Guided Practice For Sleep

This guided practice is designed to help you relax deeply and slip into a gentle and restorative sleep. Angela has incorporated elements of Jon Kabat-Zinn's mindfulness work, the 4-7-8 breath technique, guided imagery, and grounding techniques to help you feel deeply comfortable and restful.

Transcript

Welcome to this guided meditation.

My name is Angela and I will be walking you through this journey towards deep relaxation.

Allow yourself to get comfortable,

Turning off any distractions,

Creating a space that's quiet and dark.

Using your eyes and settling in to your comfortable position.

Noticing your breath,

Allowing your breath to be the guiding force towards your deep relaxation.

Taking a deep inhale,

Inhaling relaxation and exhaling tension.

Notice any thoughts,

Any distractions as your mind will naturally wander and pulling your attention back to your breath as that grounding force.

As your thoughts drift,

Bringing your attention back to your breath.

Slowing down and noticing your body,

Allowing yourself to experience the sensation of calm.

Noticing any desire to fidget or adjust position or to move.

And breathing through that sensation,

Being fidget free.

Carrying you through this moment as you inhale and as you exhale.

Allowing yourself to focus on every part of your body in utter relaxation,

Starting at the top of your head.

Relaxing the top of your head with your mind.

Allowing yourself to notice the sensation at the top of your head,

Whether it's filled with tension,

Stress,

Worry,

Thoughts of the day.

And allowing yourself to pull your attention back towards your breath and releasing that tension.

Feeling in your face,

The sensations,

The feeling behind your eyes,

Any tension,

The feeling in your cheeks,

Feeling in your jaw and loosening those parts of your face.

Mindfully allowing yourself to get relaxed.

Pulling your attention to drift towards your throat and mindfully relaxing that area of your body.

Noticing the area of your shoulders,

Pulling your attention down towards your shoulders.

Allowing yourself to just be gentle,

Relaxing that part of your body.

Noticing the sensations in your chest.

Breathing in through that area mindfully,

Filling your lungs and deeply exhaling.

Noticing yourself releasing any worry with every exhale.

Noticing yourself inhaling,

Cleansing thoughts,

Relaxation as you pull your attention to your stomach,

The core of your body,

Allowing yourself to be in a space of letting go,

Letting go of any stress,

Any worry,

Any negative thoughts of self or others.

Allowing yourself to be pulled into that space of deep relaxation.

Pulling your attention towards your hips as they carry you through the day and allowing yourself to notice the sensations,

Whether there's pain,

Tension,

Tightness,

The desire to shift or move.

Just breathing through those sensations,

Being fidget free.

Just notice the sensation of relaxation in that part of your body.

Drawing your attention to your legs,

Noticing as your muscles may tighten.

If you notice the sensations in your legs as you slow down for the day,

You allow yourself to sink into this space.

Just being mindful of where your body's at,

What it feels like to have that area being held up from underneath you.

Allowing your attention to drift into your breath as it guides you through this relaxation process.

Drawing your attention to your knees,

Noticing what it's like to just settle into this space.

Not moving or adjusting,

Just allowing yourself to be in this relaxation.

Guiding your attention back to your breath as your thoughts drift,

Carrying you through this moment.

Guiding your attention towards your feet as they've brought you to every journey throughout your day,

Every stress,

Every connection with others,

Maybe at work,

Maybe outside as you walk around this beautiful earth.

And you pull your attention back to this very moment.

Breathing in relaxation as you notice any tension or pain or sensation on your feet.

And exhaling the worry,

Any uncomfortable feelings.

Breathing in slowly for a count of four,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Holding for seven,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

And exhaling for a count of eight,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight,

And allowing your breath to just rise and fall naturally,

Slowing down your thoughts,

Carrying you through into this deep relaxation journey we're in together.

Guiding your attention to your breath as your thoughts may drift,

Bringing it back to this very present moment,

In this very present space,

In this very present time,

Right here on this journey together.

As we slow down,

We allow ourselves to drift into a beautiful space in our mind's eye,

Allowing yourself to just fully let go,

Let go of any control,

Let go of any desire to change self or others or your space or your life.

And for the moment,

You give yourself permission to fully be in this space of freedom from all worry.

And as you close your eyes,

Just relaxing,

Paying attention to your breath,

Letting go,

Letting go,

Let go of any desire to change your life.

Free of responsibility,

Free of worry about what others are gonna think or say,

Free of stress.

Think of a physical environment of where that is or where that could be.

It may be a place that you've been or traveled to or experienced when you were a young child.

It could be a place that you frequent even in your current age.

Or it could be a place where you have visited maybe in your imagination or in a fantasy story or a daydream.

Allowing yourself to just be carried to that space with your breath.

And as you inhale and as you exhale,

You're carried and drifted into that very comfortable,

Calming place.

Think about what you see around you in that space.

If you can see colors,

If you can see other people,

If you can see nature.

Allow yourself to really look and see that world in your mind's eye,

That room,

That area,

That safe space.

Allow yourself to focus on what you hear in that space.

Really get into that mindset.

Do you hear the waves crashing?

Do you hear people talking?

Do you hear the sounds of nature around you?

Allow yourself to just take in the sensation of touch and noticing what you experience with physical sensations.

If you notice what is around you,

If you can feel the air against your skin,

If your skin feels tingly or cool,

If you're held by a blanket,

Or if you're free and laying under the sun.

Allowing yourself to get really close to the sensation of smell and taking in the scents around you.

Taking in,

If you notice,

Flowers,

If you notice the sensation,

The sense of candles.

If it's a familiar smell that was in a comfortable room in your home.

Allowing yourself to really get in touch with your senses and drifting your attention to the sensation of taste.

Really paying attention to what you notice as you take yourself to that really comfortable space if you notice what you taste.

Breathing in,

Being in this space,

Exhaling any stress or tension.

Allowing yourself to drift into this very moment.

Taking this journey together.

Breathing in on a count of four,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Holding it for seven,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Exhaling for eight,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

One more time,

Inhaling for four,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Holding for seven,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Exhaling for eight,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six,

Seven,

Eight.

And allowing yourself to breathe naturally as we slow down,

Settling into this deep relaxation.

Allowing ourselves to really feel what it's like to let go and to just surrender and allow ourselves to just be in calm,

Utter relaxation.

Notice now as you settle into this space what it's like to be here in this very moment.

Allowing yourself to really get present.

And when you think about this very moment,

Being in that mindful space,

That you're paying attention on purpose,

Consciously,

To this very moment in time that will never get back again and that we're doing it non-judgmentally.

That you allow yourself to notice when you have negative self-talk,

When you may be self-critical,

When you drift into a shame spiral,

And you just notice those thoughts.

With every breath,

You just watch those thoughts as if they're on a cloud and they're just slowly drifting by and they're there just temporarily.

And then they drift away.

You just witness those thoughts that they don't have a hold on you.

That you're able instead to just watch the negative thought drift by.

Being mindful as your breath carries you through this moment of relaxation.

That you're doing it non-judgmentally.

That there's no right way.

That there's no critic.

That you're in full acceptance.

To allow yourself to just settle in and noticing as those clouds in your mind float by.

With all the worry,

With all the stress,

With all the angst,

With shame,

Pain,

Loneliness,

Guilt,

Fear,

Frustration,

Resentments,

Not feeling heard or understood,

Feeling far away and disconnected.

Whatever they may be,

You just watch those thoughts that they are not who you are.

They are temporary states of mind.

And they come and they go.

And you can breathe them in and be aware of them and you can exhale them and release them.

And as you're doing that,

Notice what it's like to just watch them go by.

Instead of getting stuck and attached to them or trying to manipulate them or being overtaken by them.

And instead,

Just allowing yourself to be in full acceptance of who you are.

Full acceptance of this temporary experience.

And that you release and watch those thoughts go by.

And now as you allow yourself to notice the relaxation,

The release of self judgment,

You breathe in intention.

You breathe in affirmation.

You breathe in self-nurturance.

As we're on this journey towards deep relaxation,

You let yourself take in gratitude.

When you push back with thoughts of being unworthy or frustrations or all the things that you don't have.

You breathe in what you are able to acknowledge that you do have.

You allow yourself to just take in positive,

Nurturing self-talk.

Part of this journey,

This process towards letting go and taking care of our sleep and relaxation is being held in this place of nurturance of the self.

Allow yourself to be in a place of taking in positive affirmation.

Give yourself permission to let go.

Give yourself permission to take in the ease of this moment.

Give yourself permission to relax and be free of responsibility.

To be free of having to do anything or to say anything or to be anything different than who you are in this very moment.

Allowing yourself to just notice what that's like to let go.

Pay attention to your breath,

Pulling your attention back into that familiar space.

Not manipulating your breath.

Just really letting yourself be in a place of noticing the pendulation of inhale and exhale and inhale and exhale as it soothes you and slows you down into this calming space.

We're going to take a journey closing,

Keeping our eyes closed,

Drifting into a place where we can just be held and relaxed.

As you go and take this journey with me in your mind's eye,

We're going to walk on a path.

In that path you're going to feel the ground underneath your feet.

You're going to feel the sun against your skin.

You can feel the warmth just holding you like a blanket.

Just walking ever so slowly on this path.

Just noticing the sensations as you just take your time in your mind's eye,

Being outside in nature,

Slowing down,

Being so connected.

You settle in and you find a space that feels comfortable,

It feels safe.

And you notice that there's a patch of grass where you can relax and you're comfortable that there's no one around.

So you really feel free to just lay down in whichever way you want to.

You don't have to be self-conscious.

You can just really let go and be yourself.

And you find a space that feels good where you just lay down on that grass.

You allow yourself to just slow down and relax,

Feeling the air against your skin as the warm breeze just brushes your skin.

You hear the birds chirping.

You just stay so connected to this really beautiful moment.

So at that very moment you are in a space of calm.

And you notice what it's like to just wiggle your feet and just wiggle your fingers and just breathing in this fresh air.

And you take in the sounds around you as you hear the wind rustle on the trees and hear the leaves.

You just let yourself just take in the sounds and the smells of nature and all that experience of just letting go and slowing down.

Just slowing down.

And drifting off into that space as you're closing your eyes and just settling in.

Just taking in this very moment in your mind's eye.

Being in this very calming,

Connecting space.

Breathe in relaxation and exhaling tension and breathing in this experience of just calming down and exhaling any tension or stress.

Letting yourself drift and settle into this moment.

As we close this journey of the meditation,

Allowing yourself to continue to hold that space and be guided into deep relaxation with every inhale and every exhale.

Thank you for taking this journey along with me.