Let's start with a deep breath,
And you may use that deep breath to feel into any tension you have,
Just noticing what the day or the week or the month has affected your body,
In what ways,
Where you're still wired,
Tense,
Hinched,
Maybe there's distinct pain or just a low rumble of distress.
Sometimes if we acknowledge these kind of things,
They diminish slightly,
Like they were waiting for us to see them,
And the pain was calling out,
Asking to be noticed.
As our body,
So our emotions,
Feelings bubbling up and coming out the wrong way,
Just notice what you're feeling.
Even if you can't name it,
Sensations like you're on the edge of tears or laughter,
Or you may have a fantasy of rage,
They're all there,
All fair.
Breathe into that.
You can breathe out using the ancient word for an exhale of selah.
You might want to breathe in and hold it for a second,
Letting the breath stretch you out,
But also creating a tension that you can't wait to release,
And then release it.
Holding and then just acknowledging all the weights you carry,
Physical,
Emotional,
Spiritual,
And you can feel the gravity of it all.
And as you breathe,
You can let go of all that.
Let the gravity and gravity itself take over.
You don't have to put on a brave face or sit up straight.
Pay attention.
Just let the world draw you in and pull you towards it.
Letting go.
Not resisting right now anymore.
You might want to stretch a little.
Comfort yourself.
A simple physical loving gesture or a kind word in your own ear.
Compassion for self and all of our flaws,
All of our burdens.
Continuing to breathe,
Your mind's going to get lost,
Partly as dreams creep in from the edges and partly because that's what brains do.
They fire neurons which introduce memories or images,
Sensations.
You're not trying to stop them from entering.
You are also not stopping them from leaving.
They're just going to come and go.
Letting your brain unspool still.
Noticing the quiet and the deepening stillness and darkness wrapping you up.
Someone's done you wrong today or recently.
That is certain.
Can you forgive them?
Maybe just imagine letting go,
At least for your own sake.
You don't need to hold it on while you're sleeping.
And in the exact same way,
Probably hurt people,
Disappointed someone,
Made a simple or complex series of mistakes that led you to this point,
Say a brief word to yourself about wishing for correction and amends and improvement.
That's all we can ever do.
Try again.
Sleep,
Descending,
Filling up our frame,
Entering from the edges of our eyes,
The weight of our spine,
And feeling connected to a deeper reality,
Beyond the conscious world,
Beyond the night,
Beyond even any dream,
That we're all connected.
All of this shares an origin.
If you pay attention,
You can feel it at any moment.
This is all one.
You and your friend and your enemy,
All were created from an original instant,
A single impulse to create.
What if that could fill us all with love and appreciation?
Breathe into that.
Maybe you want to breathe out by shields and by mighty wings,
By great and good forces that carry you and hold you with unending love.
And you lie down with peace and wholeness,
Can trust that you will rise up similar wholeness and completion.
Maybe in your rest and wholeness,
You can share peace when you wake up,
Going out of conscious time and soon back into conscious time renewed with rest and prosperity.
Great and good forces escort you wherever you go.
They escorted your ancestors and they will escort our descendants always,
Eternally,
Forever,
And in all ways,
Looking after us.
The universe looks on you.
The universe blesses you and protects you.
Take that in.
Inhale deeply in its blessing.
Exhale protected.
The universe shines on you with grace,
Sun,
Moon,
And stars looking your way.
Take that in.
The universe is looking toward you with peace,
Wholeness,
And harmony.
Breathe it in.
Let the weariness and distress melt and the sleep and rest enter.
As you do,
You are guarded on all sides by great,
Good,
And immeasurable forces.
Days are full of questions and concerns.
So you put those questions to your right hand with the immeasurable force responsible for all mystery.
Waking hours have struggle and effort.
You can release all the effort on your left side with a great and good force who is might.
And a great and good force is before you holding a candle,
A light through the realms of sleep.
Your body may suffer pain or indignity.
And as you sleep,
Behind you is an immeasurable force of healing.
And above and all around you,
A glorious,
Rapturous presence loving and attending to you.
Take a moment to address any last needs.
Shift or shuffle or breathe in and out all into the rest of a gorgeous,
Loving,
Unending,
Immeasurable universe that cares for you and will watch over you even as you sleep and you have nothing to fear.
