in your left foot.
Feel your left heel,
Sole of your foot,
Top of your foot,
And all of your toes.
Feel the whole of your left foot.
Now feel the sensations in your left ankle,
Left calf,
Left shin,
Knee,
And thigh.
Feel the sensations in your right foot now.
Feel your right heel,
Sole of your foot,
Top of your foot,
And all of your toes.
Feel the whole of your right foot now.
Feel the sensations in your right ankle,
Right calf,
Right shin,
Knee,
And thigh.
With each invitation to feel the sensations in your body,
Notice that it spontaneously relaxes without even trying.
Feel your pelvis now.
Feel the whole of your pelvis as sensation.
Now feel the sensations in your low belly,
In your chest.
Feel the sensations around your whole torso.
As you continue to follow my invitations to feel sensations in your body,
You might become aware of a deepening sense of inner calm and peace.
Now feel your left shoulder,
Left upper arm,
Elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Palm,
Back of the hand,
Left thumb,
And all of the fingers.
Feel the sensations in the whole of the left hand now.
Feel your right shoulder,
Right upper arm,
Right elbow,
Forearm,
Wrist,
Palm,
Back of the hand,
Right thumb,
And all of the fingers.
Feel the sensations in the whole of the right hand now.
Now feel both shoulders at once.
Feel the sensations in your neck,
The whole of your neck and throat.
Feel the back of your head,
The top of your head.
Feel your forehead and feel the sensations of your facial muscles.
Feel the sensations in and around your left eye.
Now feel the sensations in and around your right eye.
Feel both eyes at once.
Feel the sensations in and around your nose,
The movement of breath within the nostrils.
Feel the sensations in your left ear.
Feel the sensations in your right ear.
Feel both ears at once.
Feel the sensations in and around your mouth,
Your tongue,
Roof of the mouth,
Floor of the mouth,
Left side wall,
Right side wall.
Feel the whole of your mouth as sensation.
Now feel the whole of your head as sensation.
Feel the whole of your body now.
All the sensations in your whole body at once.
Now bring your attention to your breathing.
Noticing the gentle rise and fall of the belly and chest.
Gradually beginning to make the breath a little bit deeper,
A little bit slower.
Feeling how the belly and the chest expand and soften.
Perhaps lengthening the breath out just a little bit more.
If it helps,
You could count down the breath from 4,
3,
2,
1 with each inhale.
4,
3,
2,
1 with each exhale.
Take a moment now just to bring your sanctuary of inner peace back into your mind.
Imagine and feel yourself there now.
Notice how this brings about a sense of calm and ease to your whole system.
We're going to move into our healing dialogue.
So consider a sensation,
Emotion,
Thought or belief that you would like to explore through inner dialogue.
Imagine it's a messenger for you to have a conversation with.
If it feels right,
Greet this messenger and say hello.
It might be helpful to say,
I am here for you,
I am listening.
You might ask,
Is there anything you want me to know in this moment?
And then give it a moment to respond.
Try not to think about it,
Just go with whatever comes first.
If it feels right,
You could imagine giving your messenger what it asked for.
And just notice what changes,
What shifts as your messenger receives what it needs.
Is there anything your messenger wants to say to you?
Is there anything that you want to say to it?
Take a moment here to go back and forth in conversation a few times.
We are going to begin to move towards integration now.
Is there anything else that needs to be said or done in order to feel complete with this dialogue for now?
There may or there not or there may not be.
Is there any action or commitment that you would like to take that affirms your communication with your messenger?
There may or there may not be.
When you're ready,
Take a moment to touch back in and reconnect with your affirmation from the beginning of your practice.
Imagine your intention as true.
This practice helps us break our old conditioning and open up to new possibilities.
These possibilities can be seeded into the subconscious mind.
If it's helpful,
You can affirm your intention a few times silently now.
As we move towards completion,
Feel your body resting in this room.
Gradually begin to connect your breathing.
Bring gentle movement into your fingers and your toes.
Maybe you take a big stretch or begin to blink the eyes open.
My voice is going to trail off,
But you can linger in this practice as long as you like.
