Welcome to tonight's meditation.
Sometimes after waking up in the middle of the night it can feel difficult to fall back asleep.
The mind may begin to race or the body might feel unsettled.
In moments like this it can seem like rest is just out of reach.
I understand how unsettling it can feel to be awake when all you want is rest.
But tonight we're not in a hurry.
There's no pressure to force sleep.
Instead we're creating space for relaxation.
Knowing that sleep will follow when the body is ready.
This is your time to settle back into a calm peaceful state.
Whether that leads to sleep or simply a restful rejuvenating stillness.
I'm Chibzo Kereke and I'll be here with you as we move through this gentle practice.
We'll begin by connecting with the breath using soft controlled breathing to help switch on the body's relaxation response which will signal to the mind and body that it's time to release tension and rest deeply.
Then we'll move into a body scan gently releasing any tightness or discomfort.
By the end of the meditation you'll either be drifting off to sleep or resting in a place of deep stillness.
If you find yourself awake later in the night that's perfectly fine.
Simply come back to your breath or to the sensations of your body safely resting on the bed.
Trust that your body knows how to return to sleep when it's ready.
Tonight there's nothing you need to do but relax.
There's no rush,
No pressure and no need to force sleep.
We're simply inviting sleep to come in its own time.
Take a moment now to find a comfortable position.
You might want to lie on your back with your arms by your sides or the hands on your belly or perhaps you prefer to lie on your side.
Whatever feels most comfortable for you is perfect.
You're welcome to adjust your position whenever you need to.
Even the smallest adjustment,
Whether it's shifting your arms or flipping over your pillow can help your body find just a little more ease.
This is your time.
There's no right or wrong way to experience this practice.
You're welcome to let go and see the simply rest.
And whenever we're ready,
Gently closing the eyes and feeling the support of the bed beneath us,
Holding us safely.
Seeing if we can allow ourselves to sink a little deeper into the mattress.
We're safe here.
There's nothing we need to hold on to,
Nothing we need to do.
Just allowing our body to soften and relax.
Softening and surrendering into the comfort beneath us.
Allowing our body to grow heavy and at ease.
Now whenever we bring our awareness to the breath,
We help to engage our body's natural relaxation response,
Which shifts us out of the busyness of the mind and back into the body.
This simple act sends calming signals to the nervous system,
Reminding the body that it's safe to rest.
So I invite you now to bring awareness to the breath,
Noticing your inhale and noticing your exhale.
There's no need to change anything about the breath,
No need to slow down or deepen the breath.
We're simply noticing how the body is naturally breathing.
Is it a slow breath or is it a rapid breath?
Is it a deep breath or a shallow breath?
Maybe we're breathing into the chest or perhaps into the stomach.
Is the inhale longer than the exhale or is the exhale longer than the inhale?
And we're not so much watching the breath,
We're experiencing the breath,
We're feeling the breath.
So what does it feel like to breathe?
Perhaps we can feel the cool air coming in through the nostrils as we breathe in,
As the lungs and the chest and the stomach expand.
And then we might notice a short pause as the breath changes direction.
And then we might notice the warm air leaving the nostrils as we breathe out,
As the body softens and relaxes and sinks deeper into the bed.
Waking up during the night can sometimes bring with it a lot of thoughts but that's okay.
If the mind does start to wonder whether it's thoughts about the day,
Memories,
Plans for tomorrow,
Going over to-do lists or just random thoughts,
That's completely normal.
It's what the mind is designed to do.
So without giving ourselves a hard time,
Without blame or judgment,
Just notice when a thought arises,
Acknowledge it and if it feels right,
Perhaps bringing a soft smile to your face and then gently bringing your awareness back to the breath.
Back to that next inhale,
Back to that next exhale.
We breathe in and the body expands and we breathe out as the body softens and relaxes and sinks deeper.
The out-breath is the perfect opportunity to let go,
To let go of any tension or tightness we may be holding in the body and to let go of any thoughts or worries we might still be carrying.
So for the next minute or two,
Let's soften and deepen the breath.
Slowing down and controlling the breath stimulates the vagus nerve,
Slows down the heart rate and engages the body's relaxation response,
Reminding us that it's okay to relax and settle back into rest.
A good way of slowing down the exhale is to do a little count inside our mind and make sure that our exhale count is about the same as our inhale count.
So why don't we do some balanced breathing together.
Let's breathe in for a count of five and breathe out for a count of five.
You can follow my count for a few breaths and then you can continue doing some more 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.
It's up to you what you count to.
Perhaps you might want to lengthen the count and breathe in for six or maybe shortening the count to four.
And there's no need to be precise.
If you like you can drop the count completely if counting feels distracting or unnatural and just make sure that you're breathing a little slower and a little deeper.
There's no right or wrong way to do this.
This is your time to relax.
So let me be quiet for a few moments so we can do this by ourselves.
Making sure that we're keeping the body relaxed as we breathe.
Trying not to breathe in too deeply.
We don't want any discomfort whatsoever.
This is all about relaxation.
Checking to see if the forehead is relaxed,
The muscles around the eyes,
The jaw,
The neck and shoulders.
Is the stomach relaxed?
And we might be beginning to notice changes as we continue this relaxing practice of slowing down the breath.
Maybe we can feel warm sensations or tingles in the body,
Perhaps vibrations running up and down the spine.
Okay,
Good.
Now you can let go of the counting and allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Take a moment to notice how the body is breathing now.
Is the breath a little slower?
Perhaps a little deeper?
Try not to purposely slow down or deepen the breath but if the breath is naturally slowed and relaxed,
That's okay.
We're allowing the body to breathe however it wants to breathe.
We're not making the body breathe,
We're allowing the body to breathe.
Just like we're not making ourselves fall asleep,
We're allowing ourselves to fall asleep.
Allowing the breath to be soft,
Allowing the body to unwind,
Allowing the breath to settle,
Inviting the body to find ease.
There's nothing to do but relax.
Allowing the calmness of rest to gently wash over us.
And if the mind wanders,
Thinking about the day,
Worrying about tomorrow,
That's okay.
Remember,
It's perfectly normal.
It's what the mind does best.
Whenever you catch yourself lost in thought,
Try not to give yourself a hard time and see if you can notice the thought and simply let it go.
Sometimes I find it helpful to imagine that our thoughts are like clouds drifting across the sky.
Each time a thought comes to mind,
Whether it's a worry,
A memory,
Or just a random thought,
We can place it gently on a cloud and watch it float by.
We don't need to interact or engage with the thoughts.
We don't need to stop the thoughts or push them away.
We simply notice the thought,
Place it on a cloud and allow the gentle breeze to carry it away.
We can continue watching as the cloud drifts across the sky,
Disappearing into the distance,
So you can be right here,
Right now.
And if the thoughts stay,
That's okay too.
Just come back to the breath and allow the thoughts to be in the background.
Feeling the breath roll in and feeling the breath roll out.
Feeling the body expanding.
Feeling the body softening.
With each breath in,
We're welcoming calm.
With each breath out,
We're sinking a little deeper.
Settling into this moment.
This restful space.
There's nowhere else to be.
Nothing else to do.
We're letting go of any pressure and we're allowing rest to happen.
And now,
Let's gently shift our attention into the body.
And as we do,
I invite you to imagine a warm,
Soothing light moving gently through each part of the body.
From the feet,
All the way up to the head.
Visualising a warm light helps many of us to calm the nervous system by guiding our awareness to different areas of the body,
Encouraging relaxation and releasing tension.
When we visualise warmth or light,
It can signal safety and comfort to the brain,
Helping the body settle into a restful state.
But if imagining a light doesn't feel natural or comfortable,
That's perfectly fine.
Instead,
You might choose to simply focus on the sensation of each part of the body noticing any points of contact with the bed or any areas where the body feels warm or heavy.
Remember,
There's no right or wrong way to do this.
This practice is about helping your body unwind.
So feel free to approach it in whichever way feels best for you.
Let's begin at the feet,
Directing our awareness all the way down to the toes.
Allowing this soft,
Warm light to settle here,
Soothing and relaxing each toe.
The feet growing soft and heavy,
Sinking naturally into the mattress.
Now,
Gently bringing this warm light into the ankles.
Feeling any tightness or tension around the joints easing away.
Allowing the ankles to relax fully,
Releasing into the support of the bed.
If imagining a light doesn't feel quite right,
That's perfectly fine.
Instead,
You might simply notice the sensation of your ankles resting on the bed or touching the sheets.
Now moving this warmth up into the lower legs,
The calves,
The shins.
Imagining a gentle wave of warmth,
Releasing any tightness with each exhale.
Feeling the lower legs soften,
The muscles releasing.
The weight of the lower legs settling into deep relaxation.
Allowing this warmth to travel up to the knees,
Surrounding them.
Easing away any strain or tightness.
And moving slowly into the upper legs,
The thighs and hamstrings.
Feeling the upper legs grow heavy and at ease,
Fully supported,
Deeply relaxed.
Moving our awareness to the hips and pelvis now.
Allowing that comforting light to spread here,
Releasing any lingering tension.
Breathing in and feeling the hips sink more deeply into the bed with each exhale.
Allowing gravity to hold us,
Completely supported,
As we release into stillness.
And now letting this warmth flow up into the lower back and then slowly moving up the spine.
With each inhale,
Imagining the light gently soothing each vertebra.
And with each exhale,
Feeling the spine soften and release,
Letting go of any tightness held from the day.
Allowing the light to expand to fill the whole back now.
Spreading across the shoulder blades.
Inviting a gentle relaxation into every muscle,
Every fibre.
Sinking.
Releasing.
Fully letting go.
And now bringing awareness to the belly.
Feeling the gentle rise and fall as we breathe.
Letting that soft warmth surround this area,
Soothing and calming.
Each exhale bringing a deeper sense of ease.
Inviting the belly to soften,
The breath flowing naturally.
Bringing this warm light into the chest now.
Feeling it expand gently with each inhale and soften with each exhale.
Allowing this calming sensation to spread,
Releasing any tension as the chest settles and the breath becomes even more gentle and soothing.
Bringing our awareness to the ribcage now.
Feeling the gentle expansion with each inhale and the softening with each exhale.
Noticing how this area holds so much,
Protecting our heart and lungs and allowing each breath to bring a sense of calm and ease to everything within.
Imagining this warm,
Soothing light gently surrounding the ribcage,
Relaxing all the muscles between each rib and inviting a sense of spaciousness and peace within.
And now letting this warmth spread across the shoulders,
Easing any weight they've been carrying.
Feeling the shoulders melting away from the ears,
Sliding softly down the back,
Completely at rest.
Moving our awareness down the left arm,
The upper arm,
The elbow,
The forearm,
The wrist.
Allowing the arm to feel heavy,
Relaxed,
Fully at ease.
Bringing this warm light down into the hands now,
Allowing it to gently spread through each finger.
Feeling each finger soften and release,
The hands becoming warm,
Heavy,
Fully relaxed.
Letting go of any tightness that may be held in the palms or knuckles,
Allowing the hands to rest completely at ease.
And now shifting our awareness to the right arm,
Letting this soothing warmth spread from the shoulder down to the wrist,
Releasing and relaxing with each exhale.
Now shifting our awareness to the right hand,
Letting this soothing warmth spread down through the wrist and into each finger.
Feeling the right hand growing soft and relaxed,
Allowing each finger to release and become heavy,
Allowing any remaining tension to gently melt away with each exhale.
Now bringing our attention to the neck and throat,
Breathing into this area,
Feeling the warmth gently relaxing the muscles,
Releasing any tightness held here.
Allowing the back of the head to rest heavy on the pillow,
Fully supported,
Letting go.
Softening the face now,
Allowing the jaw to relax,
The lips,
The cheeks,
The tiny muscles around the eyes,
Feeling the forehead soften.
Now expanding our awareness to include the whole body,
From the top of the head to the tips of the fingers and toes,
Cradled by this warm,
Comforting light.
The whole body heavy,
Calm,
Peaceful.
We are simply here,
Resting,
Releasing,
Softening with each exhale.
Feeling ourselves drift into a deep,
Peaceful sleep,
Carried by this sense of warmth and calm.
There's nothing left to do,
Nowhere else to be,
Just allowing ourselves to sink into this moment,
Inviting a deep and restful slumber.
Sinking deeper,
Releasing fully,
Drifting into a night of rejuvenating,
Peaceful sleep.
Returning now to the gentle rhythm of the breath,
Allowing each breath to flow through the whole body,
Bringing with it a soft,
Calming energy.
Breathing in and breathing out,
Slowly,
Effortlessly.
Resting here in a place of ease,
Allowing each exhale to carry away any lingering tension.
Unwinding,
Letting go,
Settling deeper,
Softening fully into this moment.
The body becoming heavier,
More serene,
Sinking into a deep,
Quiet relaxation.
We're resting,
Releasing,
Allowing both body and mind to surrender.
Drifting gently into a state of quiet ease,
Inviting sleep to come naturally,
In its own time.
There's nothing more to do,
Nowhere else to go,
Simply being here,
At peace.
Drifting gently into a deep,
Restorative slumber,
Sinking fully into a night of restful sleep.
Thank you for joining us.
