We're just getting into it.
Finding the right spot for rest.
Slowing down and letting go of the day that was or any day that will be.
Allowing yourself to fall asleep through this meditation or at least to rest,
Such that when you're ready,
You can fall asleep.
Sleep is not something we control,
It's something we allow.
So this kind of meditation is just to get out of the way of sleep.
You're not doing anything,
You're just removing obstacles.
So make yourself comfortable.
Set yourself at ease.
Adjust your chair or couch or bed.
Fluff your pillows.
Get heavy.
Settle down.
Noticing the quiet.
Enjoying the moment.
Enjoy this meditation so much that even if you have insomnia and sleep not at all tonight,
You can still take pride that you offered yourself some time to meditate.
There's no pressure to sleep.
Maybe your body isn't ready.
Maybe you need less sleep than the average bear.
So remove all those expectations.
Nothing you need to do.
You're just gonna get out of the way of doing and into a place of being and feeling and relaxing.
So you might want to stretch or shift or yawn or breathe with the ancient breath word of selah.
Selah.
Get heavy.
Get slow.
Get quiet.
Not silent.
Not perfectly still.
And enjoying the little variations in that experience.
Small noises,
Twitches,
Whatever.
Find something small or large to be grateful of from the day that was.
Congratulate yourself on it.
Enjoy the moment.
Enjoy what it was.
Congratulate yourself on any hard work from the past days.
Put them all aside like you're taking off your glasses and putting them on your bed table.
Nothing to do.
Nowhere to be except right where you are.
As relaxed as you can imagine.
If you're breathing,
You could try inhaling more deeply and exhaling more slowly.
Maybe that additional oxygen will help you achieve great dreams.
If you haven't already,
You can close your eyes,
Relax your face,
Droop into your bed or cushions,
Floor or couch.
Let gravity do its work.
You're not doing anything.
Let go.
And begin by forgiving.
Ooh,
Someone bumped into you today.
Someone said something nasty.
Someone hurt your feelings.
Cut in line.
You can hold on to that rage and resentment as long as you want.
But it probably won't help you sleep.
So you could try letting go of it.
Try forgiving.
Whatever accidents or intentional slights happened,
They're over.
And in the past.
And all you really need is right now.
Breathe into that potential of forgiving,
Of letting go.
And maybe you can acknowledge the things you did that were stupid or wrong or silly or disappointing.
We all make so many mistakes.
And you could hold on to them or repeat them as much as you want.
But they won't help you sleep.
And it probably won't help you become a better person.
So you can use your bedtime to let them go.
Apologize and move forward.
May that all be acceptable.
You start to feel sleep creep in.
Little edges of dreams,
Weird thoughts that aren't fully conscious.
Your eyes get dim.
You lie down peacefully.
To good dreams.
Interesting dreams.
Fun dreams,
Fun sleep space.
Illuminated with strange and potentially wonderful messages.
The whole world is illuminated with grace and glory even as the darkness falls.
And we take a moment to acknowledge it all.
Breathing in and out.
Just considering briefly the unity of all living things.
Sharing the same kind of atoms and molecules and cells and parts.
All from a single point of creation.
Universe is vast.
Complete and shared.
And totally mysterious.
It's a great place to go to sleep.
And you can feel love for that universe and for all of its moments.
Night and day,
Day and night.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Walking,
Sitting,
Sleeping.
All these wonderful moments.
Slipping away as you drowse,
As you head towards dreams.
But lovable and loving.
It's all set up for you.
And you're sheltered and protected.
Rescued and saved.
Covered with great wings.
Powerful shield.
Dwelling in a loving universe,
Vast,
Complete and mysterious.
Supported and protected by great and mysterious.
Good and wonderful forces.
Guarded at all times.
Granted fullness of life.
Even as you sleep,
You are supported.
Sela.
You head down to sleep peacefully.
And you wake up peacefully to a good life.
Sheltered with peace.
Shielded and delivered.
Path cleared for you from illness and harm.
You can go out of your day safely so that you come into the morning,
Or the waking,
Safely.
In peace.
Eternally.
Great and good forces look out for you as you sleep,
As when you wake.
And they looked over those who preceded us.
And great and good forces will support and protect those who come next.
Glorifying us.
Loving you.
The universe blesses you.
And the universe guards you.
Take a few breaths on that idea.
That certainty.
The universe is blessing and guarding you.
The universe is shining down on you with grace.
Read into that a bit.
That the universe is shining towards you with grace and beauty and truth.
Rest into that.
Breathing.
And the universe looks towards you peacefully to offer you its peace.
Breathe into that peace.
A universe that doesn't slumber or sleep even when you do.
Breathing.
Yawning,
Resting,
Fidgeting,
Scratching,
Whatever you need to relax.
Remove any obstacles from sleep.
And great and good forces are all around.
During the day,
You have all these questions,
All these doubts and wonders.
It's good to question.
And that they could keep you up all night.
So you can put them down to your right side.
With a great and good force responsible for questions.
It's good to run and to stretch.
It's good to run and to struggle and to be strong during the day.
But your muscles need to relax.
You can put all that energy down at your left side.
With a great and good force responsible for vigor.
And a great and good force holds a light through the night ahead of you.
And behind you,
A great and good force offers you healing.
Massaging your body with sleep to renew your cells and your synapses.
Renewed vigor for the days ahead.
But right now,
Just rest.
And above you,
All around you.
And above you,
All around you.
A glorious universe.
You float among it.
Amid it all.
In peace,
You can rest on your bed.
Shift and shimmy.
Adjust,
Yawn.
Breathe in and out on the word Salah.
Salah.
And the universe preceded you and will go on past you.
Always is and always will be.
No beginning,
No end.
You can float amid that certainty.
You can put your body into the trust of a loving universe.
Know that you have nothing to fear.
