Hi,
It's Matt Young,
And this is a meditation to help you fall asleep when you feel restless or wired,
Or when your thoughts are racing and won't slow down.
First up,
Make sure that you're comfortable,
Really comfortable.
And by that,
I mean take your comfort seriously.
It's the foundation for relaxation.
And without it,
Falling asleep will be that much harder.
So do whatever you can to make sure that your room is quiet and dark,
And the temperature is not too warm or cool,
And that you're looking after your body as best you can.
I'd recommend that you listen as you lie on your back with your legs stretched long and your arms resting by your sides.
And take a few moments just to appreciate the softness of the pillow beneath your head and how good it feels to let your whole body sink down into the mattress,
Each and every muscle heavy and soft.
Give your entire body permission to rest,
As though you were too exhausted to do so much as lift a finger.
And just allow yourself to drift into a place where things feel a little calmer,
A place where you trust that everything will turn out okay,
Where you can let go of worry,
Where you cease putting any pressure on yourself,
Where self-criticism falls away,
And where you don't have to make any effort to get to sleep or stop thinking.
And in this place,
Just allow your mind to drift freely.
You probably know that trying to control your thoughts keeps you tense,
So you can stop doing that,
Trusting that your mind will slow down of its own accord,
Remembering that just as you can't force yourself to fall asleep,
You can't force your thoughts to slow down.
So just as a little experiment,
Do the opposite.
See how long you can stay awake and how long you can keep thinking.
And while you do that,
Just letting your mind chatter away in the background,
Let's focus on soothing the nervous system.
Start by imagining how your body might feel after a really good massage.
Get a sense of how all the tired and aching muscles in your legs slowly soften,
The limbs limp and loose.
Or pretend that you're floating in a warm bath,
And it's almost as though your body and the water become one.
Feel knots in the upper back as they gently release.
And if you notice any tension,
Tightness,
Or discomfort,
Focus on it as though your attention was somehow soothing,
Perhaps imagining a heat pack applied to that area.
And feeling the warmth penetrate deep into the body.
And now,
Picture yourself somewhere peaceful,
Perhaps lying in the shade of a tree,
Or sitting on a beach,
Or perhaps resting in the arms of someone for whom you care deeply,
And who cares deeply for you.
Let yourself drift into this peaceful scene,
And get a sense of how you might be breathing in such a place.
Your exhalation like a whisper as it falls from the body.
Each breath,
Soft and slow.
No pressure or hurry to breathe in,
No pressure or hurry to breathe out.
Just the belly rising and falling in its own good time.
Everything flowing so gently.
Now notice what's passing through your mind,
Perhaps thoughts from earlier in the day or week,
Perhaps random memories.
Take some time to identify what kind of thinking is going on.
Thoughts often have a momentum of their own,
And trying to stop them is like stepping in front of a truck.
Much better just to let the truck pass by.
Or alternatively,
Imagine climbing into the cabin of the truck,
And sitting in the passenger seat for a while,
Watching the traffic below.
When you're in a truck,
All the other traffic seems relatively small and insignificant,
So you can just watch it without a care.
So what can you see travelling down the roads of your mind?
Are you thinking ahead to the day or week to come,
Or are you thinking back over the day or week that's been?
Are your thoughts focused on one particular person,
Or some event or situation?
And do you think the thoughts are true?
Whatever the case,
Thank your brain for doing its job.
Thank it for doing its best to keep you safe.
Think each thought that arises,
And say to each thought,
I hear you,
Then summarise or paraphrase the message the thought was trying to convey.
For example,
You might say to your brain,
It sounds like you're concerned about how well you'll cope tomorrow,
Especially if we don't get to sleep soon.
Is that correct?
Or,
It seems like you're bothered by what was said in the meeting this morning,
And you're feeling a bit resentful.
Attend to your thoughts in this way for the next minute or so,
Just taking the time to check in with your brain and its concerns.
Now tell your brain that you're going to sleep soon,
Because sleep is important,
And reassure your brain that you'll get back to any problems or concerns in the morning after some good rest.
And ask your brain if it has anything else to say.
Listen to its response,
And then say,
Okay,
Thanks brain,
And good night,
See you in the morning.
And if you happen to have your eyes open,
Allow them to close,
And focus on the feeling of your eyelids.
Let them become a little heavier and softer.
And now,
Imagine that you're about to lift the whole of your right leg from the bed.
Sense the muscles in the thigh as they begin to contract.
Then let the leg drop back down into the mattress.
Then imagine that you're about to lift the whole of your left leg from the bed.
Sense the muscles in the thigh as they begin to contract.
Then let the leg drop back to the mattress.
Notice how it feels as the muscles of the legs decontract and relax.
Pay close attention to the associated sensations,
And describe them to yourself.
Is there a sense of the body softening?
Maybe a feeling of tension being released?
Perhaps a gentle warmth?
See if you can let these feelings spread throughout your whole body,
Almost as though that with each out-breath,
Any remaining tension begins to dissolve.
And then just let your mind drift freely,
As if you were already in the midst of a dream,
And not worrying one little bit if you're not yet asleep.
Because that kind of worry prevents sleep from coming,
And not trying one bit to stop any thinking that's going on.
Because that kind of resistance prevents sleep from coming.
Instead,
Just continue to notice what's going on within and around you,
In your body and in your mind,
With curiosity and kindness.
Just accepting this moment as it is,
And let your internal dialogue,
Any self-talk,
Be both supportive and encouraging.
I hope you have a restful night's sleep.
Thanks for tuning in.
