Namaste and welcome to this deep relaxation before bedtime.
Doing this in the evening after the events and tasks of the day have come to a close is the perfect time.
You may like to use this now as part of your evening routine before or after a shower,
After watching TV,
Just before you slide in between your bed sheets or when you've snuggled down into your bed.
It's really just about finding the right time for you.
So let's begin.
Remember comfort is key.
Some meditations such as mindfulness are used for waking up to what's happening in the present moment,
But this meditation is for letting go,
Winding down,
Emptying out all of the stuff that the body and mind may be holding onto and relaxation.
With the body now beginning to relax and the eyes beginning to close,
With the muscles around the eyes softening,
You can set your intention for this time.
In this moment now,
How would you like to feel?
Calm,
Relaxed,
Tranquil,
Peaceful,
Empty,
Harmonious,
Sleepy.
Perhaps it's a combination of these or even something else.
Keeping in mind that this is time for you to wind down before bed.
As you settle in,
In the mind's eye,
Visualize the sun setting over a beautiful horizon.
As the sun slowly goes down and the sky becomes darker,
The change in the light,
The colours and the atmosphere is so gradual,
Peaceful and calming.
Imagine the moon and the stars appearing as they add a soothing light into the sky above,
Nurturing and bringing safety to all beings on the ground below.
You yourself can begin to embody this natural process of nature.
As you find these moments of stillness,
Imagine the mind as the sun as it goes down and relaxes,
You connect to the body and there's a sense of shifting from day into night.
The energy of rest.
Bring a gentle attention to the breath.
Rest the attention there for a while.
Feel the ebb and flow,
Up and down,
In and out,
And the rise and fall of the breath.
No need to change the breath in any way or make it special.
Just by paying a gentle attention to the breath,
You will find that in time it begins to soften and find its own groove.
Begin to feel the body,
The whole of the body.
Take a deeper breath.
Relax the body more and more and more.
With the main focus on the exhale and the inhale happening naturally,
Allow the exhale to nurture the body and the mind into a deeper state of present relaxation.
As if the whole of the body is breathing away any tension that may have built up inside of you.
You may notice that the mind likes to wonder onto this and that.
It really doesn't matter about where the mind wants to go or what it wants to say,
But if you feel it needs some support in this process of relaxation,
Begin to feel the brain soften,
The temples soften and the jaw relax.
And on the inhale,
Say to yourself in,
I am here.
And on the exhale,
Out,
I relax my body and mind.
Do this for a little while longer,
Remembering to relax the body as you exhale.
I am here.
I relax my body and mind.
Let focus on relaxing the whole of the body,
Letting yourself let go of layers and layers of tension,
Inviting in deep relaxation.
Now,
Begin to let go of any focus and settle into a state of stillness.
The stillness that is always present underneath everything.
The stillness that was there before you were born and will be there for infinity.
Feel the still,
Silent space that surrounds you,
Outside of you and inside of you.
Outside surrounding the whole of the body,
Inside the whole of the body.
Still,
Silent,
Spaciousness.
Relax deeper and deeper,
Let everything become quieter and quieter.
Just for now,
Just for this moment.
Feeling in and relaxing,
Sensing in and softening,
Letting go of any holding.
As your day comes to a close,
You shed more and more layers of tension.
Just be here,
Be now,
Be present in a kind and gentle way.
Calm,
Tranquil,
Peaceful,
Empty,
Harmonious,
Relaxed and perhaps sleepy.
Now it's time to close the practice.
I will leave you to choose whether you are ready to close or if you're simply ready to drift off to sleep.
If you are closing and waking,
Leave the energy grounded and slow.
Take some time to stretch very gently and wake yourself up just enough to do your final preparations before bed.
Thank you for joining me.
Namaste.
