Release Anxiety, All Tension & Worries

Whatever is troubling your body or soul, nothing is more important to the healing process than focusing your mind on the desire to be healed. You have to believe that you can be healthy and accept that you have the power within to help you in your journey. Experience renewal through every layer of your being with tonight's guided sleep meditation.

Transcript

Are you ready to be cradled by the peaceful,

Healing embrace of nature?

To release all tension and worry,

And to fill instead with ease and relaxation?

Tonight,

As you meander along a gentle,

Shimmering stream,

Embraced by cherry blossoms that sway beneath a setting sun,

You'll experience freedom,

Rest,

And renewal throughout every layer of your being.

My name is Jason Stevenson,

And it's a pleasure to guide you on this journey.

To prepare for tonight's practice,

Take a few moments to get comfortable,

Drawing your curtains to a close if you've not already done so.

Find a safe and restful position where you can drift off to sleep at any time,

And gently close your eyes when you're ready.

Take a long,

Slow inhale,

Expanding your chest and lungs gently,

And release with a sigh as you exhale.

Another slow,

Steady breath in,

Expanding just gently.

Before we take a visual journey through the mind's eye,

Let's take some time to tend to the physical body,

Offering it care,

Kindness,

And release.

Our body carries us through each and every day,

And yet we typically don't grant it our undivided,

Loving attention.

So as I guide you through your physical vessel,

Bring your awareness to each part that I name,

And as your attention lands there,

See if you can fill that place with a slow,

Caring in-breath.

As you exhale,

Invite any tension or discomfort to gently unravel.

We're not here to forcefully push anything away,

Instead,

We're exploring what could be willing to surrender,

Even if just a little bit.

So right now,

Draw your attention to the crown of your head,

And on your next breath,

Fill your crown with a warm and loving breath,

Exhale,

Invite your crown to soften,

To gently surrender into the peace of this present moment.

Continue in the same way as you draw your awareness to your forehead,

Filling your entire forehead with care and kindness,

Gently releasing any tension as you breathe out,

Quieting your thinking mind at the same time.

Sense into your cheeks,

Your cheekbones,

And your ears,

And fill these parts with love and ease as you breathe in,

Surrendering gently as you exhale,

Now bearing witness to your mouth and your jaw,

Filling with a slow,

Loving in-breath,

Releasing the exhale with a soft sigh,

Unclenching any tension you've been holding in your jaw.

Now trace your awareness through the sides and back of your head,

Taking a loving,

Clearing breath into these places,

And with your next full cycle,

Take a slow,

Loving breath into your entire headspace,

And imagine that it fills with love,

Light,

Kindness,

Gently surrendering all residual tension as you exhale.

Envision your whole head,

And any stress it carries,

Melting into the pillow beneath you.

As your head rests completely,

Continue this gentle body scan by moving your attention to your neck,

And bestow it with love and care as you inhale,

Softening as you exhale,

And continue in the same way as you enter your shoulders,

And as you bear witness to your upper arms,

Sensing now into your elbows and lower arms in just the same way,

And then tending to your wrists and hands with your next full breath,

Now hold both of your arms in the lens of your undivided attention,

And fill them with a slow,

Nourishing in-breath,

Travelling all the way down to your fingertips,

Letting go as you breathe out.

There's nothing that your shoulders,

Arms or hands need to carry into tonight's practice,

Now from your fingertips,

Imagine an invisible pathway connecting your hands and your heart,

Travel that pathway with your mind's eye,

Or you might even bring one or both hands to rest for a short while on your heart space,

Either way,

As your attention lands in your heart space,

Take a few cleansing breaths into that part of your body,

With each inhale,

Fill your heart with care,

Kindness and patience,

And with each exhale,

Invite any stress or worry to leave this space,

Filling with care and ease,

Releasing stress or discomfort,

And now allow your attention to broaden,

Encompassing your entire chest area,

Fill your entire chest with a slow,

Loving inhale,

Releasing with a sigh of surrender as you exhale,

Tend to your upper back with another loving breath,

And then to your mid-back in the same way,

And then imagine your awareness travelling down your spine with your next full breath,

Landing with ease and softness in your belly,

As you inhale,

Let your stomach fill with love,

Warmth and kindness,

Releasing tension or contraction with the exhale,

Back and belly to gently surrender to the bed beneath you,

Then become aware of your entire pelvic space,

From hip to hip,

Down to the base of your spine,

And nurture this part of your body with a full loving breath,

Infused with love and care as you inhale,

Letting go as you exhale,

Now allow your attention to flow into your upper legs,

Giving your quads and hamstrings permission to relax as you breathe out,

Tend to your knees and your lower legs in the very same manner,

And then to your ankles and feet,

Filling with a loving breath in,

Take a full,

Nourishing breath along both of your legs,

All the way to your toes,

Release with a slow audible sigh on the out-breath,

All tension,

Worry and striving melts into the mattress beneath you,

In a cocoon of gentle,

Patient loving awareness,

You might imagine this as an ethereal silver cloud that glistens with golden light,

And if there's any residual tension in your body,

Imagine it becoming infused with the healing vibration of this celestial cocoon,

Nourishing it with a loving in-breath,

And gently deepen your sense of surrender with the out-breath,

Take two more slow,

Gentle breaths into this luminous cloud that is all around and within you,

With each breath,

Feel your sense of ease and relaxation growing in body,

Heart,

Mind and spirit,

As you envision the shimmering silver gold cloud in your mind's eye,

Then slowly and gently,

The cloud begins to part,

And as it does,

A new world across the canvas of your mind,

Blooms a radiant landscape of emerald green grass,

Fragrant wildflowers and cherry blossom trees,

A warm golden sun casts dappled patterns of shadow and light across the earth's surface,

And a gentle spring breeze brushes against your cheeks,

Your crown stretches towards a soft blue sky,

Where shimmering silver clouds,

Much like the one that cocooned you just moments ago,

Drift slowly through the open air,

Gently,

As your gaze drops from the serene open sky,

Down to the soles of your feet,

You realise you are standing in a shallow trickling stream,

Feeling the smooth stone beneath your soles,

And the water swirling around your ankles,

Allow this place to be an inner landscape of safety and comfort,

Visualising its details in any way you need for trust and wellbeing,

Allow your shoulders to drop,

Your belly to soften,

And your heart to widen,

Crown reaching for the golden light that streams through the cherry blossoms,

Take a long slow inhale,

And as you exhale,

Anchor your awareness in your feet and in the stream that brushes against your skin,

This stream has presented itself to help you release what does not serve you,

To carry away anything you no longer need to hold,

Water is an element that cleanses us,

Physically,

Mentally,

Emotionally and spiritually,

And this stream is here to do just that,

So begin walking through these shallow waters,

In the same direction as the stream's current,

With each step,

Feel the water swirling around your ankles,

Allow it to wash away anything that feels heavy and anything that feels tense,

Making space for what is light and spacious,

As you walk,

As the water cleanses you,

You broaden your awareness to absorb the beauty of the dappled light that dances across your skin and the water's surface,

This glistening presence of light warms and enchants you,

Helping your heart to widen,

Your mind to let go,

And your body to relax,

And as you walk,

You deepen your felt sense of the smooth stones beneath your feet,

Each stone across the pebbled riverbed grounds you,

Brings your mind back down to the earth,

Away from any scattered or swirling thoughts,

Allowing it to carry away what does not serve you,

This could be physical tension,

Mental stress,

Or anything that's been weighing on your spirit,

Whatever it may be,

Surrender it to the water,

Allow the stream to nurture,

Support and free you,

There's a reason that you're moving in the same direction as the water's current,

It's because you no longer need to fight life's flow,

You're invited by this stream to move in accordance with nature's wisdom,

Allowing it to guide you with grace and ease,

Take a long deep breath into that invitation,

And exhale to soften into it,

And notice how freeing it feels to surrender,

Even if just a little bit,

To life's natural flow,

Let the surrender come without force or striving,

Give yourself permission to release slowly and with ease,

Through mind,

Body,

Heart and spirit,

With every step through the shallow water,

All heaviness is carried away,

Your mind is growing ever calmer,

Your body is becoming ever more restful,

And your heart and spirit become increasingly spacious,

You continue to walk for a little while longer through the shallow streams,

It's soft murmur soothes your mind like a gentle lullaby,

Nudging you towards deeper rest and relaxation,

And as you meander through these enchanted waters,

You marvel at the way the afternoon sun illuminates the flowing ripples,

It appears like scattered gemstones upon the surface,

If there's any part of you that needs a little more support to surrender,

Be that in mind,

Body,

Heart or spirit,

See that the gemstone light on the water could rise up and through you,

Healing the part of you that needs it,

Give yourself full permission to surrender to the transformative power of the water,

And of the dappled light that refracts like gemstones off the water's surface,

Now notice where your breath is,

And if it's not already slow and smooth,

Invite a sense of ease to enter it,

With each inhale,

Allow your body and mind to gently expand,

And with each exhale,

Remind yourself to embody softness,

As you walk through the healing stream,

Breathing slowly and steadily,

You notice that the sun is beginning to set,

The soft golden light is turning to amber,

A night of deep sleep is on the horizon,

You realize that like the earth here,

You too are growing tired,

So you keep your eye open for a peaceful spot by the water's edge,

A place where you can rest for the coming night,

Take your time to discover a place next to the flowing stream,

Perhaps a place where a large warm blanket is laid out across the grass,

Adorned with cushions and additional blankets for comfort and support,

Settle in to whatever resting place calls out to you,

And envision your body coming to lay down,

Supported by whatever feels cozy and nourishing for you,

As you come to rest by the water,

A fresh perfume scent of wildflowers and green grass moves through you,

Inhale this replenishing aroma deep into your belly,

Allowing your chest and stomach to expand with the in-breath,

Melting into the earth on the out-breath,

Another long slow inhale,

Infusing with the fresh scent of flowers and emerald grass,

Exhaling to surrender even further,

A light breeze brushes against your cheeks,

The air is crisp as night approaches,

But you are completely comfortable,

Wrapped in warm clothes and blankets,

The world is quiet,

The world is at peace,

And you feel yourself attuning to the serene vibration of this landscape in quiet bloom,

Here by the stream,

You are deeply and completely supported,

You feel lovingly cradled by the earth itself,

Held and protected exactly as you are,

Take a few slow deep breaths into this expanding sense of peace,

Safety and serenity,

Any lingering thoughts drifting with the breeze on each out-breath,

Two,

Your eyes dance through the cherry blossom trees that surround you,

Their soft pink petals glow in the amber light of the setting sun,

Swaying gently in the night's drifting air,

Most of the blossoms are clustered together,

But some slowly and gently part from their branches and dance through the light of dusk,

A peaceful performance to close out the day,

Watch as a few slow moving pink petals dance serenely across the sunset sky,

Which is now aglow with deep gold,

Soft pink and lavender light,

And as you revel at the ethereal petals that float through space,

Become aware of the peace that's growing within you,

You might imagine that one or two of these floating petals land upon your body,

Upon any place that could use the gentle touch of nature's love,

And as it lands,

Imagine a warm aura of care and relaxation emanates from the petal,

Seeping deep into that particular part of your body,

It recalibrates you on every level,

On the physical level,

The mental level,

The heart level and the spiritual level,

The breeze is slowing now as the world grows sleepy,

One final petal makes its way to the earth,

While the rest of the cherry blossom clusters are snug on their branches,

Ready for sleep,

And as it lands,

You reconnect with your breath,

Allowing each cycle to soothe and ground you,

With each inhale,

You absorb the peace of this beautiful environment,

And with each exhale,

You release any residual tension,

Physical,

Mental,

Emotional or spiritual,

Inhaling peace,

Exhaling to release,

Inhaling peace,

As you breathe,

You are reminded of the trickling stream just next to you,

Its gentle murmur bubbles through the still air,

A sweet lullaby guiding you closer and closer to sleep,

Now the sky continues to darken,

Casting radiant hues of cornflower blue and indigo across the earth,

And through the cherry blossom branches,

You catch sight of a celestial wonder rising in the night sky,

It's a magnificent full moon,

Perhaps the largest you've ever seen,

Its silver glow bathes the land with ethereal light,

Once again casting dancing gemstones upon the surface of the water,

Watch as it rises above the cherry blossom tree,

Coming into full view,

The cherry blossoms already luminous with their natural soft pink hue,

Now seem otherworldly,

Each petal reflects the moonlight,

Glowing like pink lanterns in the night,

Take a couple of slow deep breaths into the enchanted,

Serene,

Shimmering aura of this evening landscape,

Feel its power to heal,

Cleanse,

Nurture and transform,

Renewing every aspect of your being,

Your mind,

Body,

Heart and spirit,

You feel completely serene,

Deeply at peace here by the water's edge,

You now feel there's nothing left for you to do,

But to surrender to sleep,

To let your mind,

Body,

Heart and spirit be embraced by a solid night of deep rest,

So as you make this gentle transition,

Without any stress or force,

Invite your attention to return to the crown of your head,

And as I name each part of the body,

Simply envision it surrendering,

Becoming heavier,

Any remaining knots of tension melting deep into the earth below,

Right now sensing into your crown and your forehead,

Feel these parts unraveling,

Thoughts and any residual tension drops into the surface beneath you,

And then welcome this deep release into your whole face,

Your cheeks,

Your mouth and your jaw unravelling,

Sinking deeper and deeper into your pillow,

Invite your whole head to surrender now,

Letting go completely as you inch towards restorative slumber,

And notice that as your physical head grows heavier,

Your mind becomes lighter,

Quiet,

Free and spacious,

This deep sense of release to travel through your neck,

To pass through your shoulders,

And to flow down your arms to your fingertips,

Inviting your arms to surrender completely,

With each exhale your arms sink deeper,

Growing heavier and heavier and heavier,

Welcome this same sense of rest and release to fill your heart,

Your chest and your back,

All tension melting away,

Now envision this invisible current of relaxation travelling down the length of your spine,

Inviting all cells and muscles to surrender,

Soon your awareness lands gently once again in your belly and your lower back,

Soften deeply and completely through these areas on your out-breath,

And then invite this sense of release to fill your pelvis and your hips,

Allow your entire abdomen to become heavy,

Surrendering to the sleep that's right on the horizon,

Invite this gentle wave of release to travel through your legs,

All the way down to your feet,

Any residual tension melts away,

Your legs and feet becoming heavier as they surrender to the coming night,

Your entire body is deeply,

Deeply relaxed,

Growing heavier and heavier with each passing breath,

And at the same time,

Your mind is becoming lighter and lighter,

Slipping away from the day behind you,

Inching closer and closer to a soothing night's slumber,

And as you transition into sleep,

The moonlit stream,

Emerald earth and glowing pink blossoms dissolve quietly from your mind,

Yet even as they do,

You continue to be cradled by nature,

Held safe and unconditionally supported,

Allow this eternal truth to embrace you as you make that final transition into sleep,

But remember,

You don't need to force sleep to come,

It will arrive effortlessly very,

Very soon,

Stay close to your breath,

And to the felt sense of the earth beneath you,

Let them cradle you with love,

With care.