Let the quiet find you.
Let the end of the day arrive and greet it.
Spend a moment just settling in.
Descending into the quiet.
Falling into stillness.
Becoming steady and opaque.
Letting the darkness surround you.
Lights go down.
Acknowledging all that is sad and all that is broken.
All that is violent and all that is fragile.
Extend tenderness and grace to the world that tries to love you imperfectly.
And love yourself.
Be kind to yourself.
Amid all the distress and duress.
It's okay not to have an answer to all the world's sadnesses,
Griefs,
And destructions.
We are so very small.
Fall into that knowing and the embrace of an awesome universe.
Breathe deeply into the quiet and the stillness.
Feel your body descend and get heavy.
And start to extend your breath deeper in,
Slower out.
Start with forgiveness.
Grace and letting go to anyone or anything that has harmed you.
Any event.
Any person.
It was not all it could be.
Nothing ever goes exactly according to plan,
And we all inevitably hurt each other,
Disappoint each other.
Make a motion towards forgiveness,
Even if you're not ready to forgive just yet.
But a gesture in that direction can go a long way.
Considering letting go.
And if you can acknowledge that people have hurt you,
You might try to acknowledge that you have hurt,
Harmed,
Disappointed,
Or frustrated other people.
On purpose or by accident,
It doesn't really matter.
We bump into each other physically and emotionally all the time.
May you be forgiven.
May we all learn to apologize.
May it be acceptable.
May our words be acceptable.
If you haven't already,
You could begin to let your eyes close.
The darkness descends.
The light dims.
Dreams arrive just at the edges,
The boundaries of consciousness.
And bad humors and nightmares can be chased away,
Let go of.
And the whole world is filled with glory and goodness.
You might at this moment pause to notice that it is all connected.
All the sights and sounds and all that is within and beyond them,
All one.
A unity that transcends categories,
A great,
Undivided,
Unique mystery beyond all understanding.
That might fill you with gratitude,
A sense of faithful loving,
Moment to moment,
Just a sense of deep appreciation.
As you lie down and when you will get up,
You can be overcome by gratitude in grace.
And as you lie down,
You can be overcome by gratitude in grace.
And you are protected,
Sheltered,
Shaded,
Trusted,
Saved,
Rescued,
Covered,
Shielded.
So little to fear,
So little to truly fear.
And great and good forces guard you as you rest and as you walk,
Lifting you up,
Protecting you.
You are rescued,
Strengthened,
And sated,
Honored,
And freed,
Delivered.
Nothing to fear,
No harm to befall you while you sleep.
You can take a deep breath and exhale on the ancient word of SELA.
And you lie down in peace and wholeness,
Sheltered in peace and wholeness with wisdom to get up again in peace and wholeness.
Protected,
Rescued,
Honored,
Held.
As you go out from consciousness and as you will also come back in to conscious living,
You are held deeply in this abiding universe and its unity.
And great and good forces looked over those before you.
Such great and good forces are looking over you now.
And these great and good forces will look over those after us all.
The universe is blessing you and guarding you.
Absorb that.
The universe turns toward you with illumination and grace.
And the universe lifts itself up to grant you peace and serenity.
You may sleep,
But the universe goes on looking over you,
Loving you.
While you sleep,
Great and good forces watch over you at all times.
At all times.
In your waking moments,
You have questions and doubts and concerns and anxieties.
And in bed,
Great and good force rests on your right side to accommodate all of your mysteries,
Hold them for you.
Staying slow and letting sleep wander in.
In the day,
You exert yourself with vigor and passion.
And at night,
You can put all that energy down to your left side with a great good force responsible for that kind of strength.
And before you at the foot of your bed,
Hangs a light,
Great and good force ushering you through the night with illumination.
And behind you,
A great and good force massaging healing into your body and spirit.
And over you,
Over it all,
Over us all,
Glorious presence of a loving universe that is eternal.
Take some last moments to stretch and squirm,
Fidget and scratch,
Whatever you need to do.
Take a few deep breaths,
Maybe you exhale with the word Sela.
Sela.
And let yourself float in this unceasing universe.
Began.
End.
Universe.
Began before time and will end after time.
Going on and on.
No beginning,
No real end.
You swim in the body of eternity.
Part of a wonderful universe.
It cares for you so deeply.
And you can rest yourself in the hand of the loving universe while you sleep.
Nothing to fear.
