I'm Chibs O'Karake and welcome to this guided meditation.
A meditation to gently guide you into a calm and restful state.
This is your time,
Just for you.
It's best listened to when you're unlikely to be disturbed.
It will help you relax or you can use it as part of your wind down before sleep or you can listen to it in bed as you drift off to sleep.
Go ahead and get comfortable,
Maybe lying down or sitting back,
Whatever feels good.
And when you're ready,
Allowing your eyes to close.
There's no need to aim for any particular result.
No right or wrong way to experience this.
Seeing if you can let go of any pressure about how you think this should feel and give yourself permission to simply be here,
Just as you are.
You don't need to try or push,
Just allowing this experience to unfold naturally.
And if you're ready,
We'll begin.
Right now,
Your mind may still be active.
Thoughts may be drifting in and out.
That's completely natural.
There's no need to change anything.
Simply noticing that thoughts are present is enough.
And over time,
They'll begin to settle,
Like background noise,
Gently fading away.
You may find yourself drifting off to sleep or you might simply drop into a deeply restful state.
Either is perfectly fine.
What matters is that your body and mind are getting a chance to pause,
To reset,
To relax.
We'll begin with a short breathing practice known as 4-7-8 breathing.
A simple technique that helps settle the nervous system.
We'll be breathing in gently through the nose for a count of 4,
Holding the breath for 7,
And breathing out slowly through the nose or the mouth for a count of 8.
If those numbers feel like too much,
There's no pressure.
Simply breathe in deeply and breathe out slowly.
Just finding a rhythm that feels easy for you.
This is your practice and you get to do it in a way that works for your body.
Let's do a few rounds together now.
Following my count,
Breathing in 2,
3,
4,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
Breathing out 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
Breathing in 2,
3,
4,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
Breathing out 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Now you can allow your breath to return to its own natural rhythm.
Soft,
Steady,
Effortless.
You might be beginning to notice a soft heaviness spreading through the body.
As though you're settling in a little more deeply.
Let's bring awareness to the body now.
Starting at the feet,
Feeling any tension gently releasing in the feet.
Tension drifting away like mist clearing from the cloud.
Moving into your lower legs,
Feeling a sense of warmth,
Weight and calm.
Allowing that sense of ease continue to rise.
Into the thighs,
The lower belly,
The hands and arms,
The chest,
The shoulders and all the way through the face and scalp.
Any remaining tightness gently melts away,
Like warmth settling into cold muscles,
Inviting everything to soften.
You may notice your breathing feels slower now,
More natural,
More at ease.
Taking a little more time to rest here.
Giving your mind a moment to settle,
Like a spinning wheel,
Gradually slowing,
Quieter with each turn.
There's nothing you need to do,
Just allowing yourself to be.
Now,
I invite you to imagine yourself somewhere open and calm,
Perhaps lying back in a wide,
Quiet field,
The warmth of the sun gently on your skin.
Each time the breeze moves past,
It seems to carry something away.
Thoughts,
Tension,
Whatever isn't needed right now and you're left with only stillness.
Allowing your breath to come and go,
Just like that breeze.
Nothing to force,
Just the rhythm of being.
And if your mind shows you images,
That's welcome.
And if it doesn't,
That's welcome too.
You might now imagine your whole body gently resting into the ground beneath you.
Not merging or becoming one with anything,
Just deeply supported.
A quiet presence among all things.
Each moment you rest here is quietly restorative,
Like nourishment flowing through you.
Gently and steadily.
There's nothing you need to do,
Simply allowing this calm to wash over you,
Like a soft breeze.
Moving through a still room.
Soothing.
Grounding.
Peaceful.
Rest here.
Relax.
And let yourself be at ease.
