Dream Seeds: Imagine Yourself To Deep Sleep

In this sleep meditation, we will gently prepare for rest and then offer the mind different scenarios to soften into, allowing thoughts and worries to drift away as we explore a clearing in an old growth forest, a cobblestone garden, a grandmother's kitchen, and a long sunset walk on the beach. This is a long, slow sleep meditation with lots of long silent pauses to help your mind and body get the rest you need.

Transcript

Welcome to this guided meditation to help you slow down,

Get to sleep,

And invite some sweet dreams.

Especially when you've got a lot on your mind,

It can be difficult to calm the mind enough to sleep.

But giving the mind different images to think about can sometimes help soften the thoughts away from more active analyzing,

Judging,

And planning,

And more towards the quiet,

Gentle,

Emotional processing that can happen in your dreams or even in your deep,

Unconscious sleep.

So if you haven't already,

Get yourself as comfortable as you can for your sleep.

Adjust and fidget as you need to.

And if you're noticing there are parts of your body that feel tense or filled with energy in some way,

It can help to squeeze and release those parts.

Give them a good clench so that they remember how to let go.

Even just doing this with the hands sometimes can be helpful.

But if you know there are other parts that need a little reminder to let go,

You could give them a squeeze too,

And then a full release,

Maybe with an exhale.

And if you don't feel like doing that right now,

You don't have to.

Take a moment to acknowledge the land that you're on,

Wherever you are in the world,

And your relationship with this land,

With the dirt,

And the air,

And the sun,

And the moon.

As it is right here,

Right now.

And then notice if you are actually ready to surrender into sleep.

Is there something that you're worrying about or holding on to?

Do you need to,

Like I sometimes do,

Make a little list?

Check it off,

Make sure you've done all your bedtime things that you need to do,

So that you're ready to actually allow this time and this space to be for your rest and restoration.

If you need to pause this meditation to do something,

Or just get clear that you are ready,

You can.

And we'll take a few moments together here right now.

Notice if there's anything your breath needs right now.

It might want a sigh,

Or a deep breath,

Or two,

Or five.

Your breath might already naturally be slowing down into the sleep rhythm.

So observe your breath,

Noticing what it's doing naturally,

And give it anything it wants.

And when you are connected with that natural rhythm of breath,

Simply notice the top and the bottom of your breath.

The moment between the inhale and the exhale,

And the moment between the exhale and the inhale.

There's no need to hold your breath here.

You could simply observe this natural pause.

And if it's comfortable,

You could also see what it would feel like to stretch this pause a little bit,

To just lean slightly into that moment between inhale and exhale,

Between exhale and inhale.

Think of it as not rushing to the next part of the breath,

Really allowing that pause to just be.

So you could imagine that the breath is slowing down a little bit.

Though again,

You don't have to actually change anything physically here.

You can just work with noticing and imagining that these things are lengthening,

Stretching,

Slowing down just a little bit.

Now soften your face and your jaw,

Your neck,

Relax your chest and shoulders,

Your lower back.

If you're holding anything there,

Could you relax it a bit?

Could your stomach muscles relax just a little bit more?

Could your legs start to get really heavy and soft?

If your mind is a little bit occupied or busy right now,

Take a moment to remember that your dreams can help you process your emotions,

Find solutions,

Connect you to different aspects of yourself,

And teach you things that you can't learn in this cognitive,

Awake,

Aware place.

So when you choose to offer yourself up to the wisdom of your dreams,

You're surrendering to wisdom that is outside of this cognitive knowing.

So notice if there's something in particular that you'd like to get some guidance about from your dreams.

And if there is,

Go ahead and contemplate that.

Is there a question you'd like to ask?

Is there some advice that you need?

You could also set the intention to offer your trust to your dreams and just let them take you wherever it is they want you to go.

And what do you want or need from your dreams tonight?

So if you have found a specific question,

Intention or request from your dream guides,

Imagine stating it in your mind.

You can do this out loud,

But you don't have to.

Just imagine the statement in your mind.

And if it's just an openness to your dreams,

Offer that up to your conscious and subconscious mind.

And at last,

It's time to plant our dream seeds.

I'm going to offer different spaces to explore in our minds.

If something resonates for you in particular,

You can stay there as long as you want to.

You can also allow your mind to wander from space to space,

Exploring that fluidity of inviting the dream space.

So now imagine that we are in a beautiful old growth forest.

We are in a clearing,

A circle of trees.

The air is clear and sweet-smelling,

Cool and refreshing.

There are spruce,

Hemlock,

Western cedar trees that are over a thousand years old.

They are wide and ancient,

Covered in knots and ripples,

Some of them adorned by bright green mosses,

Like strings of jewels.

Their roots are wide and deep,

Nestled into the warm,

Nourishing earth.

The circle of trees is wide and supportive.

There's a sense that you could talk to these trees,

Tell them anything,

And they'd know just what to tell you from their ancient wisdom.

So let's enjoy these trees.

Talk to them if you want to.

Listen.

Walk around them,

Into them,

Leaning against them,

Their large root crevices and knots that are perfect for holding your body.

And now we are in a beautiful garden,

Paved with cobblestones.

The raised garden beds boast bright purple asters,

Their petals cheerfully stretching out like little suns.

The soft lilacs embrace the wall,

Their clean purple scent calming your body.

Fat,

Heavy pink peonies are bursting from the green bushes,

While red and white roses sit demurely in their corner.

You touch a rose petal gently,

Feeling its softness,

Almost like a cat's ear,

Its scent making you feel at home.

There's a comfortable wooden bench next to a small pond,

Its waters filled with gently wandering koi fish,

Their shimmering bodies orange,

White,

Shimmering golden,

Spotted black and red.

You sit and watch the fish,

Surrounded by the beautiful colors and reassuring scents of the garden.

You are walking on the beach at sunset,

With a friend,

A pet,

Or a lover,

Just the right person to be here with you right now.

And that person could be an animal being.

The air is warm,

Cooling slightly as the day wearies.

The sand is soft and warm,

And the salty ocean waves are gently lapping at your feet,

Cooling the sand and pulling it under your toes with a pleasurable sensation as the waves withdraw.

The sound of the waves is calming and rhythmic,

The gentle ebb and flow of the water pulling softly at the moon.

The sky is pink and orange,

Wispy clouds in the blue sky above the setting sun,

Bright and ripe like an August peach.

You and your friend walk along contentedly,

Enjoying the salt air and the long expanse of beach,

Able to walk as long as you'd like to.

Little white shells,

Some sand dollars,

Appear at your feet to be explored,

Picked up,

Appreciated and enjoyed.

You could talk with your friend,

Or simply enjoy the silence as you walk along,

Enjoying the endless beauty of the sky and the setting sun.

You are in a grandmother's kitchen.

She is a warm,

Loving presence,

Full of wisdom and kindness.

She cares for you infinitely,

Simply.

She may or may not resemble your actual grandmothers,

Or great-grandmothers,

But she is just the one you need today.

You are baking bread together,

Filling the bowl with soft white flour,

Pressing yeast and water into the dough,

Kneading it with your hands,

You push and squeeze and pull the dough,

Feeling its soft squishiness in your hands,

Responding to the kneading on its gentle journey to become bread.

There is already a loaf in the oven,

Filling the air with the smell of delicious,

Fresh,

Soft bread,

Your favorite that only this grandmother can make.

As the two of you work,

You can talk if you like,

Listen to grandmother and her lessons,

Or simply enjoy the simple task of push,

Pull,

Press,

Knead,

Measure.

You feel safe and secure,

Knowing you have everything you need in this perfect kitchen,

Wisdom and food at your side.

Maybe there's another place you'd like to go,

Someplace in reality,

Or someplace that is pure imagination.

Maybe you'd like to fly,

Or swim,

Become a wolf running through the woods,

A house cat sleeping in a sunbeam.

Rest in any of these places,

Or imagine your own dream seeds,

Allowing yourself to be somewhere that feels safe,

Calm,

And connected.

Allow your breath to settle into these places,

And wander into the lands of your imagination.

Sleep well,

And sweet dreams.

Reviews

I use it to fall asleep. Works every time 🙏

Just discovered Julie. A wonderful voice and very effective teacher with well-defined interests and an original approach. Always
happy to discover a new teacher in these latter days. With such guidance one need never feel alone.

🙏🏻🙏🏻💫