Hello,
My name is Jason Stevenson and welcome to this guided meditation that will help you to find peace and inner tranquility before you naturally fall into a deep and restorative sleep.
Over the next short while,
You will be guided to relax the body and ease the mind before being led through a visual journey into a mystical cave of peace.
It's your time to allow yourself to be carried away gently through this journey,
Knowing that you are entirely supported in this present moment.
So take a moment now to ensure that all end of day activities have been wrapped up,
Alarms should be set and blinds drawn.
I invite you now to come into a comfortable lying down position,
Ensuring that your body is resting with ease wherever you are.
You might want to use blankets or cushions to support you as you find comfort in the physical space you occupy.
Take a few releasing breaths here,
Allowing a deep sigh to leave your body on your next outward breath.
To begin our journey into tranquility,
Take a moment to observe the stillness of your physical body.
As day transforms into night and the sun fades away,
We are invited to enter a much needed period of rest and rejuvenation.
As we sink into the stillness of night,
Rest assured that there is nothing we need to consciously engage in or take care of.
We can trust that the body will work by its way of its innate wisdom.
So take a moment now to quietly observe the miracle of this body,
Feel into its heaviness as you sink further into the surface beneath you.
You might want to notice now where there might still be movement despite the sense of stillness.
Notice where breath brings subtle movement to the body,
How it causes the chest and stomach to expand on each inhalation and to fall away on each exhalation.
Observe how beautifully this gentle movement intertwines with a deeper sense of complete stillness as you take a few deep breaths here in silence.
If thoughts arise in the mind,
Know that it is entirely natural for them to do so.
As you become aware that your attention has shifted into stories about the past or future,
Simply acknowledge these thoughts from a more distant place than is habitual.
While the mind can be useful at times,
It can lure us into unproductive thought cycles when left to run on its own terms.
As we begin to witness our mental movements from a higher or broader vantage point,
We practice our power of discernment,
Easing challenging thoughts and emotions as we experience greater clarity and a sense of peace.
As you journey through this meditation,
Keep this sense of distance in mind as thought arises and return to your breath as an anchor when needed.
Move now further into breath awareness as you practice holding your attention on this anchor that is always available to you.
Notice the breath's rhythm,
Its pace and its depth as you move alongside it in both directions.
Hold for a brief pause,
Just a second or two,
And at the end of each inhalation and each exhalation,
Finding brief moments of complete stillness within each breath cycle.
Allow the mind to gently subside as you become more attuned to the present moment.
Attachment to worried,
Anxious or distracting thoughts can be released as you practice being the observer of whatever is moving through you.
Just allow yourself to sink further and further into this very moment,
Entering naturally into a state of full-bodied ease and tranquility.
With your eyes remaining closed,
Tune into the space between the eyebrows,
Just in front of your mind's eye.
Envision in this space a vast emptiness,
Something like a clear night sky.
Sink into this infinite abyss of space and silence for a few moments as you prepare to enter into a cave of complete peace and tranquility.
As you gaze with eyes closed into the empty sky in front of you,
Envision your view dotted with infinite sparkling stars.
You are in an open outdoor space,
Surrounded by the open air,
Lakes,
Rivers and mountains.
The moon is high and full.
Tune into your breath for a few moments,
Noticing the freshness of the air that fills you.
Just follow my voice for a few breaths here,
As you inhale deeply,
Breathing in a sense of being completely at ease,
And exhale slowly,
Releasing any tension or stress in body or mind.
Inhaling again,
Visualizing yourself filling up with peace and ease,
And exhale fully,
Releasing anything that no longer serves your movement towards complete relaxation.
Breathing deeply once more,
Filling yourself with the freedom and freshness of outdoor air,
And exhale completely,
Releasing all tension to be transformed by the starlit sky.
Return gently to your natural breath,
Allowing your mind to refocus on the empty space in front of your mind's eye.
Though night has fallen upon this outdoor landscape,
The land is lit by stars and moonlight,
Granting you with enough light to see the curves of the earth.
Take a moment now to simply observe the way the rocky mountain face peaks and falls,
And the way rivers and lakes gently caress the hard surface of the earth.
Notice how peaceful it is here beneath the night sky,
As you feel yourself coming into complete harmony with the natural world.
From where you stand you see an empty cavern not too far away,
Illuminated by the full moon above.
Its spaciousness,
Its emptiness,
Calls you towards it,
So you begin to walk slowly and mindfully towards the sheltered space within the mountain.
Notice the way your feet effortlessly move across the earth.
You feel completely at home in this natural landscape,
As you move towards the cave that beckons you quietly.
As you reach the opening to this wondrous cave,
Your original sense that it rests unoccupied is confirmed.
There is no one here but you,
No plant life inside,
And no animals.
The only thing that you have yet to sense within this cave is a deep stillness.
It is completely silent,
And yet something about it is calling to you in the faintest whisper,
Recognisable only by your heart.
By the entrance of the cave there is a candle,
Placed here by some universal force for whoever might come to rest here.
You light the candle with a match that has also been provided,
And quietly make your way inside the dark cavern.
Fear,
Anxiety and worry are completely absent.
All that is present within you is a growing calmness.
You reach the centre of this mystical cave that has called you into it,
Setting your candle in the centre and bringing yourself to rest comfortably on the floor.
Lying on your back you stare up at the ceiling,
Noticing the incredible edges carved by nature.
Breathe in deeply and feel entirely at peace in this open and empty space.
Silence surrounds you as the mind rests in a deep state of peace and tranquility.
Your breath continues to flow through you,
Effortlessly and gracefully.
Yet within this vast silence,
Something in this cave is speaking to you.
The mind cannot decipher it,
But the heart knows that there is a great wisdom radiating out from these walls.
You listen more intently to this language,
Still foreign to the mind,
And find that your heart begins to open up.
The serenity of this space softens your heart as a deep trust infiltrates your entire being.
In this serene state,
You find a calm and quiet sense of courage to ask this cave any questions that might arise from your purest heart.
As you allow your heart to ask these wise walls any questions that arise,
You find that the questions themselves are infused with trust rather than with fear and anxiety.
Your heart speaks calmly and quietly,
The mind resting peacefully in the background.
And as you listen closely,
With your heart remaining open,
You find that the walls speak back in silent whispers,
Gently,
Wisely and compassionately.
This is the language of the heart,
And you open yourself to it completely.
You do not have to search for any answers,
You trust that they will come in their own time.
Patience and peace arise within you.
The cave sends its wisdom in the form of whispers,
Visions and inner sensations.
Though not all at once,
This mystical cave knows that some answers require extra time to be revealed and that when the time is right,
The answers will be provided.
You open your heart even wider,
Sinking further into the peaceful and serene energy of this cave.
Spend a few more silent moments listening to the wisdom of the walls that surround you.
The mind remains quiet as the heart remains receptive.
Coming now to a deeply settled state,
You turn your head to blow out the candle that is beside you.
Your mind is calm,
Your heart is warm and your spirit is nourished.
Notice a deep trust arising within you,
A completely calm presence radiates throughout your entire being.
All at once there is no separation between you and this mystical cave,
An overwhelming sense of oneness comes over you.
As you sink further and further into this deep tranquility of darkness,
Your body returns to the physical reality of the room that you rest in.
Witness the surface now your body rests on,
Observing quietly all the tangible items supporting you here and now.
Feel into this supremely calm state,
Allowing your breath to rock you closer and closer towards sleep.
All images melt away from the heart and mind as you come back to a place of deep physical presence.
Notice the air around your body,
The warmth of blankets and cushions and the heaviness of your limbs,
Your torso,
Your head and the rest of your body.
Each breath travels deeply into your lungs,
Transporting vital life energy to every cell of your body.
You can rest with ease,
Knowing that as you sleep,
This process is being taken care of by the body's innate wisdom.
There is nothing else for you to do,
Nothing else for you to ask,
Think,
Believe or create.
All that the heart yearns for now is this deep sense of peace and contentment to carry you into a peaceful night's sleep.
As you breathe,
Your conscious awareness begins to melt away as sleep comes to restore your entire being.
Continue to follow the breath quietly and effortlessly until everything slips away.
Soon you will enter into a peaceful slumber where the cave's mystical energies will replenish you entirely.
Mind,
Body and soul.
And until next time,
Goodnight my friend,
Goodnight.
