Good evening.
This is a simple meditation to help you get to sleep.
Maybe you have worry or anxiety that's keeping you awake.
Maybe you're not feeling too well in your physical body.
Whatever the case may be,
This meditation will hopefully help you let go,
Relax,
And find deep rest.
The best thing you can do for your wellbeing right now is allow yourself to let go and surrender to rest.
So go ahead and get comfortable.
Take your time.
I'll wait.
Perhaps use some pillows under your knees if you're lying on your back.
Between your legs if you're lying on your side.
Really take your time.
Prop,
Adjust,
Shift,
And move.
Find a place where your body can let go.
And when you arrive in that place,
Take a few moments and just become aware of your breath.
Notice your natural breath without trying to change or control it.
And feel your breath flowing in through your nostrils.
And feel your breath flowing out through your nostrils.
Slow and steady.
Find a gentle rhythm.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Tuning your awareness to your breath.
Feeling completely absorbed in attention on the breath.
And now become aware of the state of mind.
The quality of your thoughts.
Are they worried or anxious?
Dull or sluggish?
Perhaps excited,
Planning,
Inspired?
Just notice the thoughts as they come and allow them to float on by like clouds in a beautiful blue sky.
Try not to get caught up in them.
If a thought comes and interrupts your attention,
Just gently redirect it back to the breath and let the thought go by.
Attention on the breath.
Noticing how the inhale may be slightly cool.
Gently uplifting.
And the exhale is warm and settling.
Become aware now of the physical body.
Feel your toes,
Your feet.
Go ahead and scrunch your toes and tighten the muscles of your feet and take a deep breath in.
Hold.
Exhale.
Release.
Let go of any muscle contraction of the feet.
Moving up the legs now.
Tightening the calves and the thighs.
Take a deep breath in.
Squeeze the muscles,
Hug them to the bones.
Hold the breath for a moment and then exhale.
Let go.
Relax the muscles of the legs.
Moving right up the body now,
The glutes,
Your abdomen.
Squeeze those muscles.
Take a deep breath in.
Hold the breath for a moment.
Exhale.
Let go.
Soft.
Surrendered.
Relaxed.
Moving up now to the chest and the shoulders.
Squeeze the muscles,
Hug them to the bones.
Squeeze the arms,
The shoulders,
The upper back,
The chest.
Hold the breath in.
Exhale.
Relax.
Melt.
Now the arms,
Upper arms,
Lower arms.
Clench the hands into fists.
Take a deep breath in.
Hold.
Exhale.
Just release.
Feel the tension melting away.
Moving up now to the head,
Your neck,
And your face.
Squeeze the muscles.
Scrunch up your face.
Feel the engagement there.
Hold with the breath in.
Relax with the breath out.
One more time now.
The whole body.
The whole body tightens,
Hugging every muscle,
Squeezing,
Activating,
Creating tension,
Taking a deep breath in.
Exhale.
Open your mouth.
Release with a sigh and let go.
Let go of any tension you're holding in your body.
Just feel your whole body surrender into the support of the earth beneath you.
Feel gravity holding you,
Gently pulling you down to the earth.
Surrender.
Let go of worry.
Let go of tension.
Let go of unease.
Become aware once again of your breath.
And now we'll begin to gently lengthen the exhale.
Count your natural inhale.
Perhaps it's a count of four or five.
Don't create any tension around the breath.
Just your natural breath.
And then move towards doubling the length of the exhale.
So if you inhale to a count of four,
Exhale to a count of six,
Seven or eight.
Again no tension,
No effort,
Just lengthening the duration of the exhale.
Going deeper.
Slowing down.
Feel the beat of your heart.
The rhythm pulsing.
Steady.
Stable.
Soft.
The gentle rhythm of your breath soothing and nurturing your entire body.
Settling your nervous system.
Awakening a sense of deep peace.
Now begin to count the breath.
Inhale.
Exhale one.
Inhale.
Exhale two.
Inhale.
Exhale three.
Continuing like this.
And if you become distracted,
Begin again at one.
Understanding that this counting is taking you deeper and deeper into a state of utter rest and complete peacefulness.
All is well.
All is well.
All is well.
The best thing you can do right now is rest.
Let go and rest.
Heavy.
So heavy and sleepy.
The mind is soft,
The body is relaxed.
Rest.
Rest.
All is well.
