Hi there.
If you're here,
You've woken in the night.
Or this meditation is being used to help you get to sleep.
Either way.
I want to share with you something important.
Struggling to sleep or waking up.
Doesn't mean something is wrong.
It means your nervous system is doing its best to take care of you.
Even now.
Your body is trying to protect you.
Restore you.
Help you.
And together.
We're just.
Going to gently guide it back to rest.
You don't need to force sleep.
It may come.
Or not.
That sleep is as natural as breathing.
That we just need to let our body do.
What it does.
And we allow.
We support.
We soften.
But first,
Let's accept that we are here now.
Everything is all right in this moment.
You are safe and not alone.
And we begin taking care of ourselves right here.
Right now.
Take a second to adjust your body.
But not perfectly.
Just kindly.
If it feels a little too hot,
Maybe remove a blanket or a piece of clothing.
Don't turn any electronic devices so their screens face down and the light is away from you.
Then lie back.
Let your shoulders drop just a little bit.
Move your jaw side to side.
And then let it unclench.
Relax your eyebrows.
If your mind is busy,
That's okay.
A busy mind is often a caring mind.
It's trying to solve.
Trying to prepare.
Trying to protect.
But now,
We thank it.
And we let it rest.
You might imagine placing your thoughts into soft hands,
Hands that can hold them for you until morning.
You don't have to carry everything right now.
Or now.
You have no responsibilities.
Be in this present moment.
Let the past go.
Let the future go.
Let yourself lie here.
As one of the most natural forms of healing.
Your body knows how to relax.
It has done this before.
It will do it again.
Now,
Bring your attention to your breath.
Just noticing how it is to breathe right now.
Inhaling.
And exhaling.
Then let's try making the exhales slightly longer.
Inhaling.
Exhaling longer.
Practice that for three or more breaths.
Just noticing how that makes you feel.
Bring your awareness to the top of your head.
And imagine something very gentle there.
Like a warm hand.
Or a soft light.
Resting.
Not pressing.
Just present.
Bringing a softness to the scalp.
Let that feeling slowly move down.
To your forehead.
Smoothing it.
Easing in.
Then to your eyes.
Let them relax and fall backwards.
Your cheeks soften.
Your jaw loosens and falls.
And if it feels right,
Imagine someone kind.
Tucking a blanket gently around you.
Nothing tight Nothing restrictive.
Just enough.
To feel safe.
A busy mind is often a caring mind.
It's trying to solve.
Trying to prepare.
Trying to protect.
But now,
We thank it.
And we let it rest.
You might imagine placing your thoughts into soft hands,
Hands that can hold them for you until morning.
Now,
Your neck.
Is releasing.
Let that softness drift to your shoulders.
And let them drop like they've been told.
You don't have to carry that right now.
Let them believe it.
Let that gentleness slip down your arms.
To the elbow.
The forearms to your hands.
And let your hands rest like they've finally finished everything for the day.
Nothing left to do.
Now your chest.
Feel your breath there.
Like a quiet wave.
And your heart steady.
Faithful.
Even in less easy moments.
It keeps going.
Just like you.
Now,
Your core area.
Soft.
Unguarded.
It's okay to let go here.
And now your hips.
Relax them.
Let that feeling drift to your legs,
Thighs,
Knees,
Calves,
And your feet.
Now feel your whole body.
Supported.
Help.
As if the bed beneath you is gently rising to meet you.
You don't have to hold yourself up.
You are being held.
Now gently lengthen your exhale again.
Inhaling for four.
Exhaling for six.
Continue to do that,
Letting the exhale be a quiet sigh.
A signal to your body that you're safe now.
And now,
We'll let your mind rest in a story.
There is a quiet meadow.
A place that always exists,
Even if you've never seen it before.
The grass there is soft.
Like it remembers how to welcome you.
The sky is a deep,
Gentle blue.
The kind that tells your body it's time to rest.
And in this meadow.
There's a small path.
Not a long one.
Just a simple path that curves gently forward.
As you step onto it,
You notice something beside you.
A small light.
About the size of your hand.
It glows softly.
Warmly.
And somehow it feels familiar.
It's your special light.
The light stays close to you,
Not in front.
Not behind.
Just beside you.
Like a quiet companion.
The small light glows.
A little brighter.
As if it's happy you're here.
You walk a little further.
And in the distance.
You see a large.
.
.
Gentle tree.
His branches stretch wide.
Like open arms.
Beneath the tree,
There's a soft place to rest.
You move toward it slowly.
No rush.
The small light stays with you.
When you reach the tree,
You notice something else.
There is a feeling here.
As if this place knows you.
Not who you're supposed to be.
But the divine you that is underneath everything.
It accepts you just as you are.
You sit down beneath the tree.
And the ground is soft.
Perfectly.
Curated for you.
The small light settles nearby.
Still glowing.
And as you rest.
You begin to feel something.
Gentle.
As if the tree itself is watching over you.
Sheltering you.
Sharing its steady presence.
Like something that has stood through many seasons.
And knows that everything changes.
And everything passes through with grace.
A soft breeze moves through the branches.
It feels like being cared for.
No words.
Just a feeling.
You're okay.
You're held.
You don't have to do anything to belong.
You're enough.
The small light flickers gently.
And you realize.
It isn't separate from you.
It's something you've carried all along.
A quiet resilience.
A steady glow that never fully goes out.
Even on the hardest days.
Even in the middle of the night.
You don't have to make it brighter.
You don't have to protect it.
It knows how to stay.
You lie down beneath the tree.
And the Earth supports you completely.
The branches move softly.
The breeze continues.
The small light rests beside you.
And everything feels enough.
If thoughts come,
They can float by like clouds.
If feelings come.
They are welcome to soften here.
Nothing needs fixing.
Nothing needs changing.
This is the place of being held.
A place where your body remembers what it feels like to be safe.
Continue to drift here.
The tree watching gently.
The light,
Steady.
The ground holding you.
If thoughts come.
They can float by like clouds.
If feelings come.
They are welcome to soften here.
Nothing needs fixing.
Nothing needs changing.
This is a place of being held.
A place where your body remembers.
What it feels like.
To be safe.
Continue to drift here.
The tree watching gently.
The light steady.
The ground holding you.
You are safe.
You are supported.
There is no place to be.
You have permission to rest.
Your body knows how.
Let it be so.
You belong here.
You are enough.
You are safe.
You are supported.
You have permission to rest.
Your body knows how.
And little by little.
You drift deeper.
Into comfort.
Deeper.
Into peace.
Deeper into rest.
The tree sways gently overhead.
The small light glows beside you.
Safe.
Warm.
Steady.
The meadow remains.
The tree remains.
The small light.
Remain.
And you can simply rest.
Faith.
Supported.
Loved.
Sweet dreams.