In Biblical Hebrew,
The breath mantra may have been the word selah.
So try that a couple of times,
Breathing in and then exhaling to the word selah.
Selah.
Letting go.
Dissolving into this moment.
Letting the past fall away.
Letting the future drift off.
None of it's real.
Neither future nor past are here.
Just you at this very moment,
Standing in your chair,
On your couch,
In a bed.
Maybe you let your eyes close and begin to feel heavy as you exert less and less muscular energy.
Letting your muscles and bones fall.
Become loose,
Untoned,
Soft.
Thoughts come up and we let them drift off like smoke out of a chimney,
Just floating upwards and out.
Selah.
You can notice yourself where you are and as you are.
Falling in.
Sinking into gravity.
Collapsing into stillness.
Falling into the quiet.
Never perfectly still.
Never completely silent.
Just resting.
Using less energy.
Thinking in a less and less structured way.
Check in.
How does your body feel?
What experience is your body holding from the day?
Where can you let go?
Thinking in.
Letting gravity do all the work.
In any given day,
People upset us.
Trigger us.
Hook us.
Get us twisted up.
We could hold on.
Seize up around that.
Resentment probably wouldn't do us any good.
And it certainly wouldn't help us sleep.
Maybe you can forgive a little.
Or pretend to forgive.
Or imagine forgiving someday.
Whatever element of that works for you to help you rest.
And since people hurt us,
We know that we must,
On purpose,
By accident,
Knowingly or unknowingly,
Hurt other people.
It's okay.
It's the fate of being human.
Maybe you could just ask forgiveness.
And wish not to do it again.
Or not too many times.
May all of this be acceptable.
You're breathing.
And the light is falling.
Dimming as your consciousness dims.
Quiets.
Goes still.
Seeking out sweet and unobtrusive dreams for a deep and plentiful rest.
The lights fade from every room.
And we take stock that all of this is one.
A shared garment of reality from a common source.
Woven together.
All one.
All creation spreading out from one created point.
And maybe this fills you with love and wonder.
Fidelity.
The world.
Gratitude at every moment.
When you lie down and when you rise up.
Outpourings of love.
Sheltered.
Protected.
In a stronghold.
So well safeguarded.
Safeguarded.
Nothing can harm you.
No evil.
No trap.
No pain.
Just peace and rest.
You lie down with peace.
And you will return to consciousness in peace.
Sheltered.
Shielded.
You can go out of consciousness.
And you will come back when the moment is right.
There are great and good forces seeking our welfare at all moments.
They preceded us.
And they attend to us.
And these great and good forces will watch over those who come next.
May the world bless you.
And guard you.
Sela.
May the world shine light upon you with grace.
May the world turn toward you with its open expression and share with you abundant peace and mercy.
Great and good forces support you as you rest.
You may have many questions and doubts during the day.
There is a great and good force to your right side who will carry your questions through the night.
You may struggle.
Expand your vigor during the day.
There is a great and good force that can carry your vigor through the night just to your left.
As you seek the path through dreams and sleep,
Just before you,
A great and good force holds a lamp.
You may be sore,
Tense,
And broken.
And behind you is the force of healing,
Rendering its care while you will sleep.
And all above and around you,
Majestic,
Sweet,
And glorious presence showering goodness onto your bed.
You may need to fidget or shift a little more.
Stretch,
Yawn,
Roll over,
Roll over,
Breathing in.
And one last Sela.
And the world goes on and on,
Carrying you on the ribbon of night forever and ever.
And you can rest your spirit in the hand of all that is good and great,
And you can have nothing to fear.
