Gentle Trauma-Informed Meditation For Sleep
This meditation gently guides you through a deeply calming practice, using psychological principles from trauma-informed care, mindfulness, and self-compassion to support rest and relaxation. Engaging the parasympathetic nervous system and creating a space for non-judgmental observation of thoughts and sensations helps reduce tension and invites ease. You’ll be encouraged to observe your inner experience with curiosity and kindness, promoting a sense of safety that supports rest. Drawing from somatic awareness and mindful self-compassion, this meditation creates a safe, supportive environment where rest can unfold naturally and gradually. It's a gentle invitation to explore relaxation, allowing the mind and body to move toward restfulness in a nurturing way.
Transcript
Gentle,
Trauma-informed meditation for sleep.
Welcome to this meditation.
Thank you for being here.
However you're arriving in this moment,
Allow yourself to take a moment to settle.
Let the rhythm of your breath and the support beneath your body gently remind you that in this moment you are safe.
As we move into our meditation practice,
I invite you to consider creating an intention for this practice,
Something called a sankalpa.
A sankalpa can just be a soft guide,
Sort of like a quiet presence,
Offering your mind and your body a sense of direction as we create space for rest.
So take a moment to sense what feels most comforting for you in this moment.
An intention can be something like,
I allow myself to slow down in this moment.
Or I invite a sense of ease.
Just notice what arises,
And as you breathe,
Let this intention rest in your awareness.
With every inhale,
Perhaps you'll sense a little bit more space opening in your mind and your body.
And with each exhale,
Perhaps you'll feel this intention becoming a sense of calm presence within.
As you hold your intention close,
See if you can next be curious around creating something called an inner resource.
An inner resource is a space that you can return to whenever you feel a sense of distance,
Separation,
Or worry as we move into our meditation.
Think of the inner resource as a sort of sanctuary.
Something or someone offering you a sense of calm and steadiness.
So I invite you to take a moment and start imagining what this might be.
It might be something familiar,
Like a space in your home.
It might be a particular animal.
Perhaps it's another person,
Or even a particular deity or word.
So see if you can be curious as to what arises.
If it's some place in nature,
For example,
Can you start to visualize this place in your mind's eye,
Letting the details come gently,
Noticing any aspects that seem to stand out from a visual perspective,
From a sound perspective,
From a smell perspective,
Even perhaps from a felt sense or taste perspective.
Notice each part of the inner resource as it moves to be a little bit more clear into your awareness.
And if nothing seems to arise whatsoever,
Perhaps you can allow the space for that to be part of your discovery.
As you continue to engage curiosity in connecting with an inner resource,
Tune into noticing how your body feels as you do so.
Perhaps there's a sense of lightness or ease in the limbs of your body,
A softening in the chest.
Maybe your mind even begins to feel a little more open.
Whatever you feel is okay.
The space is here to hold you just as you are,
Without the need to change or adjust anything.
As you continue to practice over time,
This connection to this inner resource can continue to strengthen.
The inner resource or the inner sanctuary is always here for you,
Ready to welcome you whenever rest feels far away or when your mind might be active.
Whenever moments of tension or emotion arise,
Remember this space is here for you.
You can return whenever you need to this place for rest.
And as you do so,
You can help encourage your body and mind to connect to this restful place.
There's nothing you need to accomplish here.
Simply being present with and curious around,
Resting into this space with ease.
For now,
Take a few more moments to notice what arises,
Feeling your breath,
The beating of your heart,
Letting your body and mind soften into this quiet place within.
As we begin to gently transition into the next part of our practice,
I'll be inviting you to bring a sort of kind awareness to different parts of your body,
Noticing how it feels to rest in each space.
Remember to take your time,
Moving through each area slowly with gentle suggestions offered that might be a sense of warmth,
That might be a sense of heaviness.
Notice whatever's being offered,
Allowing and inviting your body to connect if it chooses to do so.
Let's begin by drawing awareness to the space of the mouth.
Gently shift your awareness to the space of the mouth.
Notice any sensations in your lips,
Tongue,
Jaw.
Is there a natural resting position for your mouth?
Is there any tightness you may notice?
There's nothing you need to change,
You're just noticing.
Allowing yourself to take an inhale,
And as you exhale,
Imagine a soft warmth spreading through your jaw,
Gently softening any areas of tension.
Feel this warmth creating a sensation of heaviness,
Helping your jaw to settle a little bit more deeply.
With each exhale,
Let the jaw feel a bit more heavier,
More at ease,
Resting fully in this moment.
Now bring your awareness next to your cheeks.
What do you notice?
How do they feel?
Is there a sense of tension,
Or is there a soft sense of calmness and ease?
Allow yourself to take an inhale,
And with each exhale,
I invite you to carry a sense of warmth into your cheeks.
Feeling any gripping or tightness,
Gently release.
Feeling that sense of heaviness in your cheeks as they settle more comfortably.
Begin to move your awareness to your ears.
Notice how the ears feel,
Without any need to adjust.
On the next exhale,
Imagine that same sense of warmth and softness flowing into the ears.
Helping the ears feel that same sense of warmth and grounding,
That same sense of heaviness and stillness.
As you're ready,
Begin to shift your awareness to your nose,
And perhaps even the areas of the sinuses.
As you breathe,
Notice the gentle movement of air flowing in and out of the space of the nose and the sinuses.
Can you imagine how each breath can carry this soft warmth into the nose,
Into the sinuses?
Gently releasing any tension.
As you continue to breathe,
Allow this area to feel open,
Warm,
Grounded,
The same sense of heaviness that you welcomed in the other parts of your face.
Just begin to let your awareness move to your eyes,
Without changing anything.
Notice if the eyes feel light,
Or if the eyes already begin to feel heavy.
See if you can imagine a sense of warmth softening the small muscles around the eyes.
The warmth gently relaxing any tension in the eyelids.
Feel your eyes becoming a little heavier,
As if they're settling into a state of restfulness.
Next,
Move your awareness to your forehead.
Notice if there's any tightness or tension on the space of the forehead.
Taking an inhale,
And as you exhale,
Imagine this area softening.
Allow the warmth to ease across the forehead.
Allowing the forehead to feel that same sense of warmth and heaviness.
Feeling that same sense of quiet calm.
Now bring your attention to your scalp.
Notice any sensations in the scalp.
Letting your awareness gently settle,
As you notice what's present.
Taking a breath,
And with each exhale,
Imagine a sense of warmth spreading across the area of the scalp.
Encouraging any tension to release.
Let your scalp feel heavier,
As though it's being gently held by the surface beneath you.
And then shift your awareness to the back of your head.
Notice where it rests against the surface beneath you.
With each breath,
Feel a soft heaviness here.
Letting your head sink a little bit more deeply,
A little bit more comfortably.
Feeling supported and grounded onto the surface beneath it.
Next,
Gently begin to bring your awareness to your neck and your throat.
Observing any sense of tightness or tension.
Taking an inhale,
And with each exhale,
Let warmth flow through your neck.
Allowing it to feel a little heavier with each exhale.
This warmth and heaviness deepens a sense of ease,
Inviting your neck to settle,
Soften.
Resting fully in the moment.
Now let your attention move to your shoulders.
Notice how they feel.
If they're carrying any weight or any tension.
Noticing an inhale.
With each breath out,
Allow a sense of warmth to flow into the shoulders.
Feel them soften.
Let the warmth and the heaviness gently settle into the space of the shoulders.
Helping to signal that it's okay to let go of anything they're holding.
And then shift your awareness down through your upper arms.
Feel them resting by your sides,
Perhaps.
Feel them supported.
Feeling an inhale,
And with each exhale,
Feel warmth,
Feel heaviness flowing through your arms,
Inviting them to rest.
Then begin to move your awareness down to your elbows.
Feel the points where they meet the surface beneath you.
With each breath,
Feel warmth settling into your elbows,
Softening any tightness.
And then gently move your awareness down to your forearms.
Imagine warmth flowing through your forearms,
Creating a sense of heaviness with each breath.
And then bring your attention to your hands.
Notice their position,
Whether they're open or whether they're relaxed.
With each exhale,
Begin to feel your hands becoming warmer,
Becoming heavier,
Sinking into the support beneath them.
And now bring your awareness to your chest.
Notice the natural rhythm of your breath,
Rising,
Falling,
Noticing the inhale.
And with each exhale,
Imagine warmth flowing through your chest.
The warmth creating a soft grounding weight.
Feel the release of any tension as your upper back sinks into the surface,
Letting go and softening with each breath.
As your upper back sinks into the surface,
Letting go and softening with each breath.
And then begin to shift your attention to your belly.
Notice the gentle movement of the belly with each breath.
Breathing in,
And as you exhale,
Let warmth settle into the space of the belly,
Releasing any tightness.
Feel your belly growing heavier,
More relaxed.
Sinking further into the support beneath you.
And then move your awareness to your lower back.
Noticing an inhale.
And then with each exhale,
Allow your lower back to sink into the surface.
Allow warmth to spread,
Inviting your lower back to feel grounded,
Resting fully in the surface beneath you.
Then begin to bring your awareness to your hips and your pelvic area.
Noticing any sensations,
Noticing any tension.
Breathing in,
And as you breathe out,
Imagine warmth spreading in the space.
Letting your hips and pelvic area sink deeper into the surface beneath you.
This gentle heaviness allows you to sense into a feeling of safety,
Encouraging the body to rest.
Then begin to move your awareness down to your thighs.
Noticing the inhale.
With each exhale,
Feel a sense of warmth flowing through your thighs,
Creating a soft grounding weight in the legs,
The space of the thighs.
Letting the sense of heaviness deepen as you move your awareness down to the knees,
Releasing any tension with each breath.
Now bring your awareness down into the lower legs,
The calves,
The shins.
Noticing an inhale,
And with each exhale,
Letting a sense of warmth and heaviness flow through your calves,
Through your shins,
Releasing any remaining tension.
And then shift to noticing the ankles,
Feeling the ankles settle,
Feeling gently supported by the surface beneath them.
And bring your attention next to your feet.
Notice the sensations in the heels,
The soles of the feet,
The toes.
Noticing an inhale,
And with each exhale,
Let warmth fill your feet.
Creating a steady,
Comforting weight connected to the ground,
The surface beneath them.
Take a moment here.
Sense into the whole body.
Sense into the whole body,
Resting in the space of warmth and gentle heaviness.
As you breathe,
Each breath continues to invite a little more ease,
Continuing to signal to the body that it's safe to let go.
And if you wish,
Rest here.
As you continue to feel the connection between you and each part of your body,
And the steady presence of rest.
Continue,
If you wish,
To take a few more soft,
Gentle breaths.
Noticing the inhale.
And as you continue to notice the exhale,
Allowing that same sense of warmth and heaviness to hold you in this place of gentle stillness and ease.
And if you wish,
Let's begin to shift awareness from the body back to the breath.
Without any need to change any part of the breath,
Just begin to notice the natural rhythm of the breath in your body.
Take a moment to see if you notice where you feel your breath most clearly in your body.
And perhaps you feel it as a rise and a fall in the chest.
Perhaps you feel it as a soft expansion in the belly.
Or maybe there are some subtle movements of the air as it flows in and out of your nose.
And just be curious and begin to notice what's present.
You're simply noticing the quality and the place of the breath in the body.
Begin to bring attention and awareness to any areas in the body where you might still sense a notice,
Tension,
Or discomfort.
It might be anywhere in the body.
It might be a sense of tightness in the shoulders or heaviness in another area.
Notice what's present for you.
And then if you can,
Invite the breath to gently touch these areas as if the breath were creating a gentle,
Caring awareness around these spaces that might continue to feel discomfort or tightness.
Allow yourself to simply be with whatever arises.
There's nothing you need to fix.
You're just inviting the breath to gently hold and be around and bring ease to any areas where there might be discomfort or tightness.
And now gently guide your attention to some place in the body that feels more at ease,
Soft.
You might notice a sense of ease in your hands and your fingers.
You might notice a sense of softness in the belly.
Or you're just being curious.
As you continue to breathe,
You might notice a soft movement of awareness between the areas of tension and the areas of ease.
Without any need for judgment or expectation,
Simply notice the gentle contrast between these two sensations,
Inviting the breath to become a quiet bridge between any location of softness and any location of discomfort.
Notice the inhale.
And with each exhale,
Maybe you can sense a slight softening in any areas where there was tightness or tension or discomfort.
Or perhaps even that feeling of ease or the softness.
Maybe it becomes a little bit more clear.
Maybe it becomes a little bit more clear.
Simply allow the space for both experiences to be present,
Knowing that your breath is gently supporting you as you connect to both spaces with ease,
With softness,
And kind awareness.
And continuing to notice your inhale.
And then if it feels right for you,
Maybe you'd like to allow the exhale to become a little bit more longer.
Noticing the inhale.
And then allowing the exhale to be a slow,
Soothing rhythm,
Bringing a sense of grounding presence and safety.
Letting that grounding presence and safety connect to any place in the body that needs a little bit more connection to calmness or ease.
As you continue to notice the breath,
Know that the exhale can continue to invite the sense of settling and softening and quiet ease as we continue into our meditation practice.
As we continue,
Be invited to explore any awareness around any emotions or feelings or thoughts that might be present.
If you wish,
As we begin,
Invite you to gently notice any awareness in any places in the body that may still be connected to any discomfort or any tightness or any tension.
You're simply being curious around what arises for you.
You're simply noticing whatever it is and where it's located in the body.
Perhaps that could be that same sense of tightness in the shoulders or even restlessness in the legs.
Whenever you notice,
Know that it's safe to observe whatever arrives without judgment.
But if noticing any sensation feels too intense,
You're always welcome to shift your attention to a different part of the body.
The body that feels more safe and more at ease.
Inviting yourself to notice the inhale.
And here again,
As you begin to notice the exhale,
Imagine the breath inviting a sense of softness into the body.
It's always okay to step back from any sensation that feels overwhelming.
If it feels right for you,
Try gently tensing a muscle where you sense tension.
And holding it for a moment and releasing with the exhale.
Notice how your body responds to this letting go.
See if you notice any shift from tension to more ease.
If you wish,
You could try it again.
Sensing into the body where you notice a sense of tension or tightness.
Gently tensing the muscles where you notice that sense of discomfort,
Tightness,
Or tension.
Holding it for a moment and whenever you're ready,
Releasing with the exhale.
Notice how your body responds to this action of letting go.
There's no need to go beyond what feels safe for you.
Simply noticing and returning to the breath.
The breath moving in with the inhale.
And the breath flowing out with an exhale.
And the breath flowing out with an exhale.
If you wish,
If you wish to follow along,
Now let's gently begin to explore any emotions that might be present.
Here again,
There's no right or wrong feeling.
You're simply being curious around any particular emotion that might be present.
If there's a sense of worry,
Or frustration,
Or restlessness.
If there's a sense of calmness and ease.
Whatever you find,
Know that each emotion is welcome in this space.
So take a moment and notice where you feel a particular emotion.
Whatever the emotion is,
Noticing where you feel that emotion in the body.
If it's a sense of restlessness,
For example,
Where might you notice that in the body?
There's a sense of calmness.
Where would you notice that in the body?
Whatever you notice is present for you.
It's okay to observe the emotions just as they are,
Without needing to change them.
And again,
If this exploration begins to feel overwhelming,
Allow yourself to come back to the breath and any neutral place in the body that feels safe.
You're also welcome to return to your inner resource,
Your place of safety.
This is your practice.
And it's okay to pause or go to a safe space within your body whenever you need to.
Whenever you need to.
Now if it feels comfortable for you,
What would it be like to gently explore the idea of the opposite emotion?
So if you felt a sense of worry,
See if you can notice a part of the body that feels more at ease.
Or if at first you felt a sense of calmness,
Notice if there's any tension,
No matter how subtle it could be,
Lingering in any space of the body.
Lingering in any space of the body.
You're not making a comparison.
You're simply bridging a connection with an observation.
If you'd like,
You can return to the place of safety within,
And visualizing it as a warm,
Comforting space.
And taking as much time as you need.
And as you're ready,
Let's gently bring awareness to any thoughts that may be passing through.
Notice if your mind is active with thoughts.
It might be thoughts about the day,
Thoughts about rest,
Or anything else.
There's no need to alter or change the thoughts you're just observing.
The thoughts are simply floating by with a sense of curiosity.
If any critical or worrisome thoughts appear,
Know that it's okay.
Simply acknowledge them.
They're just thoughts.
They're not permanent,
And they don't define you.
If it feels supportive,
You can let go of it.
They don't define you.
If it feels supportive,
You can invite a kind sense of compassion into the thought.
But only if you wish,
And it feels comfortable.
If the thoughts feel overwhelming,
Shift your focus back to the breath.
Back to the body.
Back to the gentle sense of support beneath you.
In this practice,
As we explore the gentle opposites through sensation,
Emotion,
And thought,
Know that you are completely and fully in control of your practice.
If something feels too intense,
Return to a space of ease.
Return to your inner resource.
Feel the weight of your body being supported beneath you,
Allowing both ease and discomfort,
Calm and tension,
To simply co-exist without needing to change anything.
Your breath is here as a quiet guide,
Gently inviting the body and the mind to move between these experiences in a way that feels naturally,
Easeful and kind.
Noticing the breath.
And with each exhale,
There's the invitation to let go,
To ease a little bit more deeply into a space of rest.
And then,
As you let go,
Ease a little bit more deeply into a space of rest,
Allowing any opposites to exist together in a way that feels safe and supportive for you.
Whenever you feel the need,
Listen to what your body and mind might be asking.
And you're safe to pause,
To adjust,
Or to take a moment of stillness.
This practice is here to support you fully and at your own pace.
As we continue with this practice,
I invite you to gently continue exploring and being curious around any emotions or thoughts that may be present.
When rest feels out of reach,
It's natural for the mind to become more active or for feelings to be more entangled.
There's no need to fix or change anything now.
You're just observing what's here,
Offering yourself compassion in the experience.
This is a space where everything is welcome.
So let's take a moment and observe any emotion that might be present.
You may feel and notice a particular emotion.
And if you do,
You may feel and notice a particular thought or emotion.
And if you do,
Where do you notice that emotion in your body?
Just take note of where the emotion rests in your body.
Just allow yourself to be with it with a sense of kindness,
Knowing that emotions are always temporary guests.
Let's practice now a moment of self-compassion.
Rather than needing to push away any particular emotion,
See if you can allow it to be just as it is with gentle acceptance.
And if you can allow it to be just as it is with gentle acceptance,
If acceptance feels somewhat challenging,
Remember that emotions are natural and always shifting.
They don't define you.
They don't need immediate resolution.
This is simply a moment to sit with the emotion,
Offering yourself to the emotion.
This is simply a moment to sit with the emotion,
Offering yourself care and kindness.
Take a breath.
And as you exhale,
Feel into any tension around the emotion,
Soften.
Take a breath.
And as you exhale,
Feel any tension around the emotion,
Soften.
Now let's shift awareness to any thoughts that might be present.
Notice any thoughts that arose within the practice.
And there's no need to force the thoughts to shift or change.
Simply observe them from a slight distance.
As you observe any thoughts and emotions,
Let's offer a sense of gentle awareness to any physical sensations that might accompany them.
So bringing gentle awareness to any particular thought,
Any particular emotion.
And notice any simultaneous physical sensation that might accompany them.
Simply observe this practice as sort of an ebb and flow.
If there's a thought or an emotion,
Noticing where it might arise in the body.
Noticing where it might arise in the body.
And bringing kind awareness to the space in the body.
Breathing in.
And as you exhale,
Inviting that same sense of warmth and grounding to spread and be present in this particular place in the body.
Taking as long as you need.
Remembering that you're completely in control.
You're allowed to pause whenever you need.
And taking as much time as you need.
And whenever you're ready,
Bringing awareness back to the breath.
Noticing the inhale.
Noticing the exhale.
As you're ready,
I invite you to begin shifting your attention and awareness towards any soft sensations of comfort or calm in the body.
It can be the smallest sense of ease that might be present.
You're noticing whatever is available to you in the moment.
Being curious of any places of peace.
Calm and ease.
Begin by softly scanning your body.
Notice if there's any part of the body that feels light,
Soft,
Or at ease.
It could be that you notice this in the natural rise and fall of your breath.
It could be that you notice this in the gentle warmth of the palms of your hands.
It could be that there's a feeling of calm in a place that feels calm and at ease.
The chest,
The space of the heart.
With just gentle curiosity,
Allow yourself to explore any place in the body where comfort might be present,
Even in small,
Quiet ways.
If you wish,
You can gently place a hand over your heart space or anywhere else that feels grounded and warm and safe.
Notice the warmth or soft pressure of your hand wherever it's resting.
Wherever it's resting,
This is simply an act that can offer a sense of comfort and calm.
As you breathe,
Imagine the warmth of your hand expanding this sensation of ease.
Filling it with each inhale and allowing the warmth to spread softly throughout the body with each exhale.
If any sensation of ease feels faint or hard to access,
Remember you can pause and focus on your breath and return to your inner place of calm.
You're fully in control of this practice,
Engaging at a level and a pace that's right for you.
Engaging at a level and a pace that's right for you.
So with each inhale,
Imagine inviting a gentle sense of peace into the body.
And with each exhale,
Letting that peace spread through your body.
And with each inhale,
Inviting a gentle sense of calmness or ease in the body.
With each exhale,
Letting that calmness or ease spread through the body.
As you breathe,
Imagine these sensations of calm and ease slowly expanding within you.
With each breath,
Let these feelings grow gently,
Like a soft pulse moving through you.
There's no rush here.
Simply observe how moments of calm can help shift awareness into the body,
Shift awareness and support into the mind.
Notice the inhale.
And with each exhale,
Imagine calmness spreading softly,
Reaching each part of your body,
Creating room for rest and peace.
As we continue to bring soft awareness into the body,
Take a moment to notice how your body feels now,
Compared to when we first began.
Noticing whatever's present,
If that's a sense of greater softness,
Greater ease,
Or some places still hold tension or discomfort.
But know that it's all okay.
In this moment,
You're simply noticing what's present and observing that presence with gentleness.
You're simply here to witness whatever is present in the body.
As you notice the inhale,
With each exhale,
Feel into and noticing this continued sense of safety,
Groundedness,
And heaviness,
Continuing to be present within the body.
In this part of the practice,
You're simply witnessing your body with a kind presence,
Recognizing that whatever sensations are present,
That the sensations do not define you.
And know that you can always come back to your breath or any part of your body if any part of the practice feels too intense.
Let's gently shift our focus to any thoughts or emotions that might be present.
You don't need to engage with the thoughts,
Just let them be here.
As before,
You may wish to notice the thoughts as gentle clouds simply floating by.
You're the observer,
Quietly aware of them from a calm distance.
If you notice any emotions arising,
Can you allow yourself to feel them without needing to judge or shift them?
You're safe to experience whatever is present.
You're invited to gently connect with a quiet place within,
The part of you that's simply aware.
The part of you that's that abiding sense of calmness and steadiness,
Even when other parts feel active or unsettled.
This is the presence within the observer that's always grounded.
It can be thought of as perhaps a gentle stillness beneath all experiences.
Even if there's tension or restlessness,
This quiet space is still there deep within.
With each breath,
Can you allow yourself to settle into noticing this soft space of awareness?
Know you can hold all of your experiences without being overwhelmed.
As you continue to breathe,
Imagine your senses gradually quieting down,
Allowing any remaining thoughts or sensations to settle softly into the background.
Noticing the inhale,
And with each exhale,
Allowing anything you're noticing,
If it's sensation,
If it's thought,
If it's emotion,
To soften a little bit more,
To become a little bit more gentle,
Become a little bit more distant.
There's no need to hold on to anything.
Let the sensations rest.
Let the thoughts rest.
Let the emotions rest.
Let the quiet sounds fading in the background.
The quieting creates a restful space,
Allowing your mind and body to step back from any feelings,
Any feelings of alertness or activity.
Take a few gentle breaths here if it feels right,
Allowing yourself to rest in the sense that you're safe.
Safe to observe.
Safe to let go.
Safe to rest.
There's nothing you need to change or achieve in this space.
Right now,
You're enough,
Exactly as you are.
Taking an inhale,
And as you exhale,
Imagine letting go of any lingering thoughts.
Lingering sensations.
Lingering emotions.
Allowing your mind and body to fully settle.
This is simply a space for rest.
A place where thoughts and sensations can drift quietly in the background.
You're the quiet witness.
Calm,
Peaceful,
And whole,
Just as you are.
As we begin to gently approach the end of this practice,
I invite you to take a few moments and reflect upon your experience.
There's no need to rush.
Just a gentle curiosity about what is unfolded within you,
Within this practice.
How does your body feel now?
Perhaps there are areas that feel softer.
Whatever you notice is perfectly okay.
In this space,
You don't need to change anything.
Simply notice what has come up for you.
Whether that's a sense of ease,
A feeling of comfort,
A feeling of comfort,
Or even some sort of mixture of sensations.
Each experience is valid and can be here without needing to have it resolve or shift.
If there were moments during the practice where you felt a sense of quietness or restfulness,
Can you allow yourself to acknowledge them gently?
Maybe you sensed a small release,
Whether in your body or breath or your mind.
Even in the most subtle shifts,
Like a softer breath or a little more space in the chest,
All shifts are meaningful and welcome.
At the same time,
If there are places that still feel a little restless or tense,
Know that this too is part of the process.
Moments of quietness and moments of activity can co-exist together.
You've created a space that can hold all of it,
Your thoughts,
Any tension,
Any lingering discomfort.
They're just parts of the experience and they're simply passing through.
They're not defining you.
As you continue to take a moment to reflect,
Consider how this gentle moment of quietness and calmness can support you in other moments.
You've practiced witnessing your body,
Your thoughts,
Your emotions,
Without any need to react or change anything.
This same awareness can be a supportive tool for you to connect with the world.
Whenever you need it,
Helping you acknowledge what's present,
Helping you to create a little more space for ease to naturally arise.
This practice of peaceful awareness,
Even when rest may feel distant,
Offers a way for your body to begin finding calm moment by moment.
Each time you notice your sensations without judgment,
You're helping your mind and your body reinforce new patterns of calm and balance.
Take a few gentle in-breaths and out-breaths.
Let each breath remind you that you can always create this space for rest,
Even if rest doesn't come right away.
You've practiced calming the mind and inviting the body towards a state of ease.
This process naturally helps to quiet parts of your brain that sometimes feel overactive,
Helping to guide your nervous system gently away from alertness.
With each moment of noticing and each moment of calm,
You've connected to aspects of resilience.
Even if full rest doesn't arrive,
This gentle awareness you've practiced will continue to support you,
Inviting more ease into your experience.
As we close,
Take a breath in,
And on the exhale,
Allow any thoughts,
Sensations,
Or reflections to softly settle.
There's no need to hold on to anything.
Trust that what you've cultivated here will remain within you,
Guiding you towards a state of rest in its own time.
Take a few more moments here to rest and be still in this quiet space.
You may choose to stay awake,
Or you may find yourself drifting into sleep.
Both are welcome,
And both are nourishing.
Know that you can return to this gentle witnessing whenever you need.
Knowing that rest is always here for you,
Even in moments when complete stillness feels out of reach.
As we come to the end of this practice,
I invite you to take a final moment to alter your awareness.
As we come to the end of this practice,
I invite you to take a final moment to offer yourself some gentle,
Compassionate words.
Perhaps if you wish to follow along with this prayer,
You may do so.
May I find moments of ease in my body and mind,
Even if complete rest takes its time.
May I offer myself kindness and understanding,
Especially when stillness feels hard to reach.
May I be gentle with myself,
Knowing that all forms of rest are welcome here.
May I know that I am worthy of care,
Regardless of how restful or alert I feel right now.
May I honor my body's natural rhythms,
Trusting that rest in all forms will support me.
May I release any expectations,
Knowing that my body is doing what it needs to do.
Knowing that my body is doing what it needs to do.
May I find peace in this moment,
Just as I am.
Let these words and gentle touch you're offering to yourself in this space continue to offer peace into any areas,
Wherever they're needed in your body.
As you move forward,
Whether into the night or back into your day,
Bring with you the compassion you've nurtured here.
Notice if this sense of ease can accompany you.
Especially in moments when rest feels challenging.
And your body and mind hold the ability to find calm,
Even in small ways.
And this compassion is always available to you.
Take your time in transitioning,
Honoring however you feel in this moment.
Trust that the peace,
The ease,
And the kindness you've cultivated will continue to support you,
Gently extending beyond this practice.
Gently extending beyond this practice.
And whenever you need to,
Return to the sense of self-compassion and kindness.
Knowing that rest and ease are possible.
Om Shanti.
Peace.
