Say a kind word to yourself that you're taking this time to meditate,
Whether you fall asleep or just rest,
Or are doing it amid other activities.
You are doing yourself a kindness,
Just listening,
Just being present without too many other distractions,
Just being.
It's time to settle in and settle down,
Letting gravity take over,
Letting stillness take over,
Letting the quiet take over,
Admitting in all of the things you might resist during an active day or still.
You might notice your breath where you are as it is right now,
Without judgment,
But perhaps bringing a greater and more generous awareness to that basic life process.
Breathing,
Keeping yourself alive through conscious and unconscious acts.
You are giving yourself gifts of more life.
You may want to start deepening the breath in and lengthening,
Even as you do,
You could consider orienting the air and its oxygen places,
Muscles that need support.
Maybe with each exhale you use the most ancient of breathing sounds,
Letting the earth draw you down,
Quiet,
Draw you in,
The darkness drawing away edges of your sight,
Filling you with compassion,
Embracing yourself like a beloved child with a deep abiding and eternal love.
Begin by letting go of the day that was,
Releasing,
Surrendering what preceded this moment of meditation,
Recognizing that all that was good and bad,
Excitements and mistakes,
Is not.
And then every day certain meannesses crept in,
Someone picked a fight,
Can't remember who started it,
Or even why.
Can you forgive,
Not necessarily for their sake,
But for yours?
Can you let go of any resentment that might perturb your rest?
And just as in every day,
Someone bumps into us physically or emotionally,
We are ruffled,
Someone has surely hurt us and we have surely injured another.
Even if you're not ready,
Could you begin to contemplate asking forgiveness just for this moment?
Letting go,
Maybe you notice or just imagine the light fading,
Less light entering your eyes,
The world dimming,
Dimming in volume,
Fragments of the edges of dreams to your reality.
Maybe you start to lose touch with what's real and a sweet or warm dream finds its way into your imagination.
Your consciousness becomes less than 100%.
Perhaps you can take a moment to realize that everything is connected,
That we are all one,
That the foundation of the universe is a single event,
That it's all connected,
All unique.
Perhaps that fills you with love,
Awe,
Gratitude,
And mystery,
That at every moment,
In every diverse and particular experience,
All things are connected.
And you are sheltered,
You are protected from the storm,
Shielded by a great wing,
A mighty fortress,
Protected from distress,
Healed,
Safeguarded,
Sated,
And full in your breathing.
Maybe again as you breathe out,
You breathe out on the word Sala,
The ancient word for the exhale.
You lie down in peace and wholeness,
Sheltered in peace and home,
Guarded till the time comes to awake.
As you go out of conscious time and when you come back to conscious time,
You will be protected day and night.
You breathe in,
You breathe out,
Perhaps using the word Sala on your exhale,
And the universe is blessing you,
Shepherding you,
And guarding you.
The universe is looking at you with illumination and grace,
Shining,
Radiant.
The universe turns its face to you and grants you wholeness.
When we sleep,
There are great and good forces around us,
Safeguarding our bodies and spirits.
The day is filled with mystery and wonder,
And the night is filled.
All the questions you have,
You can rest at your right side,
The great and good force responsible for wonderment.
Days require exertion,
Exercise,
Heavy lifting,
Courage,
And at night you can put aside all of that striving at your left side with the great and good spirit responsible for vigor.
During the day we get lost,
Can't find our way,
Confused,
And at night there is a spirit holding a lamp for us just past our feet,
Guiding us through the darkness.
During days we have aches,
Pains,
Sufferings,
And sorrows.
At night there can be a great and good force responsible for your healing,
Resting just behind you.
Above it all,
A nurturing presence,
A loving force,
The whole universe entire watching out for you,
Safe and secure,
Guarded and protected.
Maybe you're starting to drift off,
Maybe you're no longer keeping track of your breath or even much aware of your body.
Maybe you need to fidget one last time,
A chest wiggle,
Scratch,
And you can breathe in one more time and exhale on the word SELA.
You can sleep knowing that the world ordered unending and you,
Bosom and hand of the universe,
Protected and have no fear.
