For Better Dreams, No More Nightmares

This peaceful guided meditation is designed to help you release fear, anxiety, and negative energy, allowing you to experience restful, peaceful sleep and say goodbye to nightmares. If your mind is filled with unsettling thoughts or you've been troubled by disturbing dreams, this meditation will guide you into a deep state of relaxation, soothing your body and calming your mind.

Transcript

Hello,

My name is Jason Stevenson and welcome to this bedtime meditation designed to promote more peaceful and soothing dreams.

Whether you have experienced difficult dreams lately or an absence of dreams,

This meditation will help to set the stage for beautiful imagery to visit you as you sleep.

While listening to this meditation,

Simply allow your body to rest and your mind to expand as you drift into beautiful places using the power of your attention.

So now I ask you to take a few deep breaths,

Opening yourself to this powerful practice of visualization.

Before we set the stage for better dreams to come to you,

Let's take a journey into the body and mind exactly as it is now.

To prepare,

I invite you to make yourself entirely comfortable,

Lie down in any position that is comfortable to you.

However you rest,

Remain mindful of keeping the neck in line with the spine to help promote a sense of openness and relaxation within the body.

Proper posture,

Even when sleeping,

Helps to promote positive feelings that will carry over into sleep.

Making any final adjustments necessary,

Just allow yourself to come into a state of complete stillness.

The only observable movement now should be the breath as it makes its way through the body,

Opening the chest and expanding the belly.

As you witness your body coming into stillness,

Notice how the breath naturally slows itself.

You might even allow a deep sigh of relief to leave the body on an exhalation,

Releasing any unnecessary tension or concern that lingers in your body.

Begin to open your senses up to the world around you,

Beginning with your ears,

Start to become mindful of the quiet space that is around you,

And of any sounds that pass through this sense of stillness.

When opening the ears there is no need to search for noises or to label any sounds that arise,

Simply observe whatever is going on around you through your sense of hearing.

Become aware now of the physical space you reside in,

Noticing the sensations of the surface beneath you,

Of any cushions or blankets above or against you.

Notice if there is any particular sensation of the air around you,

Does it appear to be still or in flow,

Is it cool,

Warm or possibly neutral.

Just allow your physical body and its capacity to feel to ground you deeper into this present moment.

I invite you now to move a little further into the body,

Following the movement of air into your lungs.

Tune in to the sensations of it as it enters and leaves you,

As the belly rises and as it falls.

Without attempting to change the breath in any way,

Allow it to carry you further into the experience of inner stillness,

Even amidst its constant flow.

Allow the physical body to settle,

Reaching a point of complete ease and comfort.

If you feel it is necessary to adjust your position in any way,

Just move slowly and mindfully as you come into a place of deeper comfort.

Take a moment now to observe the mind,

You might find that thoughts and associated feelings linger beneath the surface of an otherwise very still state.

If thoughts are present,

Simply observe them from a place of compassion and non-judgement.

Just see if it is possible to observe them as an outsider without becoming consumed by the stories they tell,

And then return your attention to the breath.

At any point you can use the breath as a tool to draw you back into a present state of awareness.

When we draw our attention to the mind during meditation,

We might find that enchanting visuals accompany the stories we tell.

The point of this meditation is not to banish or look down upon this imagery that we create unconsciously.

Meditation is simply a call to become more conscious and mindful of what is happening inside of our heads.

The mind is a powerful tool that can either entrap us in imagery informed by fear,

Or that can be used to enhance our lives and create more positive beliefs,

Ideas and dreams.

Take a few moments now to practice being an outside observer of thoughts and imagery that appear in the mind.

Simply become more attuned to the way that your thoughts give life to your visions,

Knowing that you hold the power to turn your attention away from any storyline that is guided by fear,

Worry or anxiety.

Rather than force your thoughts to become something you might deem to be more positive,

Take this time to let all thoughts dissolve.

Continue to focus on the breath moving through you as you sink further and further away from mental distractions.

With each inhalation you might envision yourself being infiltrated with lightness,

Peace and contentment,

And with each outward breath you can imagine that all negative and unconstructive thoughts and beliefs are being released.

Allow yourself to become completely at ease within this present moment.

Take another moment to feel into your physical body,

Knowing that you are entirely supported in this moment,

Physically,

Emotionally and spiritually,

And that even through this simple act of slowing down you are beginning to invite more positive dreams into your evening sleep.

From this deep sense of underlying stillness,

I invite you now to use the power of your mind to enter a visual place of peace,

Beauty and serenity.

There are no rules as to what this place should look like,

So long as it brings you a sense of inner peace.

The place you choose might be a beach,

A mountain range,

A lake,

Or somewhere further afield,

Perhaps somewhere far into outer space.

This is your vision,

Take a few moments now to settle on your preferred location,

Allowing it to enliven itself in your mind's eye.

Commit your awareness to building this peaceful space in your mind,

Allow it to expand naturally alongside your growing sense of inner tranquility.

Build it using the blessing of all of your five senses.

Tune in to your sense of sight first,

Allowing your visual sense to build this place of your truest dreams.

What colors and textures are present to the eyes?

Are there animals,

Plants,

Or other humans around you here?

What does the sky look like from where you look out?

What elements are present?

Simply tune in to the visual presence of fire,

Earth,

Water,

And air if any or all of these are present.

Allow your creation of this space to include your sense of sound.

Is it completely silent where you are,

Or are there subtle noises present?

Possibly there's a recognizable beat or rhythm in any sounds that might be growing in this space.

Or are the sounds disorderly,

Like the unpredictable pitter patter of rain?

Simply allow that whatever brings you peace to arise in this place of beauty.

Tuning in now to your sense of smell,

Are there any recognizable aromas that are present here,

From the smell of salty water to fresh earth and autumn leaves?

Allow nature's aromas to trickle into this imagery you are resting within.

And if nothing arises,

That is fine too.

There are no rules to what your mind creates,

So long as it brings you comfort.

Consider your sense of taste now.

Allowing your experience here to delight your taste buds.

As you explore this peaceful landscape,

Is there anything that you feel compelled to taste?

You might want to indulge in wild berries,

In pure spring water,

Or in some otherworldly treat born in outer space.

Just allow your experience to be rich,

Divine and fulfilling,

Nourishing your entire being.

And as you explore this place,

Either walking slowly through it,

Or from a resting position,

Allow yourself to feel into it through your physical body.

What nourishing surfaces does your body come into contact with?

How does the air feel against your skin?

Does the sun or moon beam down on you,

Filling you with a sense of ease and enchantment?

Just allow whatever brings you deep peace to express itself here.

Now,

I invite you now to tune into this place you have created with the sixth sense,

That is,

With your heart's feeling.

As you breathe,

Envision your heart expanding with each inhalation,

And softening with each exhalation.

With each breath,

Allow your heart to open up to the peace you have just built within you.

Let this space nourish your innermost being wholeheartedly.

Take a few more moments to allow yourself to play,

Rest or recharge in this beautiful and tranquil environment you have conjured.

Use each of your senses,

Including your heart,

To explore this moment as fully as possible.

In this very moment,

You feel a deep sense of care,

Love and support,

Granted to you by the universe,

By the beautiful space you have created,

And by your highest self and clearest mind.

Everything in this space and time is exactly as it is meant to be,

And you feel highly attuned with all that is around you.

Slowly,

I invite you now to gently release the imagery you have created,

Letting go of the taste and texture,

And the sights and sounds.

Gently release your vision of this beautiful place,

Knowing that in some way,

On some other field of reality,

It is still very present within you.

Even as the images fade away,

You maintain the heartfelt sensations this visualization opened you up to.

Inside of you,

There is a deep sense of peace,

Beauty and contentment.

Come back now to the breath,

Watching it flow gently and steadily through you.

As you return to this physical reality that you are in,

You begin to feel more grounded and present within your environment.

There is a deeper sense of that inner stillness you know is always within you.

So take a moment to draw your awareness through the body,

Blessing the entirety of your physical being with deep rest and relaxation.

Release any constriction in the belly,

The chest area,

Soften and loosen,

The jaw,

Release,

And your forehead.

Allow the entire body to relax completely as you prepare to enter the dream world.

As you settle into a state very close to sleep,

Little pieces of your peaceful paradise linger in the back of your mind unconsciously.

Through the power of this visualization,

You have set the stage for beautiful dreams to carry you through the night ahead.

All tension,

Worry and fear have melted away and in its place,

Nothing but lightness and peace remains.

Allow your breath to continue rocking you to sleep.

Alongside each breath cycle,

You might silently repeat this following affirmation until slowly this awakened state drifts away.

My dreams are filled with beautiful visions.

Keep your heart and mind wide open,

Your body rooted in a sense of inner peace and harmony,

And allow the infinite possibilities for beauty to infiltrate your dreams.

Continue whispering silently,

My dreams are filled with beautiful visions,

Until this wish becomes a slumbering reality.

And until next time,

Goodnight my friend,

Goodnight.

Reviews

This is a lovely meditation. I have tinnitus, and I rarely find respite from the lower-range sounds. The music appears to mask the tinnitus, and I experienced immediate relief, which helped me relax and enjoy the meditation. Thank you so much for posting this. I will return to it often to experience the tinnitus relief and immediate relaxation.