Find a comfortable position for sleep,
Lying down on your back or your side.
Allow your arms to rest gently by your sides and let your legs be soft and uncrossed.
If it feels right,
Gently move your eyes.
Let the weight of your body be fully supported by the bed beneath you.
Let your entire face relax.
Relax your forehead,
Your eyes,
Your eyebrows,
Your jaw,
Your chin.
Let it all relax.
Relax your arms,
Your chest.
Let go of any holding at the belly and let go of any holding at your legs.
Feel yourself sinking in deeper,
Just a little,
Into this safe and comfortable space that you have created for yourself.
Tonight,
We are not here to achieve anything or to force anything to happen.
We are simply here to rest,
To let go of the day and to gently prepare the body and the mind for deep and nourishing sleep.
Now bring your awareness to the natural rhythm of your breath.
There is no need to change it,
No need to make it deeper or slower,
Simply notice the feeling of the air as you inhale through your nose and exhale through your nose.
Let your attention rest on this simple rhythm.
The breath is always here,
A constant,
Gentle anchor in the changing tides of our lives,
In and out,
In and out.
In and out.
Now let's gently deepen the breath to allow the mind and the body to relax even further,
Just for a few cycles.
We will breathe in through our nose for a count of four,
Pause at the top and we will breathe out through the mouth for a count of seven.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Continue like this for a few more breaths at your own pace,
Feeling your whole body relax with every breath.
And now,
Gently,
Let the breath return to its own natural pace,
Simply observing it,
Feeling your body and mind settling even deeper,
Feeling heavy and completely relaxed.
From this place of calm,
We'll now gently turn our attention to the heart.
We'll practice a simple,
Ancient wish for well-being for ourselves and for others.
It's like planting gentle seeds of kindness in the garden of the heart.
First,
Bring your awareness to yourself.
Place a hand gently on your heart if it feels comforting,
And then,
In the silence of your own mind,
Gently repeat these phrases,
Feeling their intention.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be safe and protected.
May I live with ease.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I be safe and protected.
May I live with ease.
Now,
Bring to mind someone you love dearly,
It could be a family member,
A friend or a pet.
See their face,
Feel their presence,
And extend the very same wishes to them.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe and protected.
May you live with ease.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe and protected.
May you live with ease.
Now,
Let your awareness expand even further to include all the people in your building,
Your town,
Your country,
All across the world,
And even to all beings everywhere.
Imagine their faces,
Include all life on earth,
Human and animal,
And extend this gentle kindness radiating out from your heart towards them.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings be safe and protected.
May all beings live with ease.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings be safe and protected.
May all beings live with ease.
As you gently repeat these phrases in the silence of your own mind,
Rest here for a moment,
Gently bathing in this boundless kindness that you have created for yourself.
And now,
As your body is relaxed and your heart is open,
I'd like to share a small,
Wise story with you.
Just listen and allow the wisdom to naturally unfold within you.
Once upon a time,
Two monks were travelling back to their monastery.
They came to a wide,
Flowing river.
There,
They saw a beautiful woman in a fine silk robe,
Standing at the bank,
Looking troubled.
She was unable to cross.
The older monk walked right up to her and,
Without a word,
Scooped her up in his arms,
Carried her across the river,
And set her down safely on the other side.
She bowed in gratitude and went on her way.
The two monks continued their journey in silence.
The younger monk was fuming.
His mind was churning.
How could he,
A monk,
Touch a woman?
It's against our rules.
This is improper.
For hours,
He stood in his judgment,
Until he could no longer hold his tongue.
He turned to the elder monk and said,
Brother,
I cannot believe you carried that woman.
We are not supposed to have such contact.
It was a violation of our vows.
The older monk walked on for a few more steps,
Then turned to the younger one with a gentle smile.
He said,
My brother,
I set that woman down on the other side of the river hours ago.
It seems you are still carrying her.
Just like the younger monk,
We often carry things long after the event has passed.
We carry worries,
Judgments,
Old stories and regrets.
Tonight,
We can practice setting them down.
The day is done.
The river has been crossed.
There is no need for you to carry anything more to bed with you.
So now,
Let's return for the final time to the gentle anchor of your breath,
Feeling a cool air entering and a warm air leaving.
Your body is heavy,
Supported and safe.
Your heart is soft and open.
Your mind is letting go of what it no longer needs to carry.
With every exhale,
Feel yourself sinking in a little deeper into the bed,
A little deeper into rest.
Let go of the story and find the silence beneath it.
Let go of the effort and find the peace that was always here.
I will now be quiet and leave you to drift into deep,
Peaceful and restorative sleep.
May you rest well.
May you be at peace.
