Feel that quiet.
Notice the world inside and outside settling down,
Mobilizing into stillness.
Noticing the quiet and anything that moves within the quiet,
Those sounds that are subtle and profound,
Drums of the world,
Polyphony of birds,
Breezes,
Your own breath.
When we come in,
Settle into a new slowness,
A release,
Falling into relaxation,
Extending your breath,
Breathing in deeper,
Out slower,
You might yawn,
You might use the biblical word sela on the breath,
You might think about anyone who's done you wrong today,
All those little insults and injuries that creep into every day.
Notice if you have any resentments,
Any grudges you're holding onto,
See if you can,
If you're ready to contemplate letting them go,
Not holding onto them tonight.
And then because people hurt us,
We can assume that we hurt other people.
We make boo-boos,
Ouchies,
Errors,
Mistakes,
Even do things that are fundamentally unkind or inconsiderate.
We just do those things,
Sometimes for no reason.
Prepare yourself to ask forgiveness someday.
May it all be acceptable.
May your eyes grow heavy and the light grow dim,
And take a moment to acknowledge the oneness of this vast universe,
That all of it is an expression of a single idea,
A deeper truth,
An incredible beauty.
Give gratitude for all of it,
Its vastness,
Complexity,
And unity.
And share that love in the days to come.
Hark it and put it aside tonight so that you have it ready at all times in the future.
Hold on to it.
When you are protected and sheltered,
You are loved and you can trust in the world.
Shielded,
Covered,
Lifted up.
The universe is with you when you suffer and endure.
You're held tight.
You might want to take a breath in and breathe out,
Sela,
A relief and a release.
When you lie down in peace,
To get up again peacefully,
Sheltered in peace,
Shielded,
Given shade with comfort and wholeness,
So that when you go out of this waking world in peace,
You will return to it peacefully.
The night will be a restoration.
Your spirit committed in safety and held for you as you sleep.
You're safeguarded by great and good forces all around,
All the time,
All the more so now.
They protected and sheltered those before us.
Great and good forces watch you now,
Even while you sleep.
And great and good forces will follow those who follow us.
The universe is looking at you and blessing you and guarding you.
The universe is shining its lights towards you with grace.
The universe is turning toward you to offer you peace and wholeness and tranquility,
Unperturbed and undisturbed.
Even as you sleep,
The universe continues unabated on watch for you.
Great and good forces surround you.
You carry questions and doubts through the day.
By your right hand is the force responsible for questions and answers,
Doubts and faith.
During your waking time,
You struggle,
You're vigorous,
You lift and push,
Walk and run.
You can set down your muscular energy to your left with a great and good force responsible for vigor,
Even heroism.
Before you,
In front of your bed,
Great force holds a light like a nightlight through the sleep and slumber and dream.
And behind you,
A force of healing,
Tending to your body with care as you sleep.
And above you,
Above it all,
The glory of a loving universe,
Masterful and continuing,
Supreme and awesome,
Full of wonder and joy.
You might need to make some last adjustments before sleep.
Fidget,
Twitch,
Scratch,
Stretch.
Take another deep breath and yawn it out with the word cella.
Cella.
And succumb,
Let go,
Let the night in.
And you're drifting.
You're drifting in a sea of an unending universe that is and was and will be.
Without end and aware of you,
Deeply concerned and considering you.
And you can rest in your bed,
In the palm of a loving universe with nothing to fear.
