Hi,
This is Michelle Swearn.
Welcome to your sleep meditation.
Many people struggle shutting off their thoughts in order to settle into sleep.
Our thoughts and our minds are the busiest when our nervous system is revved up.
And so it is important to have a period of transition as you settle into bed and getting ready to go to sleep.
This transition time allows you to settle in and regulate your system so that your brain can communicate to your body that everything is safe and sound enough for you to rest.
You can set aside those to-do lists,
Those worries,
Those ideas,
Those thoughts,
Those distractions.
Imagine opening up a drawer and putting those away.
You can open it up again tomorrow and start right where you ended.
But in order to be able to accomplish what you want tomorrow,
We need to calm our nervous system,
Let go of all of that,
So that we get a chance to rest and process and heal so that you can get back to everything that's important to you tomorrow.
So shut that drawer,
Settle into a comfortable spot.
As you settle into the location where you're sleeping,
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
Blow out through your mouth,
Letting go of any tension you might feel,
Settling in and continuing to get comfortable.
Continue to take a few deep breaths in through your nose.
Feel the air come in and go all the way down to your toes.
And as you blow it out through your mouth,
Imagine it coming back out up through the top of the crown of your head.
With each breath out,
Letting go a little bit more,
Settling in.
If your mind wanders to any thoughts that are still lingering,
Bring it back to your breath.
Put them away in that drawer and continue to focus on breathing in and out,
Letting go a little more each time you exhale.
As you're comfortable,
If your eyes aren't closed yet,
Close them gently,
Relaxing the corners of your eyes.
As you breathe,
Imagine a white light at the top of your head.
As you breathe in,
That white light comes down,
Relaxing your forehead,
Your nose,
Your eyes and your temples,
Your jaw and your tongue.
As you continue to breathe,
The light goes down,
Filling up your body,
Relaxing every part that it touches.
Your chin and your neck,
Your shoulders,
Going down into your arms and your hands,
All the way to each nail bed and fingertip,
Down into your chest and your heart and your core,
Your stomach,
Your hips and your pelvis,
Your gluteus down to your legs and your knees,
Your calves and your ankles,
Down to your feet and each individual toe.
The white light has filled you up with your breath,
Taking away the tension from each part of your body.
Now letting you settle in deeper and deeper into your bed.
As any distractions continue to go up,
As you breathe,
Say,
I am safe.
I am calm.
I am ready for a peaceful,
Restful night of sleep.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
Breathe out.
Settle in for a restful night of sleep.
