Hello,
My friend.
Good evening.
Come on in.
Take your time to get comfortable
As we settle in for this cozy bedtime meditation.
Perhaps you're already in bed and wearing your pajamas,
And I want you to get as comfy as
Possible here.
So wherever you are,
Perhaps putting a pillow under the head or a cushion
Under the seat,
And perhaps keeping yourself warm by draping your favorite blanket around your
Shoulders or on your lap.
And when you're ready,
We'll close the eyes and we'll be here for the
Next 15 minutes together,
Savoring these last few moments of the day.
Taking this time to allow our body and mind to decompress before we rest for the night.
And as you start to settle in,
Bring the attention to the breath as it flows through the body.
Sometimes we manipulate the breath to create a certain sensation in the body,
But other times it can be wonderful to just sit and observe.
Not needing to change the breath or make it any different from how it is.
Just observing each inhale as it comes,
And each exhale as it goes.
And at this point you may notice that the mind is quite busy,
As is very common towards the end of
The day.
Perhaps replaying conversations from earlier or thinking about work to be done tomorrow.
Just know that this is something that we can extend our awareness to,
Being aware of the quality of the mind.
And when the mind does wander,
With equal parts gentleness and firmness,
Guide the mind back to the present moment,
Letting it know that it's time to rest.
And you may need to do this a hundred times in a single practice,
And each time just bringing
The attention back with as much kindness and gentleness as you can.
You may also find that it is tempting for our minds to stay in problem-solving mode,
Or working mode,
Or productivity mode.
But as we take this time to wind down,
Get cozy,
And become quiet,
See if you can shift gears into a slightly different mode.
Each mode has its time and place,
And right now you may choose to intentionally shift your
Attention towards being here in the present,
Getting ready to turn off the mind for sleep,
Getting ready to rest.
And in the same way,
Allowing the body to soften,
Let go of any tension it may be holding on to.
Relax the hands,
The shoulders,
The face.
Any areas where it's common to feel tight,
See if you can,
With each inhale,
Send a bit of breath and life to those areas.
And with your exhale,
Let something go.
All right,
My dear,
Thank you so much for practicing with me tonight.
May you feel peace,
May you get the rest you need,
And I'll see you again very soon.
