Hi there,
This is Julia.
Tonight's practice will be a guided experience to help prepare you and possibly even ease you into sleep.
I know what it's like more than anyone to struggle with difficulty falling asleep.
For years and even sometimes still,
I struggle with racing thoughts at night.
As soon as the lights go out,
Sometimes it's like clockwork.
My brain just becomes over-activated.
This can be quite a common struggle.
Sometimes there are reasons we can pinpoint to,
But sometimes not.
On those nights when we need just a little more of an anchoring to help us get there,
This is a perfect way to do so.
You might listen to this to prepare you for sleep or you might just let it play in the background as you actually get in bed.
Either way,
It's up to you.
So when you're ready,
Just begin to get comfortable.
Whether you're sleeping in your bed,
Maybe you're on a couch,
Maybe you're even in a sleeping bag.
Wherever you find yourself,
Take a moment to get cozy.
It's helpful if you really like the space that you're in,
But even if you don't,
Make do with what you've got right now.
Stretch your body out.
Maybe you're starting this practice laying flat on your back or maybe you know you fall asleep best if you're in a different position.
Just begin to make your way there.
I like to check in with myself and just ask myself,
Can I be 5% more comfortable right now and make any necessary adjustments?
Once you feel yourself settled into a cozy position,
Just take a breath in,
Filling up your lungs and stretch apart your fingers and toes.
Don't overthink it.
Just take a little stretch and a little wiggle there.
Sigh your breath out and relax fingers and toes.
Just do that one more time.
Take a deep breath in,
Stretch and even wiggle your fingers and your toes.
Let that breath go out through your mouth and relax fingers and toes.
Begin to listen,
Noticing any sounds that you might hear right now.
Maybe even observing the absence of sound.
And give yourself permission to become really heavy,
Really weighted into the space that you're lying on.
Almost like someone could turn a dial up,
Up,
Up on the gravity,
Feeling yourself sinking down.
And without judgment,
We'll just begin to notice different spaces in our body.
As we notice them,
There might be sensations or not.
We're just simply bringing awareness throughout the body.
And slowly start to notice the very top of your head.
And notice and feel the space between your eyebrows.
And sense the bridge of your nose and your temples,
Your cheekbones.
Notice and feel your jaw,
Maybe even relax your jaw,
Separating your top teeth from your bottom teeth,
Feeling your whole face soften.
Moving down and sensing your neck and your shoulders,
Feeling the weight of your shoulders pressing down.
Down your arms,
Into your wrists,
Your hands and each one of your fingers.
Feeling your back,
Starting with your upper back,
Your mid back,
And your lower back.
And then the front of your torso,
Feeling and relaxing your chest,
Around your ribs,
And all around your belly.
Moving down to your hips and your pelvis.
And slowly down your legs,
Your knees,
Your lower legs,
And your feet,
And your toes.
Maybe notice and feel the entire length of your body,
Sensing everywhere at once.
Really feeling the parts of yourself that are making contact with the surface beneath you.
Without moving,
Just feeling parts of yourself that are making contact with soft sheets or warm blankets.
Observing this sense of being settled into the here and now.
Maybe turning up that dial again,
Just another notch.
Feeling yourself getting even heavier,
Pressing down.
Maybe even feeling how your lungs do the work of breathing for you.
The breath becomes the subtle experience.
Feeling another notch up of gravity,
Comfortably weighing you down.
Perhaps the thoughts have started to slow.
Maybe you've even caught yourself starting to drift into sleep.
Give yourself permission to go with the flow of this experience.
No resistance.
If the mind kicks back on or you become distracted,
Just know that it's okay.
Know that sleep is safe.
Sleep is healing.
Know that you deserve to experience deep,
Restful sleep.
Setting up a final notch of gravity,
Your entire body,
From the top of your head down to your toes,
Everything heavy,
All at once.
Feeling relaxed,
Ready for sleep.
If at any point you find yourself coming back into wakefulness,
Don't fret.
Just notice yourself here,
So still.
Sleep is safe.
Sleep is healing.
And you deserve deep,
Restful sleep.
Every part of your body,
From the top of your head down to your toes,
Everywhere,
All at once,
Heavy and ready for sleep.
And there's no right or wrong way.
To drift into sleep.
Sometimes this might be an easy transition.
And sometimes there might be more difficulty.
Feel yourself as heavy as you possibly could be.
Feeling the paradox of becoming so heavy that it's as if your body is becoming less dense.
You find yourself becoming lighter.
So still and relaxed that it's as if you could just start floating.
Drifting into the space where dreams are possible.
Drifting into the space where night can work its healing.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
And every part of your body so incredibly still.
Except for the parts that move as your lungs breathe.
And everything else so at ease.
Every nook and cranny in your body,
Unfurled,
Softened,
Totally relaxed.
The darkness of the space that you're in.
Like a magical veil.
Putting you into the space where dreams are possible.
Every part of yourself all at once,
Ready for sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
Falling into the deepest possible sleep.
