Welcome,
My friend.
Whether you're settling in for the night or you're finding your way back to sleep,
Let this be a quiet invitation to return to your breath,
To your body,
To rest.
Be supported.
Notice the shape you're making in the bed beneath you.
You don't have to hold yourself up anymore.
Begin to feel your breath.
Inhale gently,
Like a wave arriving on the shore.
Exhale slowly,
Like the tide receding,
Leaving behind people.
Let each breath soften you just a little bit more,
Down to your shoulders,
Your belly,
Your legs,
All the way to your toes.
Imagine now that you're lying on the warm sand.
The moon is above you,
Quiet and full.
Stars stretch across the sky like a lullaby,
And the ocean is near,
Just close enough to soothe you.
The waves roll in,
And slow.
Let the ocean breathe for you.
Inhale.
You're part of the rhythm now.
Each wave that comes in brings calm.
Each wave that goes out carries away any tension,
Any thought.
There's nowhere to go,
Nothing to do.
Just be here,
Floating in stillness.
Deeper.
Let sleep take you gently,
Like the ocean carrying you back to yourself.
If you're still awake,
That's okay.
You're resting,
You're softening,
And you're safe.
Your breath is slower now.
Your body knows what to do.
Float here.
Stay with this quiet.
Stay with the waves.
You are so deeply held.
May your sleep be peaceful.
May your dreams be kind.
You can come back here anytime to breathe,
To the ocean,
To yourself.
