Hi,
It's Matt Young,
And this is a meditation that will help you wind down when you're feeling restless or overexcited,
So that you can drift off to sleep more easily.
Before we begin,
Let's get one thing straight.
You cannot make yourself fall asleep.
That would be like trying to make your eyes stop seeing,
Or your ears stop hearing.
Can't be done.
Or,
When you try to get rid of your thoughts or feelings,
Including those associated with frustration,
Sadness,
Anxiety,
Or excitement,
You inadvertently signal to your nervous system that this is no time to relax.
So please don't make any effort to stop thinking,
To change the way you're feeling,
Or even to fall asleep.
Instead,
Trust that your body knows what to do,
And just keep out of its way.
One of the best ways to do that,
Counterintuitively,
Is by trying to stay awake.
So for now,
Allow your eyes to remain open.
And if at any time you begin to feel drowsy,
Or your eyes become heavy,
Just try to keep them open for a minute or two longer.
And for best results,
Start out by lying on your back,
With your legs uncrossed.
Place one hand on your belly,
And one hand on your chest,
And take a moment to appreciate their comfortable warmth and weight,
Feeling the body rise and fall beneath your hands as you breathe.
Which hand seems to move the most as you breathe?
Perhaps you can direct your attention towards one hand or the other,
And notice what it feels like to breathe into the chest,
And what it feels like to breathe into the belly.
And remember,
There's no right or wrong way to do this.
You don't have to make the breath deeper,
Or longer.
You don't have to change it at all.
Just continue to enjoy the steady rhythm of the breath.
Perhaps imagining that you're floating on calm waters,
Or listening to waves lapping gently on the beach.
And let these images remind you of what it's like to be relaxed.
Perhaps imagine that you have a week off work.
No deadlines,
No one to call,
No to-do list,
And no one depending on you.
And with this in mind,
Give yourself permission to rest,
Knowing that it's okay to wind down.
In fact,
Knowing that it's more than okay.
Knowing that it's essential for long-term health and well-being.
And take your time.
There's no hurry.
Let yourself drift towards sleep,
Gradually,
Not demanding that sleep come straight away.
And understanding that thoughts and feelings are likely to bubble up and make themselves known.
And that the bubbling of thoughts and emotions is a necessary part of the relaxation process.
Remember,
If you try to stop yourself from thinking,
You'll make it harder to fall asleep.
And if you try to stop yourself from feeling,
You'll make it harder to fall asleep.
So just allow everything to flow.
Let things come,
Let things be,
And let things go.
All in their own time.
Now pay attention to the back surface of your body.
See if you can sense every part of the body that comes into contact with the mattress.
From the heels of the feet,
Up to the hips,
The lower back,
The shoulders,
And the head.
And then sense the upper side of the body,
Feeling the weight and texture of the sheets or blankets,
Or just the air upon your skin.
And take a moment to check which part of your body feels the warmest.
Picturing that warmth like a little golden orange glow within.
And let that glow spread slowly outwards until it fills your entire body.
Imagine every single cell of the body glowing softly.
And let that warmth soften each and every muscle so that the whole body is one uniform temperature.
And pause,
Focusing on the body as though you were staring into the flickering flames of a campfire,
Mesmerized by the glowing coals,
The soft crackling sounds,
And the pleasant warmth.
And just allow yourself to rest.
And if you become aware of some thought or feeling,
Just picture it like a log on the fire,
Watching as the thought is gradually consumed in the flames,
Trusting that over time each and every thought will disappear like smoke into the night sky.
So you don't have to do anything but watch.
How are you feeling at this point?
Sleepy or wakeful?
Restless or calm?
Are you comfortable?
Know that how you feel doesn't really matter,
Because the body needs sleep in the same way it needs oxygen.
And just as you can't stop the body from breathing,
You can't stop the body from sleeping.
The longer you stay awake,
The stronger the drive for sleep will become.
And eventually you'll fall asleep,
Whether you want to or not.
Rest in that physiological fact,
And remind yourself that ultimately nothing can stop sleep from coming.
So you don't need to resist your worries.
You don't need to control anything.
Just let yourself feel whatever you feel.
Your body simply lying in bed.
Your mind drifting here and there.
Snatches of conversation being replayed in your head.
Memories and images popping in and out of awareness.
There might be worries,
Plans or to-do lists making themselves known.
Tension or discomfort periodically intensifying.
And your body simply lying in bed.
You might like to imagine that you're already asleep,
And that everything you notice is just part of a dream.
Pretend that none of it is real,
And that because you're asleep,
There's nothing to do.
While your body lies warm and still,
You just watch the dream unfold.
And if you find yourself wishing that you were already asleep,
Just appreciate how sleep draws ever closer.
Inevitably.
Inexorably.
With each passing moment,
You are one step closer to an actual dream.
And your only job is to notice each passing moment.
Acknowledging how things continually change.
Taking the time to appreciate the simple fact that you're alive.
Appreciating the way the body keeps breathing all by itself.
Knowing that it's busy turning your dinner into energy you can use tomorrow.
And doing its best to keep you healthy.
And remember,
Worrying about when you'll get to sleep doesn't make sleep come any faster.
And worrying about how you'll cope tomorrow doesn't make tomorrow any better.
It just makes this moment a little less pleasant.
So if thoughts like these appear in your head,
Don't feel like you have to believe them.
Just let them meander around as if they don't matter at all.
In fact,
You can let whatever thoughts are present,
Should there be any,
Just float about.
You don't have to ignore them.
You don't have to observe them.
You don't have to believe them.
You don't have to distance yourself from them.
Just let them be.
And as we continue,
Let's see if we can't help your body to relax a little more deeply.
To do that,
You might like to imagine that your feet and toes are deliciously warm,
And that perhaps they're being expertly massaged,
And you might allow yourself to sigh with pleasure.
Or you could deliberately yawn once or twice.
Noticing how a good yawn helps to release tension in the jaw.
Then take a moment to appreciate all that you can hear.
Perhaps there are sounds from a neighboring room or house.
Perhaps the sounds of the city,
Or the sounds of nature,
Or maybe just a nighttime quiet,
Or just the soft sussurus of your own breath.
See if you can enjoy each and every sound,
Whatever its quality.
Let yourself be a connoisseur of the auditory world,
Appreciating each and every hum,
Or whir,
Or buzz.
By adopting a curious outlook,
You help your nervous system to remain relaxed,
So that sleep can descend naturally.
So that sleep can descend upon you naturally.
You may even discover that you start to enjoy your time in bed,
Even when you're not asleep,
Knowing that sleep will arrive sooner or later,
And that you don't need to fret about it.
You can trust your body to fall asleep.
In fact,
Perhaps you can take a moment to thank the body for all the sleep it has given you over the years.
Thank it for all the times that it has repaired your hurts and restored your energy.
Thank it for the moments of deep rest it provides,
And for the respite it offers from the busyness of the waking day.
And then just do your best to let go of any thoughts about how things should be.
Let go of your plans.
Let go of the need to control,
The need to dictate how things should be.
And simply surrender to the way things are.
Give up any need to resist.
Maybe imagine that you are so exhausted that you can barely move,
So tired that you can't be bothered thinking.
And just allow yourself to be enveloped in feelings of gratitude and comfort,
As though you were wrapped up in a cradle or cocoon,
Safe and snug and warm.
And allow yourself to rest there comfortably,
Until you drift off to sleep without even knowing.
Let your self-talk be gentle and reassuring,
Enjoying each wakeful moment until sleep comes.
So that's it from me.
I hope you're feeling calm in mind and relaxed in body.
And I wish you a night of deep and peaceful sleep.
Drone out.
