There's a nerve that runs from the base of your skull,
Down through your throat,
Your chest and into your belly.
It's called the vagus nerve.
And tonight,
We're going to follow that nerve,
Slowly,
All the way down into sleep.
Hey,
I'm Chibs Okereke and welcome to tonight's Advanced Vagus Nerve Sleep Meditation.
If you've listened to my Vagus Nerve meditations before,
Tonight we go a little bit further.
Not by asking more of you.
But by trusting a body that's done this before.
Tonight,
We'll give the nervous system one clear signal to come down,
Then we'll get out of its way,
So tonight can be your best sleep in a long while.
Every slow breath out travels down that nerve and the body switches over from running the day to repairing from it.
But let's begin by getting comfortable.
If it feels good.
Shifting position turning the pillow over.
Maybe straightening the covers.
Whatever makes the next few minutes easier on the body.
And if you've already settled,
You're welcome to leave everything exactly as it is.
And allowing the eyes to close.
Whenever they're ready to close.
And now,
Noticing where the body is being held.
The back of the head.
In the pillow.
The shoulder blades.
Against the mattress.
Noticing the hips.
The heels.
Wherever the body meets the bed.
The bed has been holding us since we lay down.
Without ever being asked.
And now allowing a little attention to come to the breath.
Just noticing the breath first.
Noticing the breath as it already is.
Wherever the breath is easiest to feel.
Maybe at the nostrils.
Maybe at the chest.
May be low in the belly.
Rising.
And falling.
And when you're ready.
Let's take three slow breaths together.
Nothing forced.
Just a little slower than usual breathing in slowly and breathing out slowly.
Breathing in.
.
.
Slowly.
And breathing out.
Slowly.
One more slow breath in and slow breath out at your own pace.
And that's the breath done for tonight.
From here.
The breath can do whatever the breath wants to do.
Each of those slow out breaths just travel down the vagus nerve.
Through the throat.
The chest.
And into the belly.
The vagus nerve's job is to tell the rest of the body that the day is over.
And the more often the body has heard that message.
The faster the body believes it.
Your body has heard it many times before.
Noticing the weight of the covers now.
Not covering us so much as holding us.
Nothing under the covers needs to be anywhere else tonight.
And now.
We're going to follow that nerve down through the body.
Slowly.
One place at a time.
And wherever that nerve goes.
We're going to allow that part of the body to stand down.
Let's begin where the nerve begins.
At the base of the skull.
The place where the head meets the neck.
Allowing the back of the head to be heavy in the pillow.
The small muscles at the top of the neck.
The ones that have held the head up all day.
Softening.
The head doesn't need holding now.
The pillow has it.
And the scalp.
Loosening.
The forehead.
Widening.
The eyes.
Resting back in their sockets.
With nothing to look at.
And now the nerve travels down.
Behind the jaw.
And down through the throat.
Allowing the teeth to come apart.
If the teeth are touching.
Allowing the jaw to hang.
Heavy.
And loose.
And the tongue now.
Resting wide and heavy in the mouth.
And the throat.
The throat has been talking all day.
Explaining.
Answering.
Holding a tone.
So allowing the throat to be soft now.
Nothing to say.
Nobody to answer.
And noticing how the breath moves through a soft throat.
Easier.
A little quieter as it passes through.
And now the vagus nerve reaches the heart.
This is one of the main things the vagus nerve does The vagus nerve asks the heart to slow down.
And we don't have to do anything for that.
We can't make the heart slow.
And we don't need to.
The vagus nerve is already doing it.
With every slow breath out.
So simply noticing the chest.
Noticing the rise.
And the full.
And any tightness across the ribs.
Can simply be there.
While the breath moves around it.
Allowing the heart to find its own pace.
Slava.
In its own time.
And now the vagus nerve passes through the diaphragm The diaphragm is the wide muscle under the ribs that does our breathing for us.
All day it's been working.
Without being noticed.
So noticing it now the ribs widening a little.
With each in-breath.
And softening a little.
With each out breath.
Nothing to hold in the ribs.
Nothing to hold under the ribs.
Just the breath.
Moving through.
On its own.
And now the vagus nerve comes to the belly.
This is where the nerve ends.
And this is where the signal lands.
The belly is where the body decides whether the day is still happening.
If the belly is braced.
The body thinks the day is still on if the belly is soft.
The body believes the day is over.
And so.
.
.
If it feels comfortable.
Allowing the belly to be soft.
Rounder.
With each in-breath.
Easier.
With each out-breath.
The day doesn't have to be sorted for the belly to stop bracing.
And if that feels like too much tonight.
The belly being a little softer.
Is plenty.
Or none at all.
The vagus nerve is doing its work either way.
Now.
Let's bring our attention to the whole vagus nerve pathway at once.
From the base of the skull.
Through the throat.
The heart.
The ribs.
And into the belly.
One line down the middle of the body.
And all of it.
Going still.
And from that line.
Allowing the rest of the body to catch up.
Noticing the shoulders.
Perhaps they're still up near the ears.
Allowing the shoulders to settle.
A millimetre or two.
The arms.
Heavy along the bed.
The elbows.
Soft.
The hand.
With nothing to hold.
The fingers.
Uncurling.
The output bag.
Widening across the mattress.
The lower back.
Settling.
Noticing the hips.
Heavy.
And the pelvis resting its whole weight into the bed.
Gravity doing the holding now.
The thighs.
Releasing.
Amaze.
Heavy.
The carbs.
Suffering.
The ankles.
Loose.
And the feet.
One.
Or cool.
Or simply there.
And now expanding our awareness.
Noticing the whole body at once.
No detail needed.
Just the whole shape of the body.
Resting.
A body that's carried the whole day.
Finally getting to put the day down.
And here's what I'd like you to know tonight.
You've done the work already.
Every night you've slowed your breath.
Every body scan you followed.
Every time you've let the vagus nerve carry you down.
Your body has been learning.
That's how nervous systems work.
They learn by repetition.
And a body that's practiced coming down.
Comes down faster each time.
So the advanced version of this.
Isn't more effort.
The advanced version is trusting the body to take it from here.
We've sent the signal.
The body knows the rest of the way.
Which means tonight.
You get to stop managing your own sleep.
You don't have to check whether the belly is soft enough.
You don't have to get any of this right.
The body's got it.
And if the mind offers something up anyway.
A thought.
A plan.
Something from today.
That's normal.
We don't have to argue with any of that.
None of it needs sorting tonight.
It can wait on the other side of sleep.
And now.
Noticing something that's already begun.
The body is getting heavier.
We haven't done that.
The body's doing that.
Because the body's been told that the day is over.
In the body.
Believes in.
So we can allow the weight to go all the way through.
Most nights.
We switch off at the surface.
The eyes close.
The breath slows.
But underneath.
Something still holding on.
Still Ready.
Just in case.
It tonight.
That part can let go too.
So allowing the weight of the body to sink into the bed.
All the way through.
Through the skin.
Through the muscle.
Through the bones.
Resting on the mattress.
With nothing to hold them up.
As if the body is slowly melting into the bed.
The edges of the body.
A less sharp.
The line between the body and the mattress.
Is getting harder to find.
And the mattress is taking all of it.
Every single bit of the white.
So the body doesn't have to hold any of it.
Your body already knows the way down.
We don't have to lead it.
We don't have to follow it.
We can simply let the body go where the body is going.
Heavier.
Warmer.
Further into the bed.
And coming back to the breath for a moment.
Noticing how the breath is now.
Compared to when we started.
Probably slower.
Probably lower in the body.
Nothing that we made happen.
And each time the breath leaves the body.
The body settles a little further.
And the mattress takes a little more.
From here.
The words start thinning out.
More space between them.
Less to follow.
Body.
Getting heavier.
The breathing getting slower.
Nothing left to manage.
And if the mind drifts.
We let the mind drift.
Drifting is exactly what we're here for.
The signal's been sent.
The body is on its way.
And there's nothing left for us to do.
Except let the body go.
Heavy on.
Slower.
All the way through.
And we can simply rest here.
While sleep comes closer.
And now.
A few gentle phrases can drift softly in the background.
No need to repeat a word of them.
They can just play on softly.
While the body sleeps.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I wake in the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
My nervous system knows how to calm down.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I waken the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I wake in the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
My nervous system knows how to calm down.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I waken the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I wake in the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
My nervous system knows how to calm down.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I waken the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I wake in the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
My nervous system knows how to calm down.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I wake in the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I wake in the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
My nervous system knows how to calm down.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I wake in the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I wake in the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
My nervous system knows how to calm down.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I wake in the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I wake in the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
Bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
My nervous system knows how to calm down.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I wake in the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I wake in the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
Bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
My nervous system knows how to calm down.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I wake in the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow.
And my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
Bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
My nervous system knows how to calm down.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
If I wake in the night,
I can settle straight back into sleep.
Sleep can come in its own time.
My body already knows the way down.
I've done the work and I can let go now.
My breathing is slow and my body is following.
I don't have to manage my sleep tonight.
The signal has been sent and the rest is happening all on its own.
My jaw is loose,
My throat is soft and my belly is easy.
My heart can slow in its own time.
I'm safe here,
In this bed.
The bed is taking all of my weight.
Nothing more is being asked of me tonight.
I can let go all the way through.
Every night I rest,
My body learns a little more.
I don't have to get any of this right.
My nervous system knows how to calm down.
Rest is already happening.
I'm allowed to sleep deeply tonight.
I trust my body to carry me through the night.
