Come back home to peace and ease tonight,
As you release all tension,
Physical and mental,
Before drifting into a deep,
Restorative sleep.
Whatever you're carrying right now,
Be it lingering energy from the day or even something heavier,
This is your time to find freedom from it,
This is your time to rest and retreat.
My name is Jason Stevenson and it's a gift to be your guide tonight.
You can fall asleep at any moment along the way,
So make sure you're in a safe and comfortable space to do so.
As we journey to a quiet cottage,
Adorned by fairy lights and pink blossomed vines,
You have full permission to release completely,
Not by force,
But through natural,
Gentle,
Untangling.
Allow my voice to guide you through that process,
One step at a time.
As you come home to your quiet,
Steady self,
As you come home to a solid night's sleep,
Begin now by drawing your attention to the soles of your feet and inviting them to let go.
There's no where your feet need to take you.
Tonight's travels will be inward.
Relax your heels,
Your toes,
Your arches and ankles.
Then sense into your calves,
Encouraging them to soften.
Your lower legs melt into the mattress supporting them.
Before your attention moves through your knees,
Invite your knees to relax.
Then sense into the front of your thighs and into the back of them,
Guiding these muscles to let go.
Take a slow,
Steady breath,
As if you could breathe all the way down your legs.
Inhale down to your toes and as you exhale,
Let your legs relax even more.
Your legs are deeply,
Deeply relaxed.
Move your attention now to your tailbone,
Which roots downwards.
Then widen your lens to encompass your entire pelvic space,
Taking a few slow,
Cleansing breaths down into this area.
With each exhale,
Your hips gently relax and a sense of spaciousness fills your lower abdomen.
Notice the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe.
Encourage your core to soften,
To release any stress or contraction.
Invite your lower back to gently melt as well,
Before you slowly and gently travel up your spine,
Inch by inch.
Your ribs and all the muscles around and between them find ease and lightness here.
Then your attention rests gently in your heart and in your breath.
Take a few slow,
Steady breaths into and out of your chest.
You might begin to notice traces of lilac and honeysuckle on each inhale,
A whisper of the place you're on your way to.
The subtle floral aroma travels from your lungs to your nervous system as an energetic sigh leaves your body.
It's a sigh of gentle,
Effortless surrender.
Your muscles relax gently,
All the way up your shoulders,
Which release any weight they've been carrying.
Then,
Inch by inch,
You trace your arms to your fingertips,
Guiding your upper arms to soften,
Your elbows to relax,
Your lower arms melt gently.
And your wrists,
They find ease.
Your awareness now moves into the palms of your hands,
Which release any grip they've been holding on the day behind you.
Your fingers soften completely,
And as they do,
Your mind melts too.
Take a slow,
Steady breath all the way down your arms.
Inhale to your fingertips,
And as you exhale,
Let your arms relax even more.
Feel the way they surrender to the support beneath them.
Your arms are deeply,
Deeply relaxed.
Your attention travels slowly back up to your shoulders.
Guide any tension in those muscles to unravel just a little bit more.
Slowly scan the muscles along the sides of your neck and moving into your jaw area,
Which unclenches effortlessly.
Slowly and intuitively scan through every inch of your face.
Invite any tension or subtle contraction to melt,
Sinking down into the support of your pillow.
All the small muscles around your eyes untangle,
And so does your forehead.
As your whole face relaxes,
Your thinking mind lets go even more,
And your head gives way to the support of the pillow and bed below you.
And as your mind relaxes,
You may become aware of a violet light stretching across your inner eye,
Another whisper of the place you're moving into.
Sense into your whole body as it rests here,
Heavy with the downward pull of gravity,
Yet still somehow weightless.
Take a few slow whole body breaths,
Extending each inhale out to your hands,
Feet and crown.
Imagine your entire body is filled with pale violet light,
And a growing sense of spaciousness,
And on your next exhale,
Let your whole body drop,
Sink into the comfort of what's beneath you.
Your physical space is holding and supporting you here,
Exactly as you are.
Now allow your awareness to centre itself in your mind's eye,
In the soft amethyst light that fills it.
A warm spring breeze drifts through,
Carrying those familiar notes of lilac and honeysuckle,
And on that canvas of your mind's eye,
A quiet stone cottage on a peaceful,
Clear evening appears.
The cottage has large windows with cedar frames.
Vines wander across the weathered stone,
Boasting large pink blossoms that shimmer in the violet light of dusk.
Dozens of potted plants surround the tranquil home,
All returning to bloom after winter.
You lift your gaze to find a large oak tree,
Grounded not far from the house.
Glowing lanterns hang from its high,
Ancient branches,
Casting ethereal light across the garden.
You may not have been here before,
But there's a sense of being welcomed home.
You exhale a sigh of relief,
Trusting that you're in the right place,
That this cottage holds all that you need.
The sun has sunk beneath the horizon,
Casting that enchanted lavender light up into the cosmos.
You take a slow,
Deep breath in,
Filling with the fresh,
Floral air.
Exhaling as your shoulders melt towards the earth.
The house is ready to hold and support you,
So envision yourself moving towards its front door.
Soft,
Golden light beams out from the inside,
Imbued with the warmth and care this cottage contains.
And as you arrive at the front door,
You reach for the large brass knob,
Turning it slowly,
And stepping inside.
You close the door behind you,
Stepping into a large,
Central living room.
You feel instantly embraced,
And a whole-bodied surrender moves through you.
You can feel the cottage taking over the work of holding,
Settling,
And tending.
It's not something you have to intentionally work at anymore.
The house is here to do it for you.
Take a few slow,
Steady breaths to really arrive here,
To give both mind and body permission to be held,
To be deeply and unconditionally supported.
There is nothing to fix or force,
And nothing that's required of you.
Allow yourself to rest,
As the space naturally takes care of things.
Now,
As you look around the enchanted cottage,
You marvel at how natural it is.
On one side,
A large living wall rises from floor to ceiling,
Alive with soft green moss,
Small budding florals,
And emerging ferns.
The other walls are formed entirely of stone,
Ancient and imperfect,
The way nature is.
Trailing vines meander across these walls,
Rising from large planters that rest on the hardwood floor.
Wooden beams arch overhead,
Dark,
Solid,
And wrapped in fairy lights.
From them hang dried herbs and wildflowers,
Lavender,
Sage,
And rosemary.
Notice their subtle scent wafting through the room.
On the far side of the cottage is an expansive window,
Offering a serene view of a quiet,
Dusk-lit pond.
And beside the window is a deep armchair,
Draped with a wool blanket.
You can feel the chair calling you,
And very soon,
You will settle into it.
But first,
You sense a deep,
Intrinsic call to connect with the natural elements of the room.
You sense they may have something to share with you.
If you haven't yet,
You slip off your shoes and tuck your toes into slippers instead.
Then you journey deeper into the heart of the cottage,
Exhaling a sigh of relief as you embrace this natural,
Gentle homecoming.
You begin by moving towards the living wall,
Slow and unhurried.
There is no need to rush here,
And nothing is asked of you.
You give yourself permission to explore gently.
To move as if each step is an arrival.
As you get closer to the living elements of the wall,
More details stand out to you,
Like the countless shades of green and the diversity of moss and leaves.
From soft sage to deep emerald,
The living wall is a tapestry of dozens of plant species.
Tiny beads of dew rest on the broad leaves,
Shimmering beneath the fairy light strung above.
Some of the plants boast flowers,
Small,
Delicate blooms in rose,
Violet and clementine tones.
Your eyes trace their soft petals as your nose takes in their gentle aromas.
You stand before the living wall,
Admiring and absorbing its freshness,
Its vitality.
Feel into your breath,
Noticing how it weaves into and out of the plant life.
As you breathe,
You become a part of this living wall.
Your forehead softens,
Your shoulders melt,
And your whole body is naturally guided to let go.
There's nothing you need to cling to here.
Slowly and gently now,
Whenever you're ready,
You continue to move through the space.
One of the exposed stone walls beckons you,
So you make your way in its direction.
As you arrive at the wall,
Your eyes trace the vines that crawl up it.
How enchanted they are,
You think to yourself.
You admire the wandering paths they take.
They do not grow in straight lines.
Instead,
They rise and loop and twist and turn.
Some sections cling closely to the stone,
While others arc outward,
Suspended in the warm,
Open space while still completely supported.
These vines are whispering a message to you now,
To trust your own path the way they trust theirs.
Vines don't force their way forward,
And they don't rush to get ahead.
They feel,
Respond,
And adapt to each moment with ease and grace.
You release a deep sigh of relief,
Melting into this invitation.
You surrender your attachments to the past and future,
Just allowing yourself to be here instead.
A deep sense of trust is growing from within,
The same kind of trust that the plants here embody.
Responding to another whisper,
You reach out to touch the stone wall.
Your fingertips land first,
Before you plant your palm on its rugged surface.
The stone is cool to the touch,
But on the contrary,
How warm and loving it is.
These walls are here to support and protect you.
These walls are your shelter,
Cocooning you in a safe space within.
Take a few moments to feel the grounded strength of these walls,
Flowing through your palms and into your very own body.
Sense into your own strength,
Your own rootedness,
Your own capacity to support yourself.
With every passing moment,
You are naturally,
Effortlessly releasing what does not serve you.
It's not happening through force,
Through pressure,
Or out of fear.
It's happening because you're coming home to yourself.
Within the loving container of this glowing stone cottage.
Release,
In this moment,
Is more about remembering the quiet,
Steady,
Trusting place inside of yourself.
So fill with more of that trust,
On each in-breath.
Naturally releasing any tension,
Physical or mental,
On each out-breath.
The room is growing darker,
Which pulls your attention to the world beyond the window.
The soft,
Amethyst light in the sky has darkened.
Now,
Rich mulberry pervades.
But the outside world is still luminous,
And your eyes land on the full moon that's quietly risen to take its place for the night.
It's a celestial body that never fails to enchant you.
Nature is ready to rest for these coming hours,
And so are you.
With grace,
You make your way to that deep armchair by the window,
Settling into its plush surface and pulling the wool blanket up over you.
Exhale a slow,
Deep sigh as you settle in.
A low-lying table sits next to you.
On it rests a clay mug filled with warm tea,
Its faint steam curling up into the quiet air.
And next to the mug sits a potted orchid,
With white blossoms that are smooth,
Open and luminous beneath the light of the full moon.
Take the mug into your hands and raise it gently to your nose.
What kind of tea would be most nurturing for you at this moment?
Imagine your preferred herbal aromas,
Perhaps lavender chamomile,
Lemon balm or something else,
Rising as steam through your nostrils,
Slowing and quietening your mind.
Then take a few slow mindful sips,
Noticing how the herbs naturally,
Gently invite your body to melt.
As you sip your tea,
You look over at the orchid.
Its petals are in full bloom,
Yet you can tell there's no strain or force behind their opening.
Instead,
There's softness and effortlessness,
There's ease and grace.
And as you admire this beautiful plant,
As you inhale the fresh aroma of tea and greenery all around you,
Something subtle happens in your chest.
A natural settling,
A gentle widening.
As your heart softens,
Expands and settles,
You might even notice a small,
Gentle smile stretching across your face through your interior.
It's a quiet smile of contentment as you remember the lightness,
Beauty and ease that lives inside of you.
It's a smile of homecoming,
A smile of remembering.
Mug still in hand,
Smile still in heart.
You gaze out at the tranquil moonlit pond.
The water is still as glass,
Reflecting the peace and quietude that rises within you.
For a few moments,
You savour the world outside,
The mulberry sky,
The forested horizon and the silver moon that watches over all of it.
Then you call your attention back inwards,
Noticing how tired you've become.
You set your mug back down on the table beside you,
Smiling at the orchid for a full,
Intentional breath.
One last time for tonight.
You look around at the cottage that holds and supports you.
How quietly alive it is.
How supportive,
Steady and nourishing this place is.
You might like to silently whisper a word of gratitude to this nature-infused space.
Then your head surrenders into the headrest behind it and you naturally close your eyes.
As all the visuals disappear,
Sense into the fullness of your body and welcome yourself home,
Right where you are.
You are home.
Exhale gently as you remember that at this very moment,
There's nothing you need to do,
Nothing you need to achieve,
No one you need to be.
Feel how unconditionally you are held in this moment.
Feel the warmth of care and love and support of the surface beneath you,
The air around you and the love within you.
Now draw your attention to the crown of your head.
And one last time for tonight.
Let's soften the physical body.
Allow all the muscles in your forehead to soften,
Letting your thoughts go as well.
Imagine ease and relaxation washing over your temples,
Moving through the sides,
Inside and back of your head.
And invite your whole face to untangle.
Let any lingering tension in your face or head sink into the pillow supporting you.
Guide your awareness down the sides of your neck as if it could gently massage the muscles there.
Then drop down into your shoulders as any residual weight or stress is released.
There's nothing your shoulders need to bear right now.
Welcome a slow moving current of release to move from your shoulders to your fingertips,
Softening your upper arms,
Your elbows.
Your lower arms and wrists.
Landing gently in both of your hands.
Now give your hands permission to surrender any lingering grip they might be holding.
There's nothing to hold onto here.
Breathe gently now into your heart,
Watching the gentle rise and fall of your chest with each cycle.
On the inhale,
Your heart widens effortlessly as a blooming orchid.
And on the exhale,
It softens like nightfall.
Invite this natural relaxation to extend throughout your entire chest and through your back as well.
Let it sink down into your belly,
Which expands and softens naturally.
Your pelvic space fills with ease as well.
Your hips are softened and soothed.
Naturally,
This cascade of relaxation flows down your legs,
Bringing ease and lightness to your thighs,
To your knees,
To your calves and ankles,
And down into your feet.
Feel your feet really anchoring here.
Let them be heavy.
Let them rest completely.
Take a few whole body breaths,
As if breathing into every far corner of yourself.
With each inhale,
Your whole body expands gently.
And with each exhale,
You surrender,
Deeper and deeper and deeper.
Breathe naturally,
Feeling the weight of your body on the bed supporting you.
Notice how gently and powerfully gravity is holding you here.
You are held deeply,
Warmly,
Completely.
Now let yourself drift,
As nature does,
Into rest.
You don't need to force it to happen or rush to get there.
Just trust that sleep is on its way.
And until it comes,
Let yourself be rocked by your breath,
Like a wave moving into and out of your body.
There's nothing to fix or figure out,
Nothing to prove or achieve.
Give yourself full permission to be here,
Simply breathing,
As you naturally and gracefully transition into sleep.
May you be supported by restorative sleep and sweet dreams.
And until next time,
Goodnight my friend,
Goodnight.
