You've been thinking all day and probably all evening too,
And maybe you're still thinking right now about something that happened,
Something that's coming,
Something that you should have said,
Something that was said to you,
Something you should or could have done differently.
That's okay.
That's actually exactly why you're here.
This is not a meditation that asks you to clear your mind or stop your thoughts.
I'm not going to ask you to be someone you're not.
In these 20 minutes or so,
I shall ask just one thing of you.
And that is just to put the mind down for the night.
Not forever,
Not throwing it away,
Not trying to control it,
Just setting it down,
Allowing it to rest,
Just like you.
And so let's begin,
And let's just find a wonderful position.
You know how to do this.
Let your body settle into wherever you are,
The bed,
The pillow,
The weight of the duvet or your blanket over you,
Giving you warmth and safety and coziness.
Today,
You don't need to do anything with your breath.
Just notice it going in and out.
It happens without any attention from you at all,
Doing its job without you having to think about it.
And today,
We're going to start relaxation with the body.
Not because the mind doesn't matter.
It clearly does.
It's been working really hard.
But because your body has been waiting quietly for you to arrive in it all day.
So let's begin and just bring your attention to the soles of your feet.
You're not doing anything when you get there.
Just be there.
And then move to the calves and the shins.
Notice the weight of your legs,
The stillness of them.
And then move to your hips and lower back,
Where your body meets the mattress or the cushion.
Notice how you're already being held and supported.
You're not having to do anything to be here right now.
You can just let everything go.
Your belly is rising and falling with each breath,
Soft and slow.
Your chest rising gently,
Soft and slow.
And as you come to the shoulders,
An area where most of us carry the day,
Just notice if there's any tension sitting here.
You don't need to fix it or push it away.
Just acknowledge it.
Say hello.
And with the next out-breath,
You may wish to just let the shoulders drop a fraction.
Whatever feels easy.
Your arms now feeling heavy by your sides,
Your hands beautifully relaxed.
And then as you come into your head,
Just go to your jaw.
Often this is the last place we think to look for tension.
But actually we can store a lot of tension here.
So just notice if your teeth are together or if your mouth is slightly open.
And just let a tiny gap appear between the teeth and allow the tongue to just rest.
You can just let the whole face go lovely and soft.
Your whole body now feeling warm and heavy and here.
Your body has done a great deal today and it deserves this rest.
So now let's go to the mind.
And I want to offer you something today,
Not a technique exactly,
But more of an image.
And I'd like you to imagine that somewhere nearby,
Not far,
Just to the side of you,
There is a shelf.
A solid,
Sturdy shelf.
Nice and stable.
This shelf is where you're going to place everything that's still running through your mind tonight.
We're not throwing anything away and we're not pretending these thoughts don't exist or that they don't matter.
They do matter.
That's precisely why you've been carrying them.
But these thoughts don't need you right now.
They'll still be there in the morning exactly as you left them.
Nothing will be lost.
You're not abandoning anything.
You're just taking time to rest.
So what's there?
What has been turning over in your mind today?
Just notice what comes up.
Maybe it was a conversation,
Something that was said or that you wish you had said.
Just take that thought gently and place it on the shelf.
And maybe you've been thinking a lot about tomorrow,
That list you need to get done,
The thing you're slightly dreading or the thing you need to remember to do.
Just take that thought and place that also on the shelf.
And maybe there's something bigger on your mind,
A decision that doesn't have an answer yet,
A situation that's unresolved,
A feeling that hasn't settled yet.
Take that too carefully like you're handling something that matters and place it on the shelf.
Now take a look around in your mind.
Is there anything else?
Just take a moment.
And now look at the shelf.
Everything is there,
Accounted for,
Nice and safe,
Waiting for you whenever you're ready.
I think you've thought enough for today.
Your mind did its job.
It worked hard and it brought you this far.
And now just for the next few hours,
You can really let your mind rest.
And if a thought comes back,
And it might,
You don't need to wrestle with it.
You just notice it and return it to the shelf.
No frustration,
Nice and easy.
So your body is now really wonderfully heavy and your breath is slow.
Imagine now that with every out-breath,
You sink just a little deeper into your cozy bed or chair.
Not into worry,
Not into thought,
Just into coziness,
Into the weight of your own body,
Into the quiet,
Into the safety.
There is nothing you need to solve tonight.
There is nothing you need to figure out.
There is nothing that cannot wait until morning.
You are allowed to rest.
You are allowed to stop.
And your mind can be still,
Not empty,
Just still.
Like a lake when the wind drops,
The water is still there.
Everything beneath the surface is still there.
But the surface,
The surface is calm.
Let that stillness spread through you now.
From the top of your head,
Slowly,
Softly,
All the way down.
Through your forehead,
Your eyes,
Your jaw,
Through your throat,
Your chest,
Through your pelvis,
Your hips,
All the way to the soles of your feet.
Your whole body resting.
Your whole mind resting.
You've done enough.
And right now,
The only thing you need to do is sleep.
