Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself and peaceful sleep as well.
I know that so many people have trouble falling asleep,
So I really hope that this sleep meditation will help you to drift off and have good sleep,
And I won't be offended if you don't make it to the end.
I'm making the assumption that you don't listen to a sleep meditation unless you're trying to go to sleep,
So give yourself permission right now to let yourself relax and let go of everything,
Everything else that you're concerned with before we get started,
And make sure that all your regular nighttime activities are taken care of.
Turn off the stove,
Lock the doors,
Turn on the porch light,
Whatever you normally do,
Get that out of the way so you don't have to think about it.
Silence all of your devices except the one you're listening to this on.
If you've listened to my other meditations,
You know that normally I don't care what position you're in,
But since we're trying to go to sleep,
Let's assume that you're lying down.
Just lay in your bed,
Or your sleeping bag,
Or your couch,
Or your comfy chair,
And start to settle in to whatever you're using for a bed.
Get comfortable.
Comfort should always be your first consideration when you meditate.
It'll allow you to focus more.
If you want,
You can close your eyes now.
Tonight we're going back to the shore of the Sea of Tranquility,
But this time we're approaching the sea from the east through the tranquil forest.
The sun is getting low on the horizon.
Won't be long before it sets,
And it comes through the trees as we walk towards the beach,
Dappling your skin.
The forest is filled with beautiful,
Towering trees,
Majestic pines,
And stately oaks,
And they grow close to the path that is strewn with pine needles.
The scent of pine is heavy in the air,
And as we walk quietly towards the sea,
We can hear the birds calling,
Rustling in the trees,
Because they're getting ready to sleep too.
We come out of the forest onto the beach,
And there,
By some miracle of meditation,
Your sleeping space is already waiting for you on the beach.
There's a gentle rain falling.
If you listen carefully,
You can hear it,
And the sun glows a deep,
Rich red as it gets close to the horizon.
You can feel a gentle breeze warm against your skin,
And it's lightly scented with jasmine and pine and the smell of the sea.
Begin to settle in and get comfortable here on the shore of the Sea of Tranquility.
Take in a nice,
Slow,
Deep breath,
And feel the air as it enters your body,
And as you exhale,
Feel all of the air as it leaves your body.
Take another breath,
Just a little deeper than the first one,
And just as you finish the inhale,
Take note of that little pause that's there.
Notice that we don't instantly go from inhaling to exhaling,
But that there's a natural pause at the end of the inhale and at the end of the exhale.
Just continue to breathe this way,
Slow and steady,
Noting that little pause,
That stillness that exists at the top and the bottom of each breath.
Just breathe at your own pace.
Don't force anything.
We're trying to go to sleep,
So breathe slow and deep,
And as we lay here breathing,
The sun continues to disappear against the horizon,
Sinking down to the sea,
And the waves continue their endless march to the shore,
While the rain falls softly all around us.
Allow your breath to ground you into the present moment.
There's nowhere you have to be.
There's nothing you have to do.
This is your time to rest your body for a new day to come,
So give yourself permission to relax and unwind.
Give yourself permission to settle in to your bed and prepare for sleep.
This is your time to care for yourself by getting a good night's sleep,
A restful sleep.
Listen to the waves upon the shore,
And hear the rain as it falls gently on the beach.
Listen to the sound of the waves on the shore and patters on the leaves and the trees.
You can hear the birds chirping softly in the trees and on the beach,
And as you continue to breathe,
Relax.
Just relax.
Unfurl your brow.
Unclench your jaw.
Relax your face.
Relax your shoulders.
Settle down in your bed.
Scan your body for any place that might be holding tension.
Relax your arms and your hands.
Relax your neck,
And try to feel your body getting heavier with each breath,
Slowly sinking into the mattress.
And as you're laying there breathing,
Don't lay there worrying about not being able to sleep,
But rather set the intention that you are going to have a good sleep,
A deep rest.
Remember,
Words and thoughts have power,
Real power,
And the things we think become reality.
So think about how good it is to gently fall asleep.
Make falling asleep your reality,
Peaceful,
Restful.
Think about how soft your bed is as you slowly sink into it.
Snuggle into your blankets,
Your covers,
And feel yourself getting heavier as you relax a little more with each breath.
And on the shore,
The waves continue to roll in,
Never ending,
Never ending,
Never ending,
Never ending,
Never ending,
Never ending.
Never pausing.
The waves have been moving in and moving out since the beginning of time.
The sun is completely down now,
And the stars are appearing in the sky as that light rain gently falls all around you.
The breeze is so soft against your face.
Now,
As you drift off to sleep,
It's a wonderful time to think about all the things you're grateful for.
Perhaps it's the people in your life,
Your partner,
Your child,
Your pet.
Perhaps you're grateful for your health,
And all the while you're slowly breathing,
Sinking deeper into the mattress,
Noticing the natural pause in your breath.
You're snug and secure in your covers,
Breathing in and breathing out,
Just one breath at a time.
As the waves roll in,
And the rain falls,
And the breeze blows softly through your hair,
And the wind blows gently through your hair,
And the birds settle down into their nests,
And there's nothing to do but sleep,
Nothing to strive for,
Nothing to worry about.
There's nothing but the waves,
And the rain,
And the breeze,
And the breeze blows softly against you,
And the waves come again,
And again,
And again.
Here on the shore of tranquility,
It's always time to fall asleep.
It's always easy,
Listening to the sound of the waves,
As the waves roll in,
And the rain falls,
And the breeze blows softly,
So softly.
There's nothing to do but sleep.
We have nowhere to go except to sleep.
We have nowhere to be except in our bed.
There's nothing but the waves,
And the breeze,
And the gentle rain falling down.
Sleep is calling to you with a voice that's soft and clear.
As the rain falls,
And the waves roll upon the shore,
Never ceasing,
Never stopping.
They roll in and out,
Just as you breathe in and out,
One breath at a time.
The birds have settled down,
And everything is right in the world.
The breeze blows softly,
So softly.
