Welcome to this meditation.
My name is Gemma Brown and I will be guiding you through this short practice together.
The purpose of this meditation is to help you let go of your day,
To shake off all that was and to relax into a calm,
Deep sleep.
So take a few moments now to get yourself comfortable.
I recommend you carry out this meditation as you prepare for sleep.
So laying down either on a mat on the floor or on your bed,
Readying yourself for sleep.
Lay completely flat with your arms gently resting by your sides and allowing your legs to relax fully.
Simply start to notice your breath with no need to change the pattern of your breathing,
But simply noticing where the inhale takes place in your body and where you notice the exhalation.
And before we begin you may want to take some movements to get you just that little bit more comfortable.
And if so please take them now.
Allowing yourself to give your full weight to the surface that lies beneath you.
Surrender and trust that the surface has your back.
It is your time to let go.
To let go fully and be held.
Your day has come to a close.
There is nowhere else you need to be now.
You can relax.
To close down your eyes,
Take an inhale and an audible exhale.
And as you breathe in and out now you may start to sense your breathing becoming longer and slower and deepening.
And allow your breathing to become slower and longer and deeper.
Let your body become heavy and still.
And welcome that heaviness as your limbs give way and your mind begins to relax.
And just breathe naturally.
Thoughts of your day may still be present in your mind and that is okay.
Take this moment now to welcome a short reflection of your day.
Noticing how you feel about your day.
What is standing out for you.
It's likely you may have thoughts of what has gone well.
Perhaps what hasn't gone so well.
Perhaps you are mentally creating a to do list for tomorrow.
And that is okay too.
You are not trying to rid yourself of those thoughts.
Simply ask those thoughts to slow down and know that they will still be present tomorrow.
So for now we're placing them to one side in order to rest and restore tonight ready for a new day tomorrow.
This is your time to welcome sleep.
Now that we are settled here we will use the breath as our anchor to guide us into sleep and slumber.
As you breathe in pay attention to where your body moves as the air travels in through your nostrils down the back of your throat into your chest and lung area and broadening your torso.
And as you breathe out pay attention to how your body deflates the air softly moving up and out of your chest area up through your throat and out of your nostrils.
And again as you inhale notice how your body moves as the air travels in through your nostrils down the back of your throat into your chest and your lungs down how it broadens your torso.
And as you breathe out notice how your body deflates the air softly moving up and out of your chest area up through your throat and out of your nostrils.
Continue to notice in your own time as you inhale and exhale.
Feel your body growing heavier as you let the day go.
As you release thoughts of the day you let go of the rushing of the busyness of the activity you release the conversations interactions anything left incomplete.
Allow all of this to be released from your body from your mind.
Imagine it all floating up and away like balloons drifting up towards the night sky.
Feeling light and free and gently floating away becoming smaller and smaller until they are but a dot in the far distance.
And as your memories of the day float away your body in contrast is grounding down resting down heavy on the soft surface.
It becomes weighed down and relaxed.
Your body gives in to the soft support beneath you releasing tension and clenching.
Feeling so heavy and grounded you feel safe and supported in your nighttime cocoon.
Returning to the breath your inhale and your exhale the beautiful breath that is our one constant.
Always there for us always with us always breathing with us.
Feeling supported by your breath feel your breath drifting away with those balloons.
Leaving thoughts of the day behind feeling light and lifted and weightless and free.
Your body feeling heavy and tired and calm relaxed supported and loved.
You welcome this release and let go.
You welcome this time.
You welcome sleep.
You
