Welcome to this meditation for winding down and preparing the nervous system for sleep.
You can listen to this meditation while getting ready for bed,
Perhaps taking a warm bath,
Enjoying candlelight,
Or right when you slide under the covers before falling asleep in your most comfortable position.
It's time to release whatever came up today,
Whether it was personal,
Work-related,
Or perhaps just a beautiful day all on its own.
It's now time to let the body release the day.
Be mindful in this moment,
Perhaps tuning into something that you might be grateful for,
Perhaps thinking about something that could have happened today,
Something that brought you joy,
Thanking the universe right now,
Just releasing any tension,
Stress,
Thanking God or the light above,
Or your own inner light,
Saying thank you for all that you received today.
Now settling into whatever comfortable position you can find,
You may be seated or reclined.
Just begin to feel deep into your body,
Imagining your body is hollow and each breath you take is filling the entire body cavity with air,
Oxygen,
Life force,
Prana,
Imagining the entire body completely filling,
Almost as if a light were shining into the inside of the body,
Throughout the entire torso,
All of the joints,
The limbs,
The entire spine,
The hands and the feet,
This bright healing light spread throughout the entire body by each breath cycle.
Finally moving up into the neck,
The face,
And the head,
Releasing through the crown of the head and taking with it any stress,
Any anxieties,
Any difficult moments that may have arisen today.
Continue breathing in this manner,
Filling the entire body with breath and light,
Reaching into all of the tiny cracks,
Crevices,
Alleyways,
The muscles,
The tendons,
The joints,
The fascia,
All of the organs,
Spreading its warmth,
Spreading restoration,
Preparing for a night of healing sleep,
Allowing thoughts that may arise to float around as if they were part of the body and the light,
Without allowing them to settle in any one place.
Let the thoughts flow throughout the body and be released through the crown of the head with the exhale.
Continue breathing,
Being mindful of the feeling of this breath and light in the body.
You may notice a rising,
Expanding quality with these inhales,
Releasing,
Relaxing,
Letting go and sinking deeper into relaxation with each exhale.
Continue noticing the breath.
Now bringing your attention to the top of the head,
Relaxing the scalp,
Releasing the forehead,
Softening the muscles around the eyes,
Across the cheekbones and the corners of the mouth,
Allowing the jaw to unhinge,
Relaxing the tongue inside the mouth and letting the teeth part gently,
Releasing down into the neck,
The shoulders,
Relaxing the shoulder blades down the back of the body.
Imagine tension dripping away from the spine,
The neck,
The shoulders and the entire rib cage.
Now allowing the torso to melt,
Releasing and relaxing,
Sinking deeply through the hips,
Letting the arms,
The elbows and the hands relax,
Allowing the legs,
The knees and the feet to let go,
Releasing any tightness or tension now through the whole upper and lower part of the body,
Allowing the entire spine to become loose and long,
Feeling a wave of relaxation and softening coming over the entire body,
Releasing and relaxing the whole body.
Now returning to the breath,
Bringing the light and the warmth of the breath into and around the whole body,
Letting the whole body release into the light,
Relaxing,
Allowing the day to gently drip away,
Gently easing the entire nervous system.
There's nothing left to do for the day,
It's time to prepare for slumber and an easy night's rest,
Allowing the body to release into the healing state of sleep.
Continue following your breath,
Allowing the breath to anchor you,
Calming the nervous system and relaxing the whole body.
Sleep peacefully and well.
Namaste.
