We've all been there,
Glancing at the clock and wondering what to do next.
When the mind feels busy,
The body unsettled,
It's easy for sleep to feel just out of reach.
Tonight,
We're not trying to make sleep happen,
We're allowing sleep to happen.
I'm Chibzo Karake and I'll be right here with you as we move through this gentle practice.
We'll start by gently connecting with the breath,
Letting the breath soften and signalling to the body that it's safe to relax.
Then we'll move slowly through the body,
Easing tension,
Inviting heaviness and helping everything unwind.
And from there,
You'll have plenty of time to drift,
To rest or simply to float in a calm,
Peaceful stillness.
We'll take things slowly tonight,
Easing the mind,
Softening the body and creating the perfect conditions for rest.
Let's take a moment to settle in.
We might choose to lie on our back,
With our arms resting by our sides,
Or perhaps with our hands on our belly,
Or maybe lying on our side feels more comfortable.
Whatever position feels most natural,
That's the right one.
And we're always free to adjust at any point,
Even the smallest shift can help our body feel just a little more at ease.
And when we're ready,
Gently allowing the eyes to close and feeling the support of the bed beneath us.
Taking a moment to notice the way our body is meeting the bed.
Noticing the way the mattress supports us.
Noticing the way gravity gently settles us.
We might allow the shoulders to drop a little,
Or let the jaw soften,
Or feel the weight of the arms resting naturally by our sides.
As we settle,
Seeing if we can allow ourselves to sink a little deeper.
Feeling the bed holding us securely,
Steadily,
Without asking anything of us.
We're safe here,
And there's nowhere else we need to be.
Let's begin by gently bringing awareness to the breath.
Not changing the breath,
Not controlling the breath,
Just noticing the natural rhythm that's already here.
Perhaps noticing the coolness of our inhale,
And the softness and warmth of the exhale.
Maybe we notice the rise of our body on the inhale,
And the gentle fall on the exhale.
There's no need to deepen our breath right now,
We're just allowing it to move in its own way,
Its own timing,
Its own pace.
If thoughts begin to wander in,
That's completely ok.
It's simply the mind doing what minds do.
But if we do notice a thought,
We can simply acknowledge the thought,
And then gently guide our attention back to this next breath,
This next moment.
Just breathing in,
And breathing out.
Feeling the body soften more and more with each exhale.
Let's stay with this soft,
Natural breath for a few moments.
Just letting the mind and body settle a little more with each cycle of breath.
And now,
If it feels comfortable,
Let's begin to gently guide the breath.
We're not forcing anything,
We're just inviting a little more softness into the exhale.
Slowing the breath helps to calm the nervous system,
It stimulates our vagus nerve,
It eases the mind and it lets the body know it's safe to relax.
Let's try a few rounds of balanced breathing together.
Balanced breathing simply means we breathe in for the same length of time that we breathe out.
Creating a gentle,
Steady rhythm that the body finds soothing.
This steady rhythm gives the nervous system something steady to follow,
Easing tension from the inside out and gently guiding the body towards a quieter,
More settled place where rest can come more easily.
We're going to breathe in for a count of five,
And breathe out for a count of five.
See if you can follow along with my count for a few rounds,
And then I'll leave you to do a few at your own pace.
Let's breathe in,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Now we can keep breathing in and out for five if it feels good,
Or we can simply return to a natural breathing rhythm if that feels easier.
There's no right or wrong way to do this,
We're simply giving our breath a little more space and allowing the body to follow.
And now,
Letting the breath return to its natural flow,
Not shaping it,
Not guiding it,
Not deepening it,
Simply allowing the breath to move on its own.
And noticing how the body feels after these slower breaths,
Perhaps there's a little more ease,
A little more softness,
Or simply acquired a sense of settling.
We're not making anything happen,
We're just allowing whatever is here to be here.
And if the mind begins to wander again,
That's completely okay,
And it's perfectly normal,
It's simply returning to its habits.
We're not trying to stop thoughts or push anything away,
We're simply noticing when the mind has drifted and then gently guiding our attention back to the breath,
Back to this moment.
And if the thoughts keep coming,
That's okay too,
They can drift in and drift out like soft shapes moving across a quiet sky.
We don't need to follow them,
We don't need to analyse them,
We can just let them pass.
While we stay anchored in this gentle rhythm of breathing.
And now,
Let's shift our awareness to the body,
Moving slowly and softly through each area,
Inviting release and rest.
We'll begin at the feet,
Allowing our attention to rest gently on the toes,
Noticing any warmth,
Any heaviness,
Any quiet settling.
Anything that's already happening,
Perhaps allowing the feet to soften and to sink a little deeper into the bed.
Bringing our awareness to the ankles,
Allowing the ankles to loosen and relax as the body grows heavier.
Moving into the lower legs,
The calves and shins,
Allowing any tightness to melt away with each slow,
Gentle exhale.
Up into the knees now,
Softening,
Easing,
Letting go.
And into the thighs,
Feeling their weight,
Allowing the thighs to settle fully supported by the bed beneath us.
Moving now into the hips and pelvis,
Allowing this area to soften and release with each slow,
Steady breath.
Feeling the weight of the hips sinking into the bed,
Supported,
Safe.
Bringing awareness to the lower back now,
An area that often holds more tension than we realize.
Allowing the breath to gently move through this space,
Softening,
Easing,
Creating a little more room with each exhale.
And as we move up the spine,
Vertebra by vertebra,
Imagining a gentle wave of relaxation travelling upward,
Settling the muscles,
Loosening any tightness and inviting the whole back to melt into the mattress.
Letting this wave spread across the upper back,
The shoulder blades,
Allowing them to widen and soften as the body grows heavier.
Now,
Bringing awareness to the chest,
Noticing the gentle rise on the inhale and the soft fall on the exhale.
Allowing the area around the heart to soften,
Open and settle.
Moving to the ribcage now,
Feeling the breath expand through the sides of the body,
And then releasing with ease.
And now,
Letting this softness spread into the shoulders,
An area that carries so much of our day.
Allowing the shoulders to drop,
To loosen,
To rest fully.
Feeling this relaxation travelling down the left arm,
The upper arm,
The elbow,
The forearm,
All the way into the hand.
And letting the left hand grow warm,
Heavy.
And now bringing this same gentle awareness to the right arm,
Allowing the upper arm to soften,
The elbow loosen,
The forearm release,
All the way down to the right hand.
Feeling the right hand settle,
Heavy,
Completely at ease.
And now bringing awareness to the neck,
Allowing the throat,
The sides of the neck,
The back of the neck to relax.
Letting the head rest fully into the pillow,
Supported,
Cradled.
Softening the jaw,
Allowing the teeth to separate,
Loosening the tongue,
Releasing any remaining tension.
Softening around the cheeks,
The eyes,
The eyebrows,
And letting the forehead smooth,
Ease,
And completely let go.
And now,
Holding the whole body in awareness,
From the top of the head,
To the tips of the toes,
Feeling the heaviness,
The stillness.
We are simply resting here,
Allowing the body to be soft,
Allowing the breath to be gentle,
And allowing the mind to be quiet.
As we settle deeper into this peaceful state.
As we lie here,
The whole body soft,
The breath steady,
We might notice a gentle drifting beginning to happen.
Nothing that we are doing on purpose,
Just the natural easing that comes when the mind and the body feel safe.
We might feel the limbs growing heavier,
Or the breath becoming quieter,
Or even a soft spaciousness spreading through the body.
And if we don't feel anything in particular,
That's completely ok too.
We are not looking for a specific sensation or feeling,
We are simply allowing whatever is here,
To be here.
With each slow inhale,
We are welcoming calm.
With each gentle exhale,
We are sinking a little deeper,
There is nowhere else we need to be,
Nothing we need to manage,
Nothing we need to hold up.
Just this moment,
And this soft,
Steady quiet.
If the mind drifts toward the day,
Or toward tomorrow,
We can let those thoughts drift in,
And drift out,
Without needing to follow.
Thoughts are just passing weather,
And we are lying safely beneath them.
The body knows how to rest,
And sleep knows how to return,
All in its own time.
We are simply allowing,
Softening,
Settling,
One breath at a time.
And now,
As the body continues to relax,
And the breath finds its own easy rhythm,
You will begin to hear less of my voice,
And more of the calming background sounds.
These soothing sounds will stay with you through the night,
Holding you in a gentle,
Still,
Steady atmosphere of rest.
So for now,
We are just drifting,
Breathing,
Resting,
And allowing the softness to carry us deeper into the night.
And as we drift here,
Supported by the bed,
Surrounded by stillness,
Everything can continue to soften,
The breath moving gently,
The body settling naturally,
The mind becoming quieter with each passing moment.
There's nothing we need to chase,
Nothing we need to achieve,
Just resting in this softness.
This ease.
This quiet settling.
If any last thoughts drift through,
We can let them pass,
Like distant echoes,
Fading on their own,
Without effort,
Without resistance.
The body is heavy now,
The breath is slow,
The whole system easing into a deep,
Peaceful quiet.
We might feel ourselves sinking a little deeper,
Or floating a little lighter,
Or simply resting in a warm,
Steady stillness.
Everything is allowed,
Everything is welcome,
Everything can soften.
And as my voice continues to fade into the background,
The calming sounds will gently hold you through the night,
Supporting you,
Steadying you,
Keeping you surrounded by ease,
You can drift whenever you're ready,
Slowly,
Peacefully,
Naturally,
Allowing sleep to come to you,
In its own way,
In its own time.
As you rest,
And drift,
And settle deeply into the night,
Softening,
A little more with each breath,
Settling,
Deeper into the bed,
Into the quiet of the night,
Resting,
Drifting,
Between waking and sleep,
Gently carried by the sounds around us,
Resting,
Safely held,
With nothing to do,
And nowhere we need to be,
Deep into sleep,
Where the body can restore itself,
And the mind can completely let go,
All through the night,
As we soften,
Settle,
Drift,
And rest,
Softening,
Settling,
Drifting,
Resting,
Deep into sleep,
