Come into this moment.
Settle in.
Acknowledge all that was.
Acknowledge all that could be,
And how the space between past and possibility can be a lonely one,
Filled with self-doubt,
Dread,
Or discomfort.
Notice the sounds where you find yourself,
Natural and man-made,
The rhythms all around,
The peace or distress,
Comfort or unease in your body.
Be playfully curious with the way your mind is going to wander while we're together.
Right?
It's inevitable.
It means you're functioning.
Minds and synapses and brains are moving,
Going their own way.
It's good.
It means you're alive.
Be okay with it for a while.
Embrace your mess.
Maybe it's the real and literal mess in which you are resting.
Maybe your body's a mess,
Through disease or something as simple as not showering.
Maybe your mind is a mess.
Anxieties and compulsions and curiosities and fantasies come and go and flit to and fro,
As they do.
Nothing's ever perfect.
You couldn't exist if things were perfect.
Enjoy this moment.
How's your breathing?
Are you steady?
Ragged?
Contained?
Expansive?
You don't have to name it.
You certainly don't need to judge it.
Just notice where you start.
And then maybe you can go a little deeper in the breathing.
You might,
As part of this bedtime ceremony,
Use the ancient Hebrew word of breath,
Selah,
On the exhale.
If that doesn't feel natural to you,
That's fine.
You can just breathe and note,
Count your breath.
Make a little room for silliness.
Maybe you'll go to sleep with a smile tonight.
We are unfortunately aware that in every day,
In all lives,
People bump into us.
We get harmed or wrecked emotionally.
We could keep chewing that bone all night.
But for now,
Maybe you want to forgive,
Let go,
For your own sake.
Just so you can sleep better.
You could put out a provisional or temporary forgiveness.
Letting go.
Just as people have bumped into you or said nasty things.
You've probably done things like that today,
Too.
You might not have even known you were doing it.
Someone might have expected you to say hi and you didn't even see them.
We've all probably hurt someone's feelings recently.
Maybe even if we're not ready for it,
We could just ask forgiveness.
Try not to do it again.
And we're letting go.
Letting go of self-harm.
Letting go of harm others have done.
And letting the darkness fall.
Eyes go dim.
Eager for the sleep of dreams.
Sweet fantasy.
Disappearance to realms beyond the night.
You might want to say a quick word.
Wishing for sweet dreams and a good sleep.
And then,
As we could at any moment,
But especially in this transition,
Take a moment to pause and think about the created world.
It's marvelous diversity.
Incredible variety.
All originating at one point through shared and simple systems.
A unity beyond diversity that you could be inspired by.
And certainly send out love.
Love that is continual and available in every moment with every aspect of existence.
And that fills you with a faithfulness and fidelity for the created world.
And you are protected.
You are blessed and sheltered.
Blanketed and lifted.
As though with eagles.
Shielded from plague.
Embraced by beautiful forces.
Carried up and safeguarded as you begin to drift.
You are full and need very little.
When your mind drifts and you come in and out of consciousness,
Or get lost in a fantasy,
Or doubt yourself in anxiety,
Ruminate on a fear,
Just come back to my voice.
Get cozy in your body.
Take a deep yawn and stretch.
Just return.
Return and return until you can't return because you're asleep.
You lie down peacefully so that you can live a life of wholeness and peace.
You will go out of conscious thought and return to it when the time is right.
Now you can drift and let go.
Entrusting your spirit into the hand of a loving universe.
The universe that only wants the best for you.
With great and good forces that have been here all along.
They looked out for your ancestors.
And the great and good forces will succeed you and look over your descendants and those who come next.
Breathing,
Settling,
Drawing into the depths of darkness and rest.
Blessed and safeguarded by a loving universe.
You are illuminated.
The universe is shining down upon you with grace.
And the loving universe is facing you and granting you peace,
Wholeness,
Unity.
You're breathing,
You're settling,
You're drifting.
It feels like being on a gentle boat.
Rocking in and out of conscious thought.
You can deposit all your cares and woes to your sides.
Great and good forces there just for your care.
During the day you have doubts and wonders.
You can place all those doubts to your right side with the great and blessed force responsible for questions.
In the day we struggle,
We have vigor,
We walk and run.
Wrestle and push.
At night we can leave all of our force at our left side with the great and good force responsible for effort.
Every day we look for the path.
We seek illumination or wisdom.
At night a great and good force at our feet holds out a lamp.
And behind us a great and good healing prepared for us as the universe shelters us within.
Take any last moments to get super.
Shiver and twitch and shift.
Fidget just a little.
Get everything just right.
We're going to breathe in and breathe out with the word SELA,
The ancient breathing word.
And all is right in the universe.
Everything is held and contained and infinite.
And yes,
You can let go.
Held in the palm of the universe with nothing to fear.
