Day 1: The Rhythm of Sleep

Just for tonight, could you set aside everything you think, or have been told, about the right way to sleep, and consider the possibility that you have your own, very unique rhythm of sleep? What if the busy-ness of your mind is not what keeps you from sleep but is actually the key to your best sleep? The Rhythm of Sleep is an invitation to experience your thoughts and sleep as natural allies; working in harmony for your unique version of restorative rest.

Transcript

Welcome to the Soothing Sleep Series here on Insight Timer.

My name is Bethany Arielle Hagan,

And it is a pleasure to be here with you,

Ending the day together.

So let's settle in,

Get comfortable,

And maybe allow for the possibility that tonight's sleep could be different.

No expectations about how it's supposed to be should be what's best or right,

Simply allowing for the possibility that in this moment you can relax into the perfect sleep for you.

Taking a nice deep breath and settling into what's exactly right for you and your sleep experience right here,

Right now,

In this moment.

No pressure to fall asleep quickly.

It's perfectly fine to allow sleep to arrive slowly,

In its own time and its own way,

Falling asleep gradually and with ease.

And it's also fine if you're used to waking in the middle of the night,

Aware and alert.

It's perfectly natural.

In fact,

Long ago when life was quieter and simpler,

It was common for people to sleep in two phases.

Perfectly normal to fall asleep for a few hours,

Then rise for an hour or two of reading or prayer or intimacy,

And then settling easily back down into sleep,

Comfortable and content.

So perhaps just for tonight,

You can relax into a sense of curiosity,

An exploration of your unique sleep rhythm,

And just see how it might be to sleep in your own special way,

To trust that your body knows best.

Even now,

Beginning to feel your body relaxing,

Shoulders dropping,

Muscles releasing,

Your whole body becoming heavy and calm.

And as your body relaxes,

It's natural to become more aware of thoughts and the busyness of the mind.

It's possible you've even wished that there was an off button for your mind.

Wouldn't it be lovely to be able to flip a switch into stillness?

And that's okay.

Just for tonight,

We're allowing sleep to be with us in our own unique way.

It's normal for an overly busy mind to interrupt us.

For millions of people around the world,

A busy mind can interrupt a beautiful sleep.

And perhaps you're wondering,

Why is that?

Why is my mind so busy when I'm tired and ready to sleep?

And perhaps just take a nice,

Easy breath,

Allowing your mind to also take a nice,

Easy breath and pause.

A mind busy with thoughts is so natural,

And it might be helpful if you could imagine that your mind is like a river,

And your thoughts are the flow of water.

Sometimes the water flows by slowly,

Like in the heat of summer,

When there is a lack of rain and the water is low and lazy.

And sometimes the river flows quickly,

Like in spring,

As the snow melts and the rains come.

Depending on the weather and the time of the year and the seasons,

The river of our minds can be high and fast,

Or low and slow and easy.

Perfectly natural.

A very natural rhythm,

Fast or slow,

An easy ebb and flow,

Always changing.

Your mind is the river,

Your thoughts are the water.

And how quickly is the river of your mind flowing right now?

How fast are the thoughts represented by water flowing in the river of your mind?

Breathing easily,

Just watch the flow as if you are sitting on the riverbank,

Just noticing as the thoughts flow by.

Good.

Now just allow for the seasons to pass and the weather to change and watch your river change along with it,

Visualizing the river of your thoughts and the weather as it changes each season as it passes.

In winter,

Sluggish and icy,

Speeding up into spring as the snow and the ice melt and the water rises and becomes more vibrant and hectic.

And then as it smooths out and slows down as summer settles in,

Warm and lazy.

And then as fall comes and the leaves begin to change and fall from the branches into the smooth water,

Heading into winter.

These are the seasons of the river of our thoughts,

Always changing,

Perfectly natural.

And the seasons represent your journey through life,

Goals and dreams,

Struggles and challenges that come and go.

And seasons change,

Each of them beautiful in their own way,

Some more harsh and some soft and easy and mild.

The waters of the river represent your thoughts.

And when you focus your thoughts on goals or dreams or desires,

The river slows and the water calms and becomes crystal clear.

The birds and the wildlife are able to see fish that they will catch to feed themselves and their offspring.

And the fish pause,

Lazy and still beneath the water's smooth surface.

And then as is natural,

Things change.

Thoughts can speed up and get busy.

And so imagine a storm of thoughts begins to disrupt the smooth river.

The season changes and rain shatters the calm surface.

The water rises and animals hurry for shelter.

The fish dart into the rocks and reeds away from the rising currents,

The water rushing by a little faster now.

The more thoughts that tumble through your mind,

The more the waters rise and rush.

Soon the storm of thoughts is so powerful that you can no longer sit on the bank watching your river and you too seek shelter from the storm.

This is the storm of thought that has bumped you from the calm shore of peaceful observation.

Sometimes it can take a while for the storm of thoughts to pass and even longer for the after effects of the storm to become calm.

Sometimes the waters continue to rush at high speeds for several days.

This is what happens when a storm of thinking blows across your mind.

It disrupts you for some time and then the waters will naturally settle.

And it is so much nicer to remain on the bank of the river,

Observing nature and the clear calm waters.

And we can choose.

We decide if we let the storm of thoughts pull us from the bank.

We decide if we will sit calmly and watch the storm blow by.

We know that sleep is necessary and rejuvenating,

So why is it a struggle for some to ease into restful sleep?

Because they forget that they have the power to calm the storm,

To calm their minds and move it from worry to relaxation.

They forget that they can choose to sit on the bank,

Relaxed and at ease,

And watch the storm of thoughts go by.

But you remember.

You know that you have your own natural flow and the power to calm any storm of thoughts that might arise.

Because you know that swirling thoughts are normal and so too is a calm,

Quiet mind.

It is natural to experience both.

And so easy for you to flow from one to the other.

A calm flow eases circular thinking,

Relieves anxiety,

And soothes depression,

Guiding you into deep,

Restorative sleep,

Which nourishes the body and rejuvenates the mind,

Improving focus and memory,

Honing your emotional intelligence,

And supporting creative expression.

Experiencing all these benefits is so very simple and natural for us all.

Simply breathing into an awareness of what is right for you in any given moment as you begin to rest.

Noticing physical sensations,

Just noticing emotions and allowing yourself to simply observe your river of thoughts.

This quiet awareness allows storms of thought to pass without impact,

To flow by with natural ease,

In your own unique way of preparing for sleep.

Your ability to simply notice is so easy and natural.

Your ability to create and experience new ideas and this new way of being is powerful.

And you know that getting caught up in a storm of thoughts serves no purpose.

It doesn't achieve anything.

It doesn't build on new ideas.

It doesn't emotionally connect with others around you.

A stormy,

Overloaded,

Out of control mind simply distracts and disconnects you from others and from yourself.

A constantly stormy tumultuous mind isn't real.

No storm is constant.

There is an innate,

Universal ebb and flow.

Storm and then calm.

Thinking and then stillness.

Activity and then rest.

And some thoughts are good and helpful as we prepare for sleep.

Some thoughts promote calm,

Peace and healing.

Some thoughts calm the storm and become again the lovely,

Slow and calm.

And if it feels good,

You can say to yourself,

Thoughts are only thoughts.

Thoughts are only thoughts.

I live in the present,

Not in the past or in the future.

I am here,

I draw from the past when I need to plan for my future.

But I live in the present moment.

I take notice of my body and breath,

Easing and relaxing my body,

Deepening my breath.

I take notice of my surroundings,

Practice being a witness,

Allowing my mind to be calm and at ease,

Just noticing what is happening around me.

When thoughts begin to swirl in my mind,

I have compassion for them and acknowledge them,

Knowing that they are simply thoughts.

My thoughts come and go.

Everyone's thoughts come and go.

I am no different.

I am not alone in this experience.

When I watch my thoughts like the waters of a river,

I allow the thoughts to pass by.

I am just a witness.

Thoughts are just thoughts,

Just passing seasons,

Ebb and flow,

In my own time,

In my own way,

My own natural rhythm.

And stopping thoughts,

Like stopping a storm,

Is impossible.

Instead,

I simply observe them arriving and passing by.

Instead of jumping into thoughts and emotions,

I observe which thoughts I want to cultivate,

Those thoughts that support me,

And I let the others go.

I know that the thoughts I give energy to support what I create for myself.

By learning to experience my thoughts as a river,

I learn to know my natural ebb and flow,

To work with my natural rhythm,

And sleep is easy.

I recognize my power to influence the stillness of my mind and welcome peace.

I embrace the unique seasons of my thoughts and my ability to sit on the riverbank,

Relaxed and at ease.

I am patient with the process and compassionate with myself as I learn this new way of being.

I am kind to myself as I flow into my own unique way of being.

I am relaxed into my own natural rhythm of sleep.

I am peaceful and at ease.

Already sleep is easier.

Every time I remember to let my mind be the river and my thoughts the flow of water passing by,

Sleep becomes easier,

Deeper and better.

Natural,

Uniquely mine,

My mind a quiet,

Lazy gentle river flowing easily,

Relaxed and at ease,

Peaceful and safe,

Welcoming my own natural flow into deep and healing sleep,

Easing into my own natural rhythm of deep and healing sleep.

My own natural rhythm of deep and healing sleep.

My own natural rhythm of deep and healing sleep.

My own natural rhythm of deep and healing sleep.

My own natural rhythm of deep and healing sleep.

My own natural rhythm of deep and healing sleep.

My own natural rhythm of deep and healing sleep.

Reviews

This meditation was wonderful...I had a great night sleep.....feeling very relaxed..

Donald Dodge

That was effective (i fell asleep before the end). I usually like some background music, but the voice here was soft and soothing, with steady rhythm.

Following a traumatic period, I've been struggling to sleep soundly and without interruption for some time. So I use Insight Timer pretty much nightly to try and get back to sleep after waking in the small hours. I've listened to innumerable guided meditations. Some work for me and some not so well. Sometimes one will work one night but not on another. This particular one, and especially it's concept and delivery, is amongst the handful that have worked instantly for me. It engaged me in such a subtle and calming way but I also woke feeling rested, balanced and rejuvenated. Thank you so much for this. It's a real gift.

Thank you for this calming passage into deep, refreshing sleep. Namaste

This meditation put me in the proper state of mind to really allow me to think positively on why I am doing this and getting the results that I have been aiming for. Thank you, I will return to this often.

It was exactly what I needed at 3:30am when I couldn't sleep.

Loved this. No pressure to fall asleep. Very soothing.

Such a beautiful soothing voice I didn’t reach the end.

I was able to quickly fall asleep without the TV. I will strive to repeat this experience more often to make it my new routine of self care.
Thank you

Thank you so much; it was exactly the message I needed to hear

Engaging & effective. Soothing voice felt like one's own kindest inner voice offering affirmation & guidance. I can't say how the meditation ended...zzzzz

Thank you, Bethany 🙏 for helping me relax into sleep 😴.
Your voice is so clear and easy to understand, it’s a joy to simply listen to your words. 💖💖💖💖💖

Wonderful way to embrace sleep. When I'd awaken, I could gently drift back to sleep knowing I was in my perfect rhythm. Much gratitude...🙏❤🙏

Thank you for a really insightful and gentle way to accept what is, really relaxed me and gave me a sense of curiosity rather than worry about my sleep patterns.
I slept better 💙

Thank you for delivering to me a beautiful quiet sleep. I am most grateful. Namaste

You helped me begin to reframe my thinking about my sleep issues. It stated to help already, Thank you

A wonderful meditation.🦋 Love your voice, perfect for getting the storm out of my head and just sleep.😴
I am Dutch but the meditation is easy to follow because your voice is so clear.
Thank you so much.💐🙏💐
Blessed Be;
Morgaine🌺

This guided meditation, spoken in a mellifluous, soothing voice, has helped me numerous times to calm down, and often to get, or go back, to sleep.
Thank you!
🌈 ♥ 🙏 🕊️ 🙌

The best soothing female voice 😌 This makes feel at peace. Thavk you. I slept very well.

“Thoughts are just thoughts.”
This was a beautiful and peaceful way to build and support our wisdom mind. Thank you.