When you're sleeping,
Your breath is very dysregulated.
When you're preparing to sleep,
You don't have to do too much with your breath.
Your breath is so magic.
You have an ability to control it,
And then you have an ability to do it without conscious control.
You can't do that with your digestion,
With your pulse.
Think your breath is the only part of your human function that you can do both consciously or indirectly and without conscious control.
So take advantage of that when you meditate.
Let your breath drift and wander as it might in sport or when you're asleep.
And then at times,
If you get distracted or when your mind wanders,
Do some conscious breathing.
Play with that tonight,
Letting your breath come in and out of conscious experience.
It doesn't have to be one or the other.
When you are comfortable,
You might be ready to close your eyes.
Settle in,
Shuffle into your bed or your seat,
However you're going to be resting or sleeping.
Make yourself a little more cozy.
And start by forgiving.
Accept that people have made mistakes today and that you've made mistakes today.
Feelings have been hurt left and right,
In and out.
We are not divine.
We are flesh and blood.
There is no avoiding the accidental or intentional harm.
Maybe you can grieve a certain thing or things you've done wrong,
But you can't hold on to it while you sleep.
Set it aside on your nightstand.
It's all you can do.
You start to feel the light consciousness dispersing,
Your will weakening.
Little bits,
Edges,
And fragments of dreams pry into these conscious moments.
And at this very moment,
As you breathe and settle,
Feel gravity,
Tiredness,
Even exhaustion draw you in.
Take a pause to acknowledge the greatness of the world entire.
That it came out of a single spark.
We are all still in some way connected.
Awesomely,
Fearfully,
Joyfully.
From that sense of profound connection,
Maybe you notice an outpouring of light toward the world that is so deeply and fervently in your breathing.
You're settling in with sadness,
Distress you've felt.
You can let it go.
All your worries will be there in the morning.
And for now,
You surrender them.
There's nothing you can do about them from your bed.
You are sheltered.
You are protected in a refuge and a stronghold from eagle's wings.
Protected by a shield.
The universe is covering you,
Devoted to you,
Guarding you.
Maybe in your sleep,
The world is with you in any distress.
Lie down in wholeness,
Harmony,
And security,
Knowing that you will rise up again in health.
You will go out of the day in peace and prosperity and enter the next day with the same security.
That there is goodness out there.
Goodness that looked over your ancestors and goodness that will be there for those who follow us.
You can count on it.
You're breathing in.
You're letting your muscles relax.
You're letting your spine extend.
No longer facing gravity but working with it in surrender.
No longer holding thoughts together in constructed logic but letting the brain unfetter,
Tease out all little alleyways.
Imagination,
Tumbling into dream.
You're blessed.
You are guarded.
The universe is looking down upon you with grace.
And the universe looks toward you and grants you wholeness,
Being complete.
There are great,
Gracious,
Good forces preparing you for sleep.
Days are filled with wonderment and questions and strivings intellectually.
And at night,
You are right side.
All of those questions perturb us,
Lies us,
That can't be answered.
In the days,
We strive,
Struggle mightily,
Endeavoring.
At night,
We can put down all of that industriousness at our left side.
So many times we can't find our way.
So many times we lose the path.
And at night,
There's a light held out before us,
Illumining our way.
We are sore and we ache.
We experience harm,
Pain,
Or suffering during the day.
Behind us,
There's a great force for healing.
Above us,
Above it all,
A warm and loving embrace of a caring universe.
Take a few more moments to fidget and fiddle,
Adjust and squirm.
Get yourself nice and comfy.
Take another breath in and say the ancient words,
You are guarded.
World is full and eternal as unity and closely,
Tenderly,
Without fear.
