Welcome!
Thank you for joining me today for this mindful practice.
Sleep is a powerful experience that we all have,
No matter who you are.
Sleep allows our bodies to heal and our minds to sort through any problems so that we can create our future.
Are you ready to go into a very relaxing state to allow yourself the deep sleep every night that you deserve?
Find a small spot to gaze at somewhere comfortably in front of you.
Focus on this spot and do not let your eyes turn away.
As you look here,
I am going to ask you to blink your eyes with every number I count,
Starting with the number 10.
Okay.
10.
10.
Blink your eyes.
9.
Blink.
8.
Blink.
7.
6.
4.
3.
2.
And 0.
Your eyes are ready to gently close,
So just allow them to,
And you will notice when you do so,
A gentle wave of relaxation sweeps over you completely.
Is getting a well-rested night's sleep important for you?
Extremely.
Sleep is our rest state,
And awake is the active state.
We must have a good flow going between resting and activating.
Rest and activate.
Rest and activate.
And we can achieve any goal we set forth.
So just imagine now that in front of you there is a set of stairs going down.
These stairs lead you to the knowledge of restful and rejuvenating sleep.
When I begin to count down from 10,
You will start to walk down these stairs,
Feeling more and more relaxed with each step you take.
10.
Begin your journey of insight into sleep.
8.
Feeling so relaxed with each step.
7.
5.
More and more calm.
4.
More and more relaxed in the mind.
3.
2.
As you step off the last step,
You step into white sand.
It's so soft and warm under your feet.
Just feel the sensations you have in your feet on the sand.
Now look up and all you see is more sand in front of you,
But you can hear the ocean.
Walk towards the sound of the ocean.
As you're walking,
You can feel the sun on your skin.
Perhaps you can feel a light breeze as well.
You notice the smell of the salty air,
And as you're looking around,
You see the ocean peak over the sand dune.
You're walking towards the ocean now,
And you notice the sand under your feet gets firmer because it's saturated with seawater.
And you get to the shore where the ocean meets the sand,
And you see little waves coming up and down and down.
And as the waves come and go,
You see some things in the sand,
Like shells,
Pieces of seaweed,
Your own footprints,
And you see a little piece of driftwood that's the perfect size for writing in the sand with.
Pick up this driftwood.
Now draw your name into the sand where it's moist.
Write out each letter,
Noticing the sound that it makes as you scratch it through the sand.
Good.
Now step back and look at your name.
As you see your beautiful name that's carried you through your whole life,
You notice a little wave coming closer.
This wave catches part of your name and washes it away as it goes back into the ocean.
And then another wave comes and washes your way even more.
And another comes and washes it away.
And another,
Until all you can see is ripples in the sand where your name used to be.
That's good.
Now continue walking along your beach,
Noticing the surroundings.
What kind of sounds do you hear?
Can you hear seabirds flying over,
Or the wind gently blowing?
Can you feel the warm sun on your skin?
How does the sand feel under your feet again?
It's nice,
Right?
Maybe you can even smell the smells of the ocean.
You find a fresh date that's ready to eat.
Bite into it and notice how delicious it is.
Just be at your beach today,
Eating your fruit.
Now as you've walked,
You've learned a lot about how beautiful this beach is,
And you're ready for a little rest.
You look around and notice there is the perfect spot for you to lay down and take a gentle nap in the life-giving sun rays.
So go ahead and lie down.
And before you close your eyes to rest,
You look out into the ocean.
Watch the horizon and how the ocean meets the sky.
This is the most beautiful scene you've ever witnessed.
As you gaze along the big blue and allowing yourself to fall asleep naturally,
You listen very closely to what I have to tell you,
Because it is very important to your overall well-being.
Sleeping is natural for everyone.
The only thing keeping you from getting the instinctual sleep that you deserve is your thoughts.
You've allowed your mind to push you around,
Making you restless when you get in the bed.
Your thoughts keep coming louder and louder and repeat themselves over and over so loudly that you cannot possibly relax with that noise happening in your mind.
But now,
You are done allowing your mind to boss you around and control you.
From now on,
When an unwanted thought arises in your mind,
You say to it enough,
Stop,
And that is final.
If another bothersome thought arises,
You immediately say enough,
Stop.
You will find that training the mind is like training a dog.
They learn from making mistakes and testing boundaries.
Yet they will only listen to you if you train them.
If you do not train your mind,
It will soil your thoughts which keep you up at night.
So let me say this again so that it is perfectly clear.
When a negative or unwanted thought comes into your mind,
No matter how many times it may repeat itself,
You say enough,
Stop.
Very good.
And when a lovely and relaxing thought comes,
Go into this visual as if it's a dream,
Just like your nap on your beautiful beach.
Good.
Now float and drift into a restful and rejuvenating night's sleep.
And when you rise,
You feel anew.
