Stretch and fidget.
Adjust and squirm.
Make yourself comfortable.
Work out the kinks.
Whatever is right for you to settle in.
Slowing down.
Letting go of what was,
Or what could be,
But isn't.
Nothing is really with you but this moment.
At this time.
This particular breath.
This particular pulse.
My voice.
Your resting place.
Getting ready for bed.
Yay,
You've arrived.
Whatever you've done today is over.
Good,
Bad,
Indifferent,
Neutral.
And whatever is on the agenda or the radar for tomorrow is far away.
Close your eyes when you're ready.
Yawn.
Or exhale on the ancient breath word selah.
Or both selah.
Do what you gotta do.
Slow down.
Becoming more quiet.
Better restful.
Sloppy and woozy.
Not holding yourself up at all.
Not trying to stay awake.
Not trying to fall asleep either.
Just letting go of control.
All that was and all that will be slips away.
And wherever you are right now is pretty neat.
Just right.
So you can notice your breath as it is.
You might want to extend it.
In deeper,
Out slower.
Or you could just keep it below the threshold of consciousness,
Just doing its thing.
Meditation doesn't have requirements.
Maybe it has a direction you want to go in where you can eventually have some sway over your thoughts.
But for now,
You're just settling into your body.
And just letting go of thoughts.
Letting go of precision and demands.
Just being with yourself.
Learning to love your own company.
It's a great task.
We can start with forgiveness.
Forgiving self,
Forgiving others for all the things we do wrong.
People who elbowed you,
People who cut you off,
People who said rude things that they may or may not have intended.
People who stole from you.
People who rub you the wrong way.
Just forgive a little.
Tentatively,
Possibly.
Maybe.
At least for now,
So you can sleep.
You can always hold a grudge tomorrow.
You're breathing,
You're relaxing.
You might exhale,
Salah.
And you know,
You make mistakes.
And it's hard to forgive ourselves.
It's hard not to feel shame or embarrassment.
Just let it go.
It's hard not to feel shame or embarrassment.
Just something as simple as disappointed that you did the wrong thing.
Frustrated.
It's fascinating that we keep making mistakes.
Maybe that's okay.
And tomorrow,
Or eventually,
You will make fewer mistakes.
May that be acceptable.
May it be so.
Maybe you feel the edge of sleep just cruising in around your eyelids.
Your pupils beginning to dilate.
Strange,
Funny,
Unusual thoughts come wandering in.
With the edges of dreams.
The boundary between conscious thinking and the unconscious mind starts to get thin.
We head into sweet dreams.
Good thoughts.
Healing sleep.
And the whole world is illuminated.
Breathing.
Falling in deep.
Getting heavy.
Letting gravity do the work.
Taking a moment just to acknowledge the universe.
Large and awesome dynamics.
Shared.
With a common unity,
A common origin,
And a shared destiny.
You're a piece of it.
Not too big,
Not too small.
But not too big.
So that you can let go of things.
And you're not alone.
But not too big.
So that you can let go of things.
Just let it drift out with this joy of being part of it.
The wonderfulness of getting to exist.
Maybe you feel that.
At odd moments of the day,
When you get up,
When you lie down.
When you walk,
When you sit.
You might just notice that shared unity of all created things.
Be grateful.
Be loving toward them.
May it be so.
And you are sheltered.
You are protected.
You are given refuge.
And saved.
Covered.
Shielded.
Unafraid.
Nothing will befall you while you sleep.
The day ahead could be a simple one.
Without strife.
You are safeguarded by good and great forces.
Lift you up.
Protect you from harm.
Sated with longevity.
And filled with deliverance.
Supported by something much,
Much greater than you.
Breathing in and out.
Sela.
That ancient word that people have breathed for millennia.
We lie down in peace.
And eventually we'll get up again,
Peacefully.
Sheltered by peace and good counsel.
Shielded from all sorts of harms.
All those deficits set aside.
Protected,
Even rescued.
Breathe into all that safety and security.
A loving universe going on and on.
You can go out from the conscious time into an unconscious time,
Subconscious time.
And return peacefully when the right time comes.
Blessed at night and by day.
And great and good forces looked over those who preceded us.
They look over us.
And they look over what comes next.
And extend and extend onward forever.
Gathered around your bed,
Protecting you.
With nothing to fear.
And the universe blesses you and protects you.
Take that in with a deep breath or a few deep breaths.
Yawn it all the way in.
Just take in the protection and blessing.
And the universe shines down on you with grace.
So kindly.
So fully.
All for you.
Breathe that in.
Stretch,
Take it in.
All that grace and patience and compassion that the universe holds for you.
And the universe turns toward you to offer you deep and abiding peace.
Wholeness and harmony.
You may sleep,
But the universe will stand watch.
And we're gathered up by strong,
Good,
Great forces.
Looking over us from all sides.
During the day,
We grapple with so many questions and doubts,
Curiosities,
Concerns.
Wonderments.
They could keep us awake all night.
Maybe that would be fun,
Maybe not.
But we could just put them down to the right with a great and good force that holds our questions.
In the day,
We do labor or exercise.
Lift heavy things,
Lift small things.
Move our legs and our arms,
Squint,
All of it.
We use our muscles and our vigor.
Just do less of that now.
Let all that energy fall at your left side.
With a great and good force responsible for strength.
And ahead of your bed,
A nightlight through the night,
Through the worlds of dreams and the unconscious.
Keeping you safe.
Keeping you illumined.
And behind you,
A force of healing.
Massaging concern and growth.
And healing into you as you sleep.
The ultimate nature of sleep,
To be restored.
To be invigorated again.
Night after night.
Like magic.
And above it all,
The presence and glory of a loving universe.
Watching out for you and watching you while you sleep.
Maybe you want to shift or fidget a little more.
Adjust your pillows or your blankets,
Cushions,
Whatever you have.
Wiggle,
Yawn.
Get even quieter and deeper.
Wiggle,
Yawn.
Get even quieter and exhale with Sela.
Sela.
Letting it all go.
Squeezing it all in and letting it go.
Squeeze it in and let it go.
You might even squeeze your face into a point and then just let it slough off.
And the world is whole and holy.
The world goes on,
The universe expands,
The universe continues,
Even as you sleep.
You don't have to manage it.
You don't have anything to do right now.
Everything's going to take care of itself tonight while you sleep.
You can be restored and refreshed.
And the world goes on,
No beginning,
No end,
No other world.
And you are carried,
Lifted up.
Held in the palm of the loving universe.
With nothing to fear.
