Hello and welcome to this guided sleep meditation that will take you on a journey to your inner child.
As you encounter the child within,
You will be guided into developing a more loving,
Freeing and forgiving relationship with this aspect of self than you may previously have had.
My name is Jason Stevenson and thank you for joining me tonight.
Allow your heart to open to this transformative process as you develop perhaps a new or reimagined way of relating to that child within.
So to begin,
Take your time to find a comfortable resting position where you can settle in for the night ahead.
Ensure that your spine is as straight as possible,
Though still relaxed,
And allow your limbs to rest comfortably and naturally.
With your eyes closed,
Take a few moments to reconnect with your breath,
Simply notice the way it waxes and wanes through the body.
Soften your brow,
Your tongue and your jaw,
And your belly as you settle deeper into the space that holds you,
And see if you might allow the stomach to rise and fall to its fullest capacity with each breath.
With each in-breath,
The belly extends with ease,
And with each breath out,
It gently falls back down,
Extending with ease as it fills,
And falling gently as it empties.
Now before we take a journey to meet the inner child,
Let us ground ourselves in compassion,
Patience and care.
Each one of us has a unique relationship to our inner child,
And sometimes it is a challenging one.
For this reason,
It is important that we establish ourselves in love before moving further.
So take a moment now to draw your attention to the heart space,
Watching as the breath flows into and out of this loving centre of your body.
You might imagine that each inhalation feeds your inner capacity for love,
And that each breath out softens any resistance to self-love and care.
And as you breathe through the heart,
Take a few moments to reaffirm the following sentiments that will support you on your journey.
I am patient and gentle with myself.
I care for and embrace my innermost self.
I support myself unconditionally.
I am grounded in love and compassion.
Let these words dissipate into the background as you sink into this energy of loving-kindness.
Continue to mind the breath,
Remembering that each inhalation fuels you and that each exhalation frees you of what is no longer required.
And as we move through this journey,
Know that your experience will be as unique as you and your inner child are.
For some,
This process might be difficult.
Know that as you move through this,
You are always encouraged to follow your own inner guidance,
So be sure to do whatever you need to do to support yourself.
Just allow my words to guide you,
And remember that you can always come back to the breath to ground you.
Before we move into this visualization,
Let's take three deep cleansing breaths together.
Begin by letting your last inhalation leave the body completely,
And then take a deep full breath in for the count of four,
And then slowly exhale for a count of six.
Another deep breath in for a slow count of four,
And when you've reached the top,
Slowly exhale for a count of six.
One last breath in for four,
And let it back out for six,
And allowing your breath to come back to its natural rhythm as you sink into the surface beneath you.
Use your breath as an anchor whenever you need it to tether you back into this present moment.
Now,
Let all unnecessary tension slowly begin to dissolve into the space that supports you.
Allow yourself to be held here unconditionally.
To begin this visual journey,
Turn your attention towards your mind's eye,
And imagine yourself standing in a deep,
Lush,
Evergreen forest.
Your feet are firmly rooted in a pressed earth pathway that weaves through the trees,
And all around you,
Majestic aspen,
Spruce,
And pine trees climb up into the clear blue sky.
Your spine is straight,
Your chest is open,
And your shoulders are relaxed.
And as you breathe,
You do so deeply,
Welcoming the cleansing,
Pine-infused air into the depths of your lungs.
You exhale with a soft sigh,
Letting go of anything that does not serve you here.
Take three full deep breaths at your own pace now,
Letting the crisp and clean forest air cleanse mind,
Body,
And soul.
And after your third deep breath,
You begin your journey ahead.
Step by step,
You make your way through the enchanted forest that holds you.
The air is a comfortable temperature,
Keeping you both warm and refreshed.
Observe the colors and textures that fill your eyesight as you pass through this landscape.
What shapes do the trees take?
What hues appear in the leaves,
The trunks of the trees,
And any other plant life that thrives here?
What richness and diversity is apparent to you?
The further you venture,
The more settled you feel.
This flourishing ecosystem holds you as one of its own,
Leading you gently onwards down your own path of healing.
It's not long before there is a break in the trees,
And you step out of the woods upon the sight of a magnificent,
Shimmering lake.
Your shoulders drop even further from your ears as your soul is stirred by this body of water.
You approach the water's edge slowly,
Inching your way towards the rocky shoreline that surrounds it.
The still water lulls you right up to its edge,
And so you take a seat on the smooth rock face,
Overlooking the water to rest for a while.
The sun inches its way towards the treeline,
Inviting a calm and rested energy to the fading day.
The wind is barely traceable,
And the flat water sparkles beneath the setting sun.
All is well.
As you gaze across the water,
You realize you feel deeply content in this space and time.
There is nothing missing from this moment.
And yet your heart is wide open to whatever might come your way.
You feel strong,
Stable,
And secure in who and where you are.
Remaining seated here,
Something draws your attention down the shore that leads into the setting sun.
Some distance away,
You notice someone making their way towards you.
It is a young person,
Perhaps five or six years of age,
Though their exact age is entirely up to you.
This individual slowly makes their way closer and closer to you,
Until soon,
You realize that the person approaching is you.
It is you from some many years ago.
It is the child within.
The child that has always kept some space within you.
They are returning to you,
And you to them.
Take a moment to fully notice this child.
Let your heart be completely open to their presence,
Regardless of how they have shown up today.
This child moves carefully,
And as they come within a few meters distance,
You offer a few words of kindness and invite them to come and sit next to you.
Knowing they are safe in this visualization,
They come to take a seat in front of you.
You begin this interaction simply by extending the warmth of your heart onto this small person before you.
Grounded in a wisdom and self-compassion that they have yet to develop,
You hold this energy for them.
Simply through your presence,
You offer them your unconditional acceptance.
Meeting their eyes,
You take in the heart and soul of this child,
And you ask them if there is anything on their heart or mind.
Leave plenty of space for what arises,
And if or as they speak,
Listen without judgment.
Simply hold space for whatever it is they are feeling.
Know also that it is okay if they do not have any words to say.
Your inner child may speak through non-verbal language.
And in the face of whatever arises,
Whether that be fear,
Joy,
Anger,
Grief,
Guilt,
Playfulness,
Or anything else,
Offer them your love.
Offer this child your compassion without expectation and without condition.
Let yourself be their rock,
As steady as the physical rock beneath you.
Nurture them in whatever way feels most comfortable for the two of you.
Perhaps that is through a big hug,
Or through hands held tightly,
Or perhaps it is simply through holding the space for one another.
Know that there is no right or wrong way to nurture your inner child here.
And then ask your inner child if there is something they'd like your help with.
Is there something they'd like you to set free for them?
Is there something they would like you to forgive?
Let this child know that they have your unconditional support in releasing anything that does not serve their sense of happiness and wholeness.
You,
As their wise elder,
Can offer them the love,
Support,
And forgiveness that they've been yearning for.
And now,
In the silent space that holds you both next to the lake,
You might silently repeat to them,
I see you.
I hear you.
I love you.
I am here for you.
I support you.
I forgive you.
I embrace you.
I free you.
Take some more time now to fully embrace this inner child through your loving presence,
Through hands held,
Or through a warm and caring hug.
Let this child be held by your love and by your strength.
Let this child take the time they need to feel as they feel,
Reminding them that you are not here to change them.
You are simply here to listen and to support.
And as they feel heard,
Their inner world begins to quiet,
As does your own.
Soon,
The two of you sit peacefully and contently,
Gazing out over the calm waters of the lake at dusk.
The sun has disappeared behind the trees,
And a warm orange glow stretches across the horizon.
The sky above is ocean blue,
Slowly deepening its tone as the day fades away.
You and your inner child look towards one another and smile.
You are grateful for this moment,
And for this opportunity to reconnect.
And as the colors of the sky signal that it is almost time for slumber,
You ask your inner child where they like to rest for the night.
Perhaps they yearn to go to bed in a place from your shared past.
Perhaps they long to slumber beneath the open,
Starry sky.
Or perhaps they would find the most peace,
The most happiness,
Falling asleep in some imagined land that inspires them.
Wherever your inner child finds peace and comfort,
Let them know you will guide them there.
And then slowly,
Slowly letting the landscape in your mind transform,
Call to mind the place where they know they will rest with the most ease.
Imagine what this place looks like,
And what comforts it holds.
Wherever you find yourself,
Invite your inner child to settle into a cozy and comfortable bed for the night.
You tuck them in with love and care,
Reminding them that you are always here for them.
And as they surrender into the night,
You whisper the words,
I love you.
I am here for you.
Spend a few more silent moments whispering these words to your inner child,
Perhaps aligning the words I love you with your inhalations,
And I am here for you with your exhalations.
The inner child drifts off to sleep,
And you are left with a revitalized sense of love and care for this place.
You are now a part of yourself.
You set an intention now that when the signs of this inner child arise in you in the future,
You will tend to them with unconditional patience,
Presence,
Love,
And compassion.
Now you too are ready to surrender into sleep.
And so you come back to your body,
Letting the evening's visualizations gently begin to dissipate.
Notice the felt sense of your body being supported by the bed or other surface beneath you.
What does it feel like to be held here?
Notice the breath as it flows through you,
Creating an expansion and a softening with each full cycle.
And then draw your attention to the heart space once again,
Connecting with the center of your compassion,
For one last time before drifting into sleep.
And as you hold your attention here,
Imagine a small white light beginning to appear in the center of your chest.
It expands outwards with each second that goes by,
And as it permeates through your body,
It offers its loving energy to each cell that it passes.
Soon,
Your entire body is held in this healing white light arising from within.
It nurtures every part of you,
The present self,
The past self,
And the future self,
All at the same time.
Spend just a few more moments now feeling yourself as you are bathed in this warm glow.
And when you are ready,
Slowly let that light dissipate.
Come back to the felt sense of your body in this space.
Let yourself connect intimately with the earth that supports you here.
And then let your attention come back to the breath,
Noting this natural movement as it passes through you.
If there is anything else that needs to be released,
Let it out now with a deep sigh.
Allow your breath to be an anchor for your awareness as you slowly drift into slumber.
Sleep well,
My friend.
Sleep well.
