Tonight,
You'll surrender with the same ease and grace that rain surrenders from the sky,
Letting go of all that does not serve you as you melt into a deep restorative sleep.
Whatever you're holding in this moment,
Perhaps physical or mental tension heaviness or restlessness.
This is your opportunity to let it soften.
To reconnect with the peace and ease that precedes it.
My name is Jason Stevenson and I'm honored to guide you tonight.
Thank you for your willingness to tend to yourself in this way,
For stepping into deeper rest and wellbeing Take your time to really settle in,
Supporting your body with cushions and blankets and let your eyes close if they haven't already.
In this gentle sleep talkdown.
There's nothing for you to solve.
Nothing to fix or prove.
Simply let yourself float along with my words.
Trusting that your mind and body already know the way.
This meditation will simply help them attune to their deeper wisdom.
So let's begin by taking a few slow,
Deep breaths.
Letting your physical body gently expand with each inhale.
And settling with each exile.
Expanding with each inhale.
And settling with each exhale.
As you move through this meditation.
Know that every exhale is an invitation to surrender.
Not to push anything away,
But rather to soften into the natural release of each breath.
Continue to breathe naturally.
And notice the sounds that surround you.
Sense in to the gentle sounds of rain as its vibration meets your mind and body.
And notice the way it too.
Holds a gentle whisper to soften.
The sound of rain will soon transport you to a place where you can experience deep,
Total surrender.
But before it does.
Will allow it to soften the body.
Softening the body will lay the groundwork for deeper release.
So draw your attention to the crown of your head now.
And welcome the sound of rain to permeate this part of you.
Allow it to soften your forehead and all the muscles around your eyes.
Washing away any tension from your temples.
Or from the sides or back of your head softening your cheeks.
Flowing down the bridge of your nose.
Relaxing your mouth and jaw.
And inviting your entire head into deep surrender.
Soften further with an exhale.
Then let the symphony of rain pitter-patter across your shoulders.
Invite your shoulders to release any weight of the world they've been holding.
There's nothing they need to carry into sleep.
Then imagine the rain gently cascading down your arms.
Dissolving any tension in your upper arms.
Soothing any tension in your elbows.
Inviting your forearms and wrists to surrender deeply.
And pooling in the palm of your hands,
Guiding them to release their grip.
Softness spreads throughout your hands.
Cascading outwards to each fingertip.
And take a couple of slow,
Nourishing breaths here inviting your arms to surrender.
Just a little bit more with each out-breath.
Your awareness returns to the sound of rain.
And you imagine it spreading out across your chest.
Your heart gently widens as it softens.
And your breath slows as it steadies.
Envision this vibration of rain reaching your back body as well.
Dissolving any tension or tightness that's held there.
Before slowly,
Gently travelling down your spine.
Guiding your nervous system to inch towards deeper rest.
You are safe,
Held and supported.
You are saved.
Held.
And support it.
Become aware of your belly now.
Inviting it to soften.
And inviting it to release any subtle contraction.
And as your belly softens.
So does your lower back.
And so does your pelvis.
Welcome the sound of rain as it reaches these places.
Guiding them to soften as much as they can.
The rain begins to dissolve any stress that's held in your hips.
As your tailbone grounds a little closer to the earth.
Then slowly and gently follow the sounds of rain as it flows down your legs.
Guiding your thighs to surrender.
Guiding your knees to soften and encouraging your calves to loosen.
And your ankles to rest into the support beneath them.
And finally.
.
.
Your attention and the rain settle in your feet.
Washing away the need to go anywhere.
The desire to be any place but here.
Let your whole body melt into the bed beneath you.
Supported by that rhythmic tapping of rain.
The rain innately knows how to let go.
And so do you.
The rain asks nothing of you.
But that breath by breath you rest.
As the rain falls.
Your consciousness grows lighter.
Slowly and safely drifting through space.
While your body remains held and grounded.
Let yourself drift.
Let the rain quietly carry you.
Until you find yourself stepping into a warm and cozy attic bedroom.
Where golden lanterns of candlelight flicker.
And through a slanted skylight.
The purple-grey,
Glow-of-rain heavy sky.
Seeps into the room.
A large plush bed sits next to the slanted window.
With vanilla-toned sheets and pillows.
Cushions and throws are draped over the top of it,
In earthy tones of terracotta,
Sage and chestnut.
Potted plants and dried herbs hang from beams overhead.
And small packed bookshelves rest against the attic's cedar walls.
Take a few moments to land here.
Rooting your feet into the soft.
Woven rug beneath them.
Inhaling and exhaling the subtle fragrance of dried lavender.
Sage and cedar.
This is your own quiet sanctuary.
A place where you can rest deeply as the rain falls outside.
So imagine yourself gently crawling into bed here.
Sitting for a short while with your back resting against plush cushions.
Supported by the steady timber wall behind them.
As you settle in.
You might notice a cup of herbal tea sitting on the bedside table.
Take a few moments to savor it.
Welcoming its soothing properties perhaps of chamomile or lemon balm.
Deep into your body to calm it.
And as you sit in bed.
Your gaze naturally lands on the rectangular glass panels of the sloping roof above.
Beads of rain slide down them.
Slowly and naturally making their way to Earth.
And naturally your body softens as well.
Encouraged by the rain.
Letting go in the direction of the earth.
The rain has arrived as a teacher for you tonight.
And as a healer.
Without effort.
Without striving.
Its vibration settles on your mind and body.
Helping to wash away what's ready to be released.
So as the sky darkens.
Allow the rain to do what it's always done.
Softening things.
Guiding things to settle.
Cleansing and clearing what's ready to be released.
Notice the thoughts that don't need to be held any longer.
Or at least not for tonight.
Notice where feelings have felt stuck that want to unravel and find peace.
Let the rain move through you,
Wherever it intuitively wants to.
Relaxing your physical body.
Clearing your mental body.
And restoring your emotional body as well.
Notice if there's any urge to fix or figure things out.
And recognize that the invitation is to simply let the rain move through you.
You don't need to analyze or overthink what's happening.
Just feel it.
Just allow this gentle release to happen.
The rain can do all of the work.
There's nothing you need to strive for.
Nothing you need to solve or push away.
Simply give your mind,
Your body and your heart.
Permission to surrender now.
Even if just for tonight.
As the rain washes away tension,
Thoughts,
Expectations and any emotional weight ground a little deeper into the notion.
That we're not trying to stop anything here.
We're not denying anything.
And we're not begging things to go away.
We're letting things move.
Without attachment or resistance.
Just letting it all melt down into the earth.
And so as you continue to let go.
You might imagine every thought and every bit of tension being absorbed by a raindrop Each is carried gently down the slanted window.
Along walls and downspouts.
And ultimately down to earth.
Some raindrops collect in puddles.
Finding belonging in connection with other raindrops.
And some sink down into the soil,
Cleansing,
Clearing and being restored.
Continue to infuse any and all tension,
Worry and restless thoughts into rain droplets letting them be carried to the earth for renewal.
As the rain falls,
Allow yourself to become lighter.
Allow your breath to soften.
Allow your body to melt.
And to support this process of letting go.
Envision yourself transitioning now.
From a seated posture.
In bed to a resting one.
Setting aside your mug of tea if you had one.
Letting your head melt into a creamy vanilla pillow.
Feel the way your whole body is resting deeply.
Completely supported by the surface beneath it.
Warmed by the golden flicker of candlelight.
The light that seeps through the window continues to darken.
The soft violet-gray sky has turned to a dark and dusty plum.
And you are reminded of the safety held in this moment.
You know that no matter what the weather does outside.
You were safely and comfortably held indoors.
Inside of this protected and cozy sanctuary.
It's a recognition that reflects something deep and true about your inner world.
That no matter what thoughts and feelings move through you.
There's a safe and peaceful place beneath them that lives at the core of your being.
This place of inner peace is available to you with every exhale.
In every moment you give yourself permission to let go.
It's a quiet,
Still place inside of you.
That lives beneath this noise.
It's the blue sky that always exists behind the rain clouds.
So take a few moments to breathe into that.
Seeing this cozy attic interior as a mirror of a safe and peaceful place inside of you.
A place where care and warmth already exist.
Where you can find refuge from the things that come and go.
Melt deeper into that place.
Letting the rain do what it does.
Letting it cleanse and clear what needs to be cleansed and cleared.
There's nothing to ruminate about.
Nothing to judge.
Nothing to force or fix.
Instead.
Notice if there's anything in this moment that wants to be befriended,
Be that an emotion,
A sticky thought part of your body.
Or even the growing sense of peace within you.
What wants to be held and supported in this moment?
With care.
Patience.
And allowance.
As the rain continues to fall.
Let yourself breathe with it.
Feel its symphony actually weaving its way into you with each breath What is it like to welcome the rain into your body in this way?
Inhaling its wisdom and its nourishment.
And exhaling to release alongside it.
Imagine as if the rain is becoming you.
And you're becoming the rain.
Letting go in the direction of Earth.
Anchoring down into rich,
Restorative soil.
If your mind is conceptualizing this.
Explore what it's like to embody it.
Sense into what it might feel like.
Your body and mind to become like rain.
To cease fighting against anything.
And to instead surrender with immense grace and ease,
Because that's what nature,
Certainly rain,
Invites us to do.
Nothing is meant to be stuck or fixed.
Everything is meant to move.
So let the rain move you back to the peace and quiet of your innermost being.
Now take a few more moments to absorb the warmth,
Beauty and support of the attic you've found yourself in.
Notice the herbs that hang from the beams overhead.
Inhaling their restorative aromas deep into our cells.
Notice the quality of light that fills the room.
As amber lantern light blends with the dusky amethyst midnight sky.
Sense into the safety and support of the cedar walls around you.
And of the slanted glass roof.
Providing safety,
Security.
And strength.
And simply feel the energy of this place.
The way it protects you.
The way it wants to hold and care for you.
Then allow your eyes to slowly close to this room.
Knowing you can call it back into your mind any time if you need it.
But for now.
.
.
It's time to let even your inner eye rest.
As the energy dissipates.
Continue to breathe with the pitter-patter of raindrops.
Allow the vibration of sound to weave its way through you reminding you of your innate place within the rhythms of nature.
And as you breathe.
Naturally and gently.
Remember that the rain is a teacher.
And healer for you tonight.
Again.
The rain innately knows how to let go.
And so do you.
The rain asks nothing of you.
But that breath by breath.
You rest.
Now.
Not only is it okay,
But it's also entirely natural if thoughts or tension return to your awareness Remember,
This isn't about stopping anything.
It's about allowing and letting go.
Letting things come.
Letting them go.
You can continue to release any thoughts and tension into the soundscape of rain all around you.
Surrender what you don't need to hold in this moment to the wisdom and rhythms of nature.
Let the earth below you absorb what needs to be held.
What needs to be nurtured.
As you breathe.
Notice how the rain really becomes a part of you.
Not in any imagined sense.
But in the way that its sound truly and deeply permeates your mind,
Heart and body.
And as you drift.
It becomes harder and harder to tell what is rain.
What is the breath?
And what is your body?
They are woven into one living fabric.
And the wisdom of the rain becomes your own.
Naturally with every breath you let go.
Naturally with every breath.
You melt into the peace that lives within.
Everything else drifts away as you float through this landscape.
And as it floats through you.
And as you inch closer and closer to sleep.
Feel the way the rain dances through all the different parts of you.
Starting at the crown of your head.
Feel the sound vibration stretching through your skull.
Softening your forehead.
One last time for tonight.
Touching your temples.
The sides and back of your head.
Washing away any tension or tightness in your entire face.
Your entire head softens with the same wisdom and grace as the rain.
Feel the way it lives in your shoulders now.
Gently and compassionately,
Reminding your shoulders to soften.
There's nothing they need to carry.
Nothing they need to hold up.
And as your shoulders relax yet again.
Beads of rain trickle down your arms.
Your upper arms surrender in their presence.
Your elbows are softened and soothed.
Your forearms dissolve into the space beneath them.
Your wrists are deeply,
Deeply nourished.
And your palms gently widen to receive this healing water.
They are reminded to let go.
They are reminded there's nothing they need to cling to.
Just feel the rain as it meets your arms for a couple of breaths.
Any lingering tension melting away from them.
Sinking down towards the loving all-embracing Earth.
Now become aware of your heart and just feel your breath ebbing and flowing through this part of you Feel each inhale as a loving inhale for what it provides.
And each exhale a loving exhale.
For what it helps you to release.
And imagine your entire chest opening to receive.
The cleansing power of rain.
Invite the sounds.
To dance across your entire heart space.
Softening and soothing any tension,
Worry or emotions that might remain.
With every breath and every drop of rain your heart receives.
You surrender.
You are releasing your grip and melting into the caring embrace of this moment.
Into the peaceful place that lives within you.
Let the rain soak all the muscles of your upper back.
Soothing any tension or tightness.
Guiding you in the direction of sleep.
And let each rain-infused breath expand and soften your lungs soothing your ribcage and all the muscles between each rib.
A gentle cascade of restorative rain.
Tip taps down your spine.
Reminding you that you're safe here.
Reminding you to soften.
Reminding you to exhale.
Sense into your belly as you breathe.
Feeling it rise on the inhale.
And melt on the exhale.
Invite the rain to permeate all the muscles in and around your core and all the organs within this space.
Your lower back relaxes.
And your pelvis surrenders.
And any tension or stress that lingers in your hips melts away.
Sinking down into the care of the earth beneath you.
And one last time.
Let the rain pour down your legs.
Inviting them to rest deeply and completely for tonight.
Your thighs give way to the surface beneath them.
And your knees find ease and lightness.
Your calves melt into the bed below.
And your ankles surrender.
Knowing there's nothing they need to hold up tonight.
And finally,
The rain arrives at your feet.
Which melt down into the care of the earth.
There's nowhere they need to take you.
Nothing at all for them to do tonight.
From head to toe.
You let go.
From head to toe.
You let go.
Body,
Heart and mind.
You are deeply woven into the soundscape that surrounds and fills you.
Like it's a single living tapestry.
You surrender deeper into it with each and every breath And all the while thoughts may come.
But they swiftly go as you allow yourself to sink deeper and deeper.
Into the wisdom,
Care and release of this loving rainy night as you drift off to sleep.
Remember that there's absolutely nothing you need to do or see.
This moment is enough as it is.
And nothing tonight needs to be fixed or solved.
And until sleep arrives.
You can let yourself float through this soundscape of nourishing rain.
And at the same time.
A gentle current of affirmations will flow through you.
You don't need to repeat these words,
Nor hold on to them.
You don't need to analyze their meaning or even believe in them.
Just simply let them permeate you.
With the same ease and grace as the rain does.
Reaffirming on a very deep level the peace that lives within.
The peace you can always return to.
So,
Rest well now.
And until next time.
Good night,
My friend.
Good night.
Rain reminds me that I know how to let go.
I am the blue sky behind all weather patterns.
I am attuned to the peaceful place within me.
With ease and grace I surrender.
I allow rain to wash away what I don't need to carry.
I give myself permission to rest deeply.
I am safe,
Held and cared for.
This moment has all that I need.
I am grounded to a loving and restorative earth.
I am nourished by every breath that I take.
I release my worries with each exhale.
I find strength in my inner sanctuary.
Falling rain dissolves the tension within me.
There's nothing I need to force or fix.
I am loved,
Healed,
And whole.
I am at peace in this present moment.
I give myself permission to rest and be restored.
I savour the quietude that lives at my core.
I am empowered to let go again and again.
In mind,
Body and heart.
Healing rain restores me.
