We're just wandering into this space of rest.
Getting comfy and cozy with nothing to prove.
No agenda,
No goal,
No reaction,
No forward motion or progress,
Just release from the day.
Curiosity about what comes next,
Whether we'll fall asleep on the inhale or the exhale,
What kind of sweet dreams we might have,
The healing of sleep,
Nothing to do to make it happen.
In fact,
You can't do sleep.
You can only surrender to it.
That's all we're asking ourselves with this.
As we do this bedtime ritual,
As a way of dispelling efforts and falling into chair or couch or bed,
Rest or sleep,
We're letting go.
Reducing distractions,
Turning down the lights,
Literally and metaphorically.
Maybe you're already falling asleep.
Maybe you need to yawn,
Stretch,
Exhale on the word selah,
Which comes from the ancient Hebrew for breathing.
Maybe you're not doing anything at all.
Maybe you don't even want to sleep.
That's good.
And you're just resting.
Maybe you want to try staying awake as a way of reverse psychology to get your body to sleep.
Whatever works for you.
But mostly we're just going to enjoy resting.
Quiet and still and slow and heavy.
Letting gravity absorb you.
And letting darkness descend.
Falling in.
Falling in and letting go of the day that was or a day that will be.
But only this restful moment exists for you now.
Here you are.
You can deepen your breath in,
Extend it out.
Letting yourself be carried by my voice or other sounds around you.
Sensations on your skin or in your body.
Just noticing,
Curious and playful with a generous awareness.
Where are you?
And since you're right here,
You can take a moment to thank yourself for being still,
Giving yourself this space and time to rest,
To do this ritual.
Falling in.
Like you're in a hammock or a raft,
Gently rocking.
Just let your resting place sway in your mind.
As though you're in a bassinet again.
Joy of the peaceful quality.
Use that peace to forgive.
Forgive people who have angered you or transgressed against your body or your wallet.
Against your honor,
Against your possessions.
People have done you wrong.
People have been unnecessarily aggressive,
Even cruel.
Yeah,
That's how human beings are.
You could squeeze that in all night.
You could hold on to it tightly.
You might never sleep.
So you could let go of your rage and revenge,
Your grievance.
Tentatively forgive,
At least.
You could let go of your anger.
You could let go of your anger.
Begin to let go.
Begin to love again.
Not punish yourself trying to punish others.
As you breathe,
You know other people have harmed you.
You've harmed other people.
You've been negligent,
At the very least.
Oops.
We're not shaming ourselves.
We're just acknowledging the possibility that we are flawed and make mistakes.
The certainty that we make mistakes.
And forgiving ourselves for it and asking forgiveness from the world.
You don't have to beg.
Just wish for it.
May it be acceptable.
You feel the bonds of sleep and dream starting to wrap you up.
Close you in.
Swaddle you.
Lying down in peace as your eyes dim.
Protected.
Eager to dream beautifully or perhaps not remember any dream at all.
And the light of day going into the back of your eyes and vanishing.
And all is quiet.
All is becoming darker.
And there is a deeper light you can perceive.
The light of a coherent universe.
A universe with a shared origin,
Shared development.
Made of the same stuff through and through.
You can be grateful for that universality.
And feel it from time to time.
Notice the unity of all things when you go to sleep,
When you wake up.
When you learn and speak.
When you move,
When you remain.
When you move,
When you remain.
Inside,
Outside.
All made of the same matter.
Going on and on.
Breathe into it.
Letting your body fall down,
Become softer and your muscles give up.
Just let go.
Nothing to fight for,
Nothing to grasp at.
No more work to do today.
No more effort,
Just being and becoming and resting and sleeping.
You're protected.
You're sheltered.
You are covered behind a shield,
Behind great wings.
Not afraid of anything in particular or in general.
Nothing wicked,
Nothing problematic because you are safeguarded by great and good forces.
By great and good forces.
The loving forces watching you all the time so that you don't slip,
Bruise yourself,
Injure yourself,
Nothing.
You are full,
Freed,
Sated,
Delivered,
Protected even if you have trouble.
You can exhale on the word SELA.
SELA.
And you lie down peacefully so that when the time comes you'll wake up peacefully.
But not yet.
Sheltered with peace.
All the difficulties make way before your sleep.
Nothing to harry you or perturb your sleep.
You are protected,
Even rescued.
So that you can go out from conscious time and come back in to conscious time when the time is right.
Everything goes on and on.
Whether you're awake or asleep,
The universe is there for you always and forever.
And great and good forces looked over everything before you.
And great and good forces look over everything that comes next.
The universe holds you,
Wraps you up and gives you blessing and safeguards you.
Breathe that in.
Deep breath with all that safety.
And a slow and gentle exhale in that certainty.
And the universe shines on you,
Turning its face to you to give you grace.
Feel that shining,
That grace,
That love and attention.
You may start to drift off in it.
That's good.
And the universe looks over you.
And the universe looks your way to offer you peace,
Wholeness,
Harmony,
Tranquility,
Welfare.
Everything you could need.
A sense of completion.
And the universe will go on even as you sleep.
The universe doesn't need to sleep,
So it can carry on without you.
And you can let go of trying to shape it.
Just such a silly little plan anyway.
Nothing to do except rest.
While you rest,
There are great and good forces all around you.
To your right is a great and good force to hold on to all of your questions and doubts and concerns.
To your left is a great and good force for vigor to hold on to your muscles and your strength and your activity.
Just keeping it there for you through the night.
No need to overdo it.
Through the night,
No need to exert now.
And ahead of you,
A light held for the righteous.
A light of righteousness that blazes on through the darkness.
Shines on you while you sleep.
And behind you a great and good force of healing.
Massaging all of its gifts through you.
Through the balance of sleep and all of its capacities.
And all this wonder and glory swirling all above you and all around you as you sleep.
Breathe into all of that.
Just so incredible and wonderful.
The universe holds on to you,
But you don't have to hold on.
You can shift and shimmy and scratch and adjust.
Take another deep breath and then exhale.
Fella.
Letting go.
Letting go.
Letting go.
All that was,
Was,
And all that will be is not yet.
Just you.
In this moment.
World without end.
A universe that loves you from its very heart.
And a universe that lives and goes on eternally.
You rest in the palm in the hand of a loving universe.
With nothing to fear.
