Settling The Breath For Deeper Sleep

A powerful practice to connect you with calm, ease, relaxation through the breath.

Transcript

Just taking a moment to check in with your own state right now. So just noticing any emotions that might be lingering from the day and then bringing to mind the intention that you have. So why is it that you're called to practice? Why have you signed up to this program? Why have you bothered to show up tonight? So just bringing to mind a couple of words perhaps that reflect your intention and aspirations for the practice. So it might be greater calm, Ease, Might be greater wisdom, Deeper awareness, More presence, Whatever it is for you just bringing that to mind as a way of connecting to motivation and now just bringing your attention inwards and just taking a few deep breaths. Just gathering your attention and bringing it inward. Just sensing the breath. It may be the first time you've even connected with the breath today. And then just letting the breath fall into its natural rhythm. And as is important with all the practices that we do, Just beginning the practice by supporting relaxation in the body. Just seeing if you can relax and soften actively in the body. And taking note of any areas of tension, Tightness. So just scanning the body now from the top of the head right down to the feet. Just noticing if you're holding any tension at all. Using each out-breath as it arrives to just release and soften. Letting go of muscles that are holding any tension. Softening muscles around the eyes. Letting go of the jaw. Allowing it to be soft, Relaxed, And softening the shoulders. Allowing them to fall away from the neck. Allowing the belly to be soft. Sensing the volume of the legs and just allowing legs to be relaxed. And even the toes. With each out-breath just relaxing more and more. But maintaining an alertness, A presence. Just bringing your awareness to the breath, To the sensations of the breath as it moves in and out of the body. Noticing what it's like in this moment. You may notice it's tight and constricted. Perhaps it's flowing with ease. Not trying to change it. Allowing it to be as it is. Simply noting. And as we've explored through the weeks, This practice of mindfulness is really a skill. It is cultivated through practice. Just like an athlete practices, Or a musician practices scales over and over in cultivating and developing awareness, Presence, Focus, And calm. We practice meditation. We practice staying focused on the object of the meditation. In this case, The breath. And when the mind wanders off, Which it inevitably will, We just commit to noticing that, Releasing the thoughts, And returning to the breath. A helpful way of anchoring and stabilizing the attention is actually counting the breaths. So this supports us to let go of many wandering thoughts, And instead anchor to one purposeful thought, Which is simply mental noting. Counting silently the breaths as they move in and out. So I invite you to try this and see what you discover. Counting the breaths from 1 to 5, 1 to 5. After each out-breath, Counting 1, Then 2, Up to 5. Continuing the cycle, 1 to 5. And if your mind wanders off, Just simply beginning again from 1. But making sure that 95% of your attention is actually on the sensation of the breath, The belly, As it moves in and out. And only 5% is on the mental noting, Counting. So we'll try this in silence. Noticing where your attention is in this moment, And if it's been carried away, We're thinking, It's coming back to the counting. 1 to 5, 1 to 5. Just allowing the out-breath to be effortless, Relaxing the body with each out-breath. Staying present to the full duration of the in-breath, And the full duration of the out-breath. No time for thinking. This is a full-time job. 1 to 5, 1 to 5. If you notice that the mind has been caught up in stories, Thinking, Planning, You can simply note thinking, Thinking. And then releasing the thoughts, Relaxing back into the body, And returning to the breath, The belly. And seeing if just for the remaining time of this practice, You can simply allow yourself the freedom, Being right here, And just letting go of any concerns, Plans, Memories, To-dos. Just simply letting them all go, Just for this short time. And just resting back into the moment. Just resting your awareness on each breath, As it moves in and out of the body. And perhaps just dropping the counting now, And just sensing the breath of the belly, Allowing the breath to be effortless, Almost as if you were asleep, But maintaining your awareness and alertness. And seeing with each out-breath, If you can allow the air to empty completely. Not pushing the breath out, Just allowing the breath to fully empty with each out-breath. And trusting the body in the rhythm of the breath, Rather than pulling or sucking in the in-breath, Just allowing it to arrive in its own time. Seeing if we can relax a little more deeply in the body, The next out-breath. Right in the waves of the breath. Just this breath, And this breath, And this breath. And if the mind wanders a hundred times, No problem. Just remember this is a practice. So each time you notice the mind has wandered, You've woken up from the trance of thinking. And by returning your attention to the breath, You're strengthening these neural pathways that support greater focus, Presence, And well-being. Bringing a gentle, Kind attention to this breath. Allowing the breath to breathe itself. And if you notice yourself drifting off to sleep, Just coming back to the practice. Taking a deep breath in. Refreshing. And if you feel any difficult sensations or emotions, Restless, Boredom, Just making room for that too, With compassion and kindness. Patience. Reminding yourself that this is a practice. And just seeing if in those difficult feelings or emotions, You can just take a breath and relax back into the body. Releasing tension. Using the out-breath to find deeper relaxation and ease. And just practicing in silence now for a few minutes. Riding the waves of the breath from moment to moment. Just seeing if you can be present and sense just one full in-breath and one full out-breath. Just this breath. Resting in stillness. Noticing where your attention is in this moment. And as the practice comes to a close, Sensing anything that you would like to cultivate more of with each in-breath. Just bringing to mind anything that you want to bring more of into your week, Your days, Maybe behaviours, Maybe attitudes. With each in-breath, Just bringing to mind anything that you want to cultivate more of in your life, In your week. And with each out-breath, Just bringing to mind anything that you want to let go of. Anything that you want to let go of, Be that behaviours, Attitudes, That might support your greater well-being and happiness. And then taking a moment to acknowledge the effort and the commitment that you've made to the practice. And honouring that. And just wishing yourself a sense that may this practice benefit me in all the ways that I intend and aspire. And then as we've been practising in community, Just taking a moment to mentally acknowledge the other 40 or 50 or so people that have been practising with you tonight. And just wishing them well and sending this intention outward. And may this practice benefit and nourish all of you in whatever way you hope and aspire. And then just finally bringing to mind anyone that you know might be experiencing suffering or hardship. And just with the next out-breath, Sending them an intention of well-being. And just holding them in your mind either as a name, An image. You don't have to feel anything, But just sending an intention, Orientating your mind towards sending them kindness and prayer. May you be well. May you be free from suffering. May you live with ease.

Reviews

Great & relaxing!

Sleep, beautiful sleep. Thank you for your help in getting me to the point where I (finally) slept without waking up repeatedly all night.

Well balanced; appreciate the gentle pauses and kind reminders that mind activity is naturally there yet need not take over the practice 🙏🏼🧘🏻‍♀️

Has become my go-to

Feel asleep...thank you for sharing this meditation...