Tonight,
You will fall asleep in minutes.
Drifting off as effortlessly and gently as clouds floating through a tranquil sky.
Whatever you might have carried into this moment.
Be that worry.
Rumination.
Or something else.
You can start to let it soften now.
Not with force.
But gently.
By breath.
Make yourself as comfortable as you can be.
With blinds drawn and distractions put away.
Settling into a place where you feel safe and supported.
My name is Jason Stevenson.
And it's an honor to guide you tonight.
Though sooner rather than later.
My voice will dissolve your awareness.
As you rest and reset.
In a deep sleep.
Peaceful sleep.
There's nothing you need to do,
Fix or achieve tonight.
Now is your time to let go.
You don't have to strive to get anywhere.
You don't need to force sleep to come.
Simply allow my voice to guide you.
Your mind and body will melt into a cloud of serene slumber.
So as you settle in here.
Take a few slow,
Deep breaths.
Let your chest and belly gently expand with each inhale releasing a sigh as you exhale.
Another slow,
Steady,
Deep breath in.
And a slow,
Steady release.
One more full,
Deep breath.
Tension gently melting with the exhale.
And continue to breathe naturally.
Let your body soften into the support of what's beneath you.
Sense into all those points of contact.
Into the feeling of your body being gently cradled.
Feel the texture of clothes or blankets against your skin.
And how they too support you here.
There's nowhere you need to go.
Nothing you need to do or prove.
Really allow yourself to drop into your body.
To drop into this present moment.
And soon to fall into slumber.
To support this gentle transition.
Draw your attention to the soles of your feet.
Sense into your heels.
Your toes.
And the tops and sides of your feet.
And imagine them becoming little lighter.
Releasing the weight they've carried throughout the day.
Then draw your awareness to your ankles.
Allowing them to soften.
Becoming spacious.
And sense into your calves.
Feeling the way they naturally melt into the softness of the mattress beneath them.
Notice your knees for a full,
Gentle breath.
And slowly scan both of your thighs,
The fronts,
The backs.
And the sides.
Allow these muscles to soften.
To surrender with ease into what's holding them.
Now take a slow,
Gentle breath.
All the way down your legs.
And with the exile.
Guide your legs to become lighter.
Any tension or tightness.
Melting down into the earth below.
Rise gently into your tailbone.
Expanding through your pelvis.
Reaching out to both hips.
As you hold these areas in your gentle awareness.
Let them soften a little on the out-breath.
Your tailbone might root gently down towards the earth.
While any tension unravels from your hips.
Feel the gentle movement of your belly.
As you breathe.
As it expands and softens without restriction.
Now slowly and gently.
Travel up your spine.
Inch by inch.
Reminding your nervous system that it's allowed to rest now.
That it's held and supported here.
Guide the muscles in your back to gently relax.
Inviting your heart.
Lungs and chest.
To do the same.
And with your next exhale.
Really feel your entire abdomen surrendering deeper into the soft support system beneath it.
Take a few slow,
Steady breaths into your shoulders.
And with each exhale.
Give them permission to let go.
There's nothing they need to hold.
Nothing for them to carry into sleep.
Then sense into your upper arms.
Inviting them to soften.
Into your elbows.
Guiding these joints to find ease.
And into your forearms.
Imagining these muscles growing lighter.
Release the efforts of the day.
Your attention flows gently down into your wrists.
And spreads out through your hands.
Across your palms.
Across the back of your hands.
And through each and every finger.
Allow your hands to surrender any grip they've been holding on the world.
It is time for them to rest deeply.
Take a slow,
Deep breath.
All the way down your arms.
All the way to your fingertips.
And as you exhale.
Sense the way they're truly and deeply letting go.
Into a surface that's becoming softer.
And softer.
Now with ease and care.
Let your awareness rise slowly.
Back up your arms.
Traveling up and across your shoulders.
And into your neck.
Feel these muscles relaxing.
And then your jaw unclenching.
Before slowly and gently scanning your entire face.
As any tension or tightness.
Melts away.
Imagine your whole face.
Your mouth.
Your cheeks.
Around your eyes and through your forehead.
All of it surrendering deeply.
Every cell.
Every muscle.
And every fiber grows lighter.
And lighter.
A sense of ease and lightness.
Stretches out to the sides of your head.
To the back of your head.
And up to your crown.
Equally it softens the inner workings of your mind.
As stress and worry dissipate.
As peace and quietude.
Take their place.
Feel the way your head is supported by the soft,
Plush pillow beneath it,
And imagine that your whole body is held.
By a surface as a light.
And dairy.
As a pillow.
Imagine this surface growing softer.
And softer.
As your physical body does too.
The cocoon beneath you grows so soft.
So light.
That it becomes cloud-like.
Supporting your relaxed mind.
Calm body.
Gracefully and effortlessly.
Sense or imagine that the space around you is as serene as dusk.
The world is slowing down.
All around and within you.
And a deepening quietude pervades.
You get the sense that you're floating off into a dreamscape.
Not where there is vivid,
Active imagery.
But one that is quiet.
And ethereal.
There might be just a felt sense of this.
Lavender.
Rose or amber light might enter your inner orbit.
Trace of the setting sun.
A whisper that it's time for you to gently surrender now.
The room you're falling asleep in seems to be dissolving.
As your consciousness floats further and further.
Into this spacious.
Tranquil realm.
Your body relaxes more and more.
And more.
And your mind flows suit.
And as you drift.
Feeling safe and supported.
Every breath of the way.
Your mind attunes to the sky.
Becoming a sky-like mind.
In a sky-like mind.
You rest in a state of pure.
Spacious awareness.
Through which thoughts and emotions might come.
But gently and effortlessly.
They go.
You observe these thoughts.
And all feelings as weather patterns.
Knowing that they do not define you.
I do not stand.
For ultimate truth.
You recognize that beneath these formations is as spacious.
And undisturbed field of peace.
So as you drift.
Closer and closer to a state of slumber.
Let your thoughts be as light as the cloud you're resting on.
I don't stick.
And they hold very little weight,
If any.
Attend to your thoughts and your feelings with care and kindness.
Then exhale them out to the vast,
Spacious sky surrounding you.
With every breath.
You drift further away from worldly concerns.
It's not that you don't care.
It's not that there aren't things in your life need tending.
But now is not the time.
And you know that.
In fact.
The more you're able to rest.
To surrender.
And to soften.
The more clarity and energy you'll have to meet tomorrow when it comes.
But for now.
Continue to let yourself float through this open sky.
Again.
This sky might be something you can purely feel.
Or there might be soft imagery of it stretching across your mind's eye.
Billowy clouds covered in pink and gold light.
Wild majestic geese.
Perhaps moving across the sky.
And the spaciousness that precedes it.
A deep peace.
A quietude.
Non-flinching sense of calm.
Connect with your breath for a few moments here.
As you inhale.
Imagine what it feels like to welcome fresh.
Pristine.
Crisp air into the base of your lungs.
And as you exhale,
Let yourself go even more.
Surrender with each out-breath.
There's nothing to hold on to.
Your breath slowly and gently ebbs and flows through your body.
Not because we make it happen.
Because that's just what it does.
And in this moment.
The breath is rocking you gently to sleep.
Inching you closer.
And closer.
And closer.
If your mind continues to wander.
Into thoughts about the past or future.
Know that this is entirely natural.
It's just the mind.
Doing what it does.
You don't need to argue with the thinking mind.
Nor force it to be quiet.
In fact.
Trying to stop the mind through force.
Doesn't work.
What works is not to stop the mind.
But to notice it.
To remember that your thoughts are just clouds.
And that when they come.
They will inevitably go.
On their own.
So in the face of each thought.
Each emotion.
Each sensation.
Notice what arises with care and patience.
Then become the sky once again.
The sky is not defined by the weather.
Nor are you defined by what moves through you.
With each exhale.
You can gently support.
Whatever appears to dissolve.
Just like the wind.
Moves the clouds along.
And yet.
Even that is not required.
Just by stepping back.
By relinquishing any grip.
All thoughts will naturally pass.
Sense or imagine that the sky all around you is getting darker.
Not with force,
But with grace.
The sky transitions from dusk to night.
The world,
Which is very distant now.
Is falling asleep.
Birds are settling into their nests.
Trees are relaxing their branches.
And the petals of many,
Many flowers are closing.
Forests and fields are getting quieter.
And your mind is invited to do the same.
You might notice a growing sense of space between one thought and the next.
Or you might not,
And that's okay.
Trust the natural rhythm of your own being.
And know that ultimately.
It is preparing for sleep.
Your cloud continues to carry you.
It is warm,
Soft and supportive.
Whether you can see it or not.
Your consciousness is traveling through open space.
Where clouds are beginning to thin.
And stars are growing brighter.
Now,
If there are any intentions you'd like to whisper into the night.
This is the time to do so.
Check in with your heart if you're still with me.
If you're still partially awake in this floating,
Spacious place.
And rather than make a wish.
Stay clearly.
A positive statement.
About how you will awaken when tomorrow arrives.
Or example.
I awaken with peace and trust.
I rise with confidence and courage.
I enter the new day with joy and gratitude.
Just state your intention calmly and clearly.
And then let it go.
Let the stars hold it for you.
You Your inner world is becoming increasingly quiet and increasingly still.
Thoughts come and go.
But they don't stick.
You float between wakefulness and sleep.
And soon.
You'll land deeply in the latter.
But for now.
Is continued load.
And notice what you notice.
Embrace your sky-like mind.
With any thought.
Feelings.
Imagery or sensations.
Gently rolling in.
And gently rolling out.
Remind your physical body to stay soft.
Or to relax if habitual tension creeps back into it.
Loosen your jaw.
Relax your shoulders.
Let your belly soften.
Expanding ever so subtly on the in-breath.
Melting on the out-breath.
Always remember.
That the sky doesn't always fight the weather.
Clouds,
Rain,
Wind.
Whatever moves through it is temporary.
And the sky knows that.
It embraces with care and wisdom.
Everything that passes through it.
But it doesn't cling on or push away any of it.
Rest in that wider.
Higher state of awareness.
A place that is infinitely spacious.
That is clear and calm.
You might sense or imagine the clear night sky in your mind.
Adorned with constellations now.
Sink into its peace.
Its quietude.
Its vastness.
And allow the feeling of that to stretch through all parts of you.
To fill your entire body.
Remember that you are held by a cloud.
Softly but firmly supported.
This cloud is like a chariot.
Guiding.
Towards sleep.
And you can surrender to it.
You don't have to steer it.
You don't have to force it to float.
It is naturally.
Effortlessly.
Moving you to where you want to go.
And before you know it.
You'll be in that realm of deep.
Restorative sleep.
Your inner sky is a deep midnight blue.
Whether you can see it clearly or only feel it.
But it's not completely dark.
The stars and now a half-moon rising.
Costa Serene.
Ethereal glow across the universe.
The cloud.
And your entire body.
Exhale deeply as you melt into that light.
It nourishes you.
On every level of your being.
And it is guiding you into the day's final surrender.
Which is sleep.
So take a moment to feel the way it dissolves.
Any residual tension in your body.
Whether conscious or unconscious.
Begin by sensing its presence at the crown of your head.
And feeling the way it bathes your entire upper headspace.
The muscles in your forehead soften completely.
And your mind deepens into quietude.
You It softens and soothes your cheeks.
Your ears.
Your nose and your lips.
Relaxing your face in its entirety.
Your jaw unclenches.
The sides of your head relax.
And the back of your head surrenders into the cloud pillow beneath it.
Your entire head is full with soft celestial light.
It is willing and ready.
To sleep deeply.
Feel the light of the half moon as it blankets your shoulders.
Its presence is soft.
Warm and relaxing.
Reminding you that it's time to really let go now.
To release any weight your shoulders might be continually trying to carry.
Let your shoulders melt deeply.
As you become aware of the light.
Feeling and relaxing your arms.
All the way to your hands.
Through your palms and fingertips.
Your arms surrender completely.
Your hands release anything they might still.
In subtle ways.
He trying to hold on to.
They let go into the support of the cloud beneath them.
And into the care and wisdom of the universe.
Now take a few breaths into your heart and chest feeling or sensing the light and love of the cosmos.
Filling this place.
Your heart is as open and spacious as your sky-like mind.
And with each exhale.
It drops into ever deeper layers of quietude.
Sense the ethereal light expanding through your entire chest.
And upper back.
Melting down your spine.
Soothing your nervous system.
Expanding out to fill your ribs.
Then filling your entire belly and pelvis as well.
Take a few slow,
Deeper breaths into your belly.
And with each exhale.
Really let yourself go.
At your chest and back.
Nor belly and pelvis.
Melt into the cocoon of what's supporting you.
Growing lighter.
And lighter.
With each breath cycle.
Continue to breathe naturally.
And feel the light of the moon and stars.
Blowing all the way down your legs.
And into the soles of your feet.
Lighter and lighter you become.
As all remaining tension dissipates.
Sense into your whole luminous body.
Maybe you can see the light clearly.
Or maybe you can just feel what it feels like to glow like stars from within.
Either way.
Deepen your felt sense of that peace.
That radiance.
That total spaciousness.
As your mind inches into sleep.
The space around you is vast and quiet.
Calm and serene.
And so is the space within you.
Your body is deeply.
Deeply relaxed.
Still supported by the soft embrace of the clouds.
The world beneath you is fast asleep.
Bees have settled into their hives.
Dragonflies and geese have settled too.
Lakes are still.
Forrest took quiet.
Day has given way to night.
Above it all.
You drift with ease and grace.
With zero effort or concern.
You too.
Are on your way towards slumber.
You are very.
Very close now.
But until that transition happens.
You rest in the quiet rhythm of your breath.
And the peace and serenity that surround you.
Notice the nourishment and gift of each in breath.
And the way your mind and body let go with each out breath.
Your thoughts are distant now.
Just like the thin wisps of clouds in the night sky.
They dissolve easily.
Without force or pressure.
You are deeply held.
Firmly supported.
By the cloud beneath you and the entire universe.
And you know that it's safe to let go.
To drift off into a peaceful.
Restorative deep sleep.
As you make that transition.
Allow the celestial melody.
Feeling your consciousness to carry you.
It will be that final breach you take between wakefulness and slumber.
And between now and the time you arrive there.
Continue to let your body be soft.
Your thoughts be transient.
And your inner world to be vast.
Serene.
And spacious.
There's nothing to hold on to.
And nothing to push away.
You are the vast.
Ethereal sky.
Just watching the clouds float by.
Until next time.
Good night,
My friend.
Good night.
