Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace in yourselves.
Tonight,
I'd like you to join me once again as we revisit the Sea of Tranquility.
That ancient sea has been around since the dawn of mankind.
Its waves slowly move into the shore as they have for thousands and thousands of years.
We're walking on the path that winds its way through the enchanted forest.
And the path leads to the Sea of Tranquility.
And as you walk,
You can hear the leaves crunching underfoot.
On either side of the path there are towering pine trees as well as massive oaks.
There's a range of scents that radiate from the forest.
The scent of pine and old wood.
And jasmine vines that cling to the trees.
Oh,
You can hear the ocean now.
We must be getting close.
Now as we walk along this path,
Give yourself permission to let go of everything.
Let go of everything you're concerned with before we even get started.
And make sure that all your routine nighttime activities are taken care of.
You know,
Lock the door,
Turn off the stove,
Deck all of those things.
Silence all of your devices except the one that you're listening to this on.
Lay on your bed.
Or in your sleeping bag.
Or on your couch.
Or in your comfy recliner.
Whatever makes you comfortable falling asleep.
And start to settle in and get comfortable.
Comfort should always be your first consideration when you meditate.
And especially when you want to go to sleep.
So if you want,
You can close your eyes now.
Tonight,
You're going to sleep on the shore of the Sea of Tranquility.
We're right here at the spot where the path has come out onto the beach.
The sun is just beginning to set.
And it blows a deep red.
It's a big red disc just at the edge of the horizon.
And there's a gentle rain falling.
Nothing too hot.
No thunder or lightning.
No strong wind.
Just a light breeze that's warm against your skin.
And it's lightly scented with that jasmine pine that we noticed in the forest.
It smells of ancient wood and eternal sea.
Take a nice,
Slow,
Deep breath.
And feel the air as it enters your body.
Don't just breathe.
Feel it.
And as you exhale,
Feel all of the air as it leaves your body.
Take another deep breath.
Just a little deeper than the first one.
And just as you finish the inhale,
Take note of the little pause that's there.
Notice once again that we don't go instantly from inhale to exhale.
That there is a natural little pause at the end of the inhale and at the end of the exhale.
Now just continue to breathe.
Slow and steady.
And notice stillness exists at the top and the bottom of each breath.
As you lay here breathing,
The sun continues to disappear against the horizon.
The waves continue their endless march to the shore.
The rain is falling softly,
But we don't mind.
We're protected.
I'd like you to take a breath in through your nose and hold it for a count of four.
And then gently exhale through your mouth.
Now do it again.
Inhale through your nose,
Hold for a count of four,
And then exhale through your mouth.
One last time.
Inhale through your nose,
Hold for a count of four,
And then exhale through your mouth.
Now just breathe normally.
Relax even further.
Make sure you're comfortable and cozy and warm enough to buckle into your seat.
And just allow your breath to ground you in this present moment.
There's nowhere else you need to be in this moment.
There's nothing else you need to be doing.
There's no place you have to go.
This is your time to rest your body for a new day to come.
So give yourself permission to relax and unwind and sleep.
Just listen to the waves upon the shore.
Hear the waves pattering on the leaves nearby.
Just continue to breathe and relax.
Relax your face,
Unfurl your brow,
And unclench your jaw.
Feel your body getting heavier with each and every breath.
Get into the mattress or the chair or the sleeping bed,
Wherever you happen to be.
And as you're lying there,
Breathing,
Don't lay there and worry about not being able to sleep.
But rather set the intention that you are going to sleep and have a good,
Deep sleep and deep rest.
And the things we think become reality.
How good it is to gently fall asleep.
So peaceful.
Think about how soft your bed is as you softly sink into it.
The waves continue to roll in.
They're never ending.
Never pausing.
They've been marching to the shore like this for millions of years.
That breeze is so soft against your skin.
Sleep.
It's a wonderful time to think about the things that you're grateful for.
Forget just the people in your life,
Your partner,
Your job,
Whatever it is.
And all the while,
You're just slowly breathing.
Thinking deeper into the mattress as the waves roll in.
