3 Steps To Deep Sleep: Accept Allow & Let Go

The three simple and effective steps of this mindfulness meditation practice are the ideal preparation for allowing yourself to let go into a deep and restorative sleep. 4 minutes of introduction, 20 minutes of commentary, 15 minutes of ocean waves.

Transcript

Okay,

So tonight's meditation is called accept,

Allow and let go.

So it'd be awareness first,

Obviously with mindfulness meditation is about being more aware of the present moment.

So the first step is to be aware.

And then the second step of this idea of acceptance.

So we may become aware of things that we don't like,

Maybe a distracting noise or a negative thought or a feeling of discomfort in the body or a negative emotion.

So the second step to allow us to maintain awareness is to accept what we become aware of.

Otherwise,

We will tend to try and move away from that or block it out or suppress it in some way or distract ourselves from it.

So awareness and then accepting what we become aware of so we can maintain that awareness.

And then the third step,

This idea of allowing.

This step is really about,

For example,

With the breath,

Allowing the breath to happen and noticing that we don't have to make the breath happen.

So in mindfulness meditation,

When we're becoming more aware of the present,

We're becoming aware of things that are already there.

We're not looking to create something different.

So the breath,

We can allow the breath to happen.

We can allow sounds to continue and we can even do the same with our thoughts,

Just allow our thoughts to continue without having to make any effort.

So it's really just emphasising that idea that what we become aware of when we become present and mindful are things that are kind of already happening anyway.

So we're just allowing them to continue within our accepting awareness.

And then the last step of letting go.

So really just that sense of relaxing into the experience and getting a sense of that feeling of being rather than doing.

So letting go or letting be,

Allowing and letting go and just being with the experience as we become aware of it.

That's the idea behind awareness,

Acceptance,

Allowing and letting go.

So this mindfulness meditation will be looking at different aspects of the present moment.

We'll move between the breath and the body,

Thoughts and feelings and sounds.

But for each of these,

We will be adopting the same approach or attitude of becoming aware,

Accepting what we become aware of,

Allowing it to be just as it is.

And then a sense of letting go,

Of letting be,

Of relaxing into the experience and just being with it as it is.

And just one other thing to mention before we get going is try not to focus or concentrate.

So for example,

We'll probably start with awareness of the body.

So I'd encourage you not to focus or concentrate on the body to the attempted exclusion of other things that are happening in the present moment.

Rather see if you can keep a really nice,

Open mind and focus on the body.

See if you can keep a really nice,

Open and light awareness.

You'll still be aware of all the other parts of the present moment and thoughts,

Etc.

And the idea is just to be taking a bit more interest in one particular part,

Bringing that gently into the foreground or the center of your awareness and allowing everything else just to be there,

Just slightly in the background.

So we'll begin with the body and awareness of the body.

So having a quick scan through the body and noticing what sensations you can feel in your body right now.

And the idea is to really feel the sensations,

The physicality in the body.

So it's not a mental or conceptual exercise,

But you're really feeling any and all sensation in any part of the body.

And just remembering to keep your awareness nice and open,

Just holding these felt sensations in the center of your awareness.

Don't try and block out sounds,

But just try and keep your awareness nice and open.

Just holding these felt sensations in the center of your awareness.

Don't try and block out sounds,

Thoughts or anything else,

Just allow them to be there too.

You can either sequentially go through the body,

Maybe from your feet gradually up to the top of your head,

Or just notice where your attention goes.

Maybe you'll feel a bit of tightness in the shoulders and then a bit of an ache in the back of your head.

So just keep that in mind.

And then just keep your awareness nice and open.

And just remember where your attention goes.

Maybe you'll feel a bit of tightness in the shoulders and then a bit of an ache in the calf,

Or you'll notice waltz in your hands.

You can just allow your attention to move spontaneously around the body.

So whichever works best for you.

So as we become aware of sensations in the body,

We're going to be remembering to add that step of acceptance.

See if you can accept unconditionally whatever sensation you come across,

Whether it feels like a positive sensation or neutral,

Even if it feels a little uncomfortable or painful.

Having that sense of exploration,

Wanting to be aware of that sensation just as it is,

And to do that really needing to accept whatever you come across.

And allow that sensation to be there.

It may change,

It may not,

So don't make any effort to change,

But notice if it does begin to shift or move or change in any way.

So just allowing it to do and be as it is and what it wants to do.

And finally for the body,

Having that feeling of letting go,

Of accepting all that we're aware of throughout the whole body,

Allow it to just be as it is,

And that feeling of release,

Relaxing,

Letting go of the whole body.

So let's invite the breath into the centre or the foreground of our awareness,

Allowing the body,

Sensations of the body,

Just to move slightly into the background,

Along with thoughts,

Feelings,

Other things of the environment around you.

So we're going to be more interested now in the sensations of the breath.

And accept your breath just as you find it.

Don't try and change the pattern of your breath,

Doesn't matter how deep or shallow,

How fast or slow.

Accept your breath and allow it to find its own rhythm in its own time,

Consciously allowing the breath in and letting go of the breath as you breathe out.

And letting go of the breath as you breathe out,

Allowing and letting go,

Allowing on the in-breath,

Letting go on the out-breath.

And really allowing yourself to fully connect to the breath,

To the body and to the present moment,

Allowing yourself to relax into and let go into being present,

And being with the free flowing breath.

So next we can gently bring our thoughts into the centre of foreground of our awareness,

Allowing the breath just to gently move back slightly in the background,

Along with the body sounds,

Feelings,

Emotions,

All the other aspects of this present moment.

And let's pay particular interest to the experience of thinking with awareness,

Thinking with awareness,

So being aware of your thoughts as you think them.

How does that feel?

And can you accept your thoughts just as we accepted the breath and the sensations of the body?

So whether they're fast or slow,

Deep or shallow,

Positive or negative,

Can you unconditionally accept each and every thought that you become aware of?

And if we do accept our thoughts,

We don't try and change them or redirect them or stop them or judge them in any way.

And we may also begin to get a sense of the thoughts flowing freely through the mind,

Just as we allow the breath to flow freely through the body.

So allowing your thoughts to flow freely as we accept each and every thought that we become aware of.

And remember,

We're not focusing or concentrating,

But keeping our awareness nice and light and open,

And just allowing the thoughts and everything else just to appear and pass through our open awareness.

And the final step for the thoughts,

The idea of letting go,

Releasing.

So not holding on to any particular thought,

Not really having any particular interest in one thought over another,

Feeling quite disinterested in the content of your thoughts.

Allowing yourself to be with the thoughts just as they are,

Letting go,

Letting be.

Allowing the mind to relax into the experience of passing thoughts.

And the final part of the meditation will be to invite the sounds you can hear to become the centre of your awareness.

So bringing the experience of listening and hearing into the foreground of your awareness.

Actively listening,

Being alert to all the different sounds you can hear.

Allowing your thoughts,

Breath,

Body,

Emotions to just gently be there in the background of your open awareness.

But being particularly interested in what you can hear.

So explore by noticing near sounds and more distant sounds,

Louder and quieter sounds,

Familiar and unfamiliar sounds,

Occasional or continuous sounds.

So really exploring all the different types of sounds and accepting each and every sound that you become aware of.

And let's add this idea of allowing to our listening.

And getting a sense of allowing the sounds to appear within your awareness and to pass through your awareness.

Allowing sounds to rise and fall in your open awareness.

And after a while I often get a sense that I can detect a quietness,

A silence as well as the sounds.

So not a silence that's the absence of sound,

But a silence space from which the sounds arise from and return to.

So this idea of letting go,

Letting go of the sounds and sinking into an experience of quietness,

Of being in an inner silence.

Whilst we allow the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silence,

Within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

So let's add this idea of allowing the sounds to continue to come and go within that space of silent awareness.

Reviews

Nicely guided but then I fell asleep and woke 3hrs later with my headband still on. Thank you for sharing! 😊🙏🏻

Soothing voice, calming experience- thank you 🙏🏻🌈

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Great!! thank you