In this gentle practice we rest our awareness in the heart space inviting softness and gentleness to leisurely spread through the whole body,
Inviting you to settle into sleep whenever you are ready.
So to begin let's get comfortable,
Maybe feeling into the position that you're in right now and making any adjustments so that you reduce the desire for movement because you are so completely comfortable.
And when you're ready softening your gaze or closing your eyes.
As we settle in here taking some deliberately deep breaths and feeling the body with the inhale,
The lungs expanding,
The chest expanding,
The belly filling and then letting it all go allowing the whole exhale to completely release.
Maybe do this a few times just allowing the day to let go,
Allowing any layers that you've been carrying with you to slip off as you ease into this sleep meditation.
See whether you can let those deep breaths go now and settle into your body breathing its own natural rhythm.
Following the breath,
Following the journey with the felt sense,
Noticing when you feel the breath at the very first moment of the next inhale and when you feel the breath go into your body and when you feel it transition and begin the exhale.
As if physically tracing the journey of the breath inside and outside,
How far does the breath go in and where does the breath go as it's released?
Just resting in the awareness of the breath.
Bringing your awareness to the chest,
Feeling any subtle sensations here as the breath breathes.
Noticing which direction the chest moves.
Is there expansion through the sides of the ribcage on the inhale?
Or is there expansion through the front of the chest or through the back?
Allowing your body to breathe its own natural rhythm.
Whilst noticing the direction of your chest and which way your chest expands on the inhale.
Is there a feeling or just bring curiosity to these subtle sensations of the breath breathing?
Dropping your awareness down into your belly.
Perhaps you don't feel the breath here but rest your awareness here in the belly.
Following the flow of the inhale,
The flow of the exhale.
And noticing any subtle movements in or around your belly.
Can you let your belly be soft?
Is it the movement of the chest as your body breathes that you can feel subtle?
Sensations of a pull or a softening on a drop in the belly.
What about the back of the body?
Rest your awareness now in the back of the body.
The back of the ribs.
The back of the belly.
The lower back.
Rest your awareness along the length of the spine.
What do you notice here in the back of your body as your body breathes?
And then let's come to the heart space.
Resting your awareness behind the breastbone in the center of your chest.
Resting your awareness in the heart space.
Feeling the breath ebb and flow here.
Is there a color?
A texture or some emotional tones?
Allow your experience to exist just as it is.
Being the observer of your own internal experience.
Being tender with yourself.
What happens if we bring energy here to the heart space?
If we bring a bit more focus here?
That might look like a deliberate deepening of the breath for a few breaths and deliberately breathing into the heart space.
It might be through the nostrils or the mouth or through visualizing breathing in and out.
Breathing directly into the heart space as if there were two nostrils in the center of your chest.
Let's invite softness and gentleness here.
In the heart space perhaps there's light.
Allow this light to be infused with softness and gentleness.
The body breathing its own natural rhythm.
With each inhale the chest is expanding.
With each exhale it's settling into all of the layers.
Softness and gentleness.
Maybe these sensations of softness and gentleness now expand to the whole torso.
The chest,
The belly,
The spine from top to tail.
The whole upper body,
The waist,
The belly,
The entire pelvic floor,
The pelvic bowl.
As we drift our awareness to the left shoulder perhaps we can find some of this soothing softness and gentleness.
Wherever our awareness is drawn to.
Like a warm shadow of comfort,
Our awareness drapes along the left shoulder to the left upper arm.
The left elbow and lower arm.
The left wrist,
The top of the left hand,
The palm of the left hand,
And the fingers.
The thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
And little finger.
Still staying somewhat connected to the heart space.
The center,
The core of this beautiful energy that's being infused throughout the body.
The breath,
Gentleness,
Softness.
The breath creating this expansion of these sensations.
Softness,
Gentleness.
And our awareness directs these sensations to different parts of our body now.
The whole left arm,
Hand,
Fingers.
Gentleness and softness from the left fingertips,
Left wrist,
To the left elbow,
Left shoulder,
And returning to the heart space and feeling the breath.
Drifting your awareness to the right shoulder.
Awareness infused with gentleness and softness.
From the right shoulder to the upper arm.
The right elbow,
Lower arm.
The right wrist,
Top of the hand,
Palm of the hand,
The right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
And little finger.
All of these parts connecting with the breath at the heart space.
Connecting with the breath,
Connecting with the heart space.
Awareness then lingers along the right arm from the fingertips to the wrists.
The elbow to the shoulder and back to the heart space.
Softness and gentleness is invited down to the left hip,
The left thigh and knee.
The left lower leg and ankle.
The top of the left foot and the sole of the left foot.
To each of the toes,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third,
Fourth,
And little toe.
Resting your awareness in the heart space while your awareness also continues to infuse and trail along the left leg from the left toes to the left ankle.
Knee to the hip,
Returning to the heart space completely.
And from the heart space,
Inviting ease and softness,
Gentleness.
From the heart space down to the right hip,
Thigh,
Knee.
Lower leg,
The right ankle,
Top of the right foot,
And the sole of the right foot.
Each of these toes on the right foot.
The right big toe,
Second,
Third,
Fourth,
And little toe.
Leisurely making your way back up to the heart space from the right toe tips,
To the right ankle,
The right knee,
To the hip.
And eventually resting awareness completely in the heart space.
At home here,
Awareness floats outwards and up towards your neck to your chin.
Gentleness and softness to the lips,
To the cheeks,
The jaw,
And the tongue.
The ears,
Left and right,
The nostrils,
Right and left.
The tip of the nose,
The bridge of the nose,
The space between the eyebrows.
The left eye,
And the right eye.
The spaces between and around the eyes and the eyelids.
The right eyebrow,
The left eyebrow.
The temples,
The forehead,
The head,
The crown of the head,
The back of the head.
The whole back of the body.
Back of the head and neck,
The shoulder blades.
The spaces between the shoulder blades and the spine,
The whole spine from top to tail.
Upper back,
Middle back,
Lower back,
Buttocks.
Backs of the legs,
The heels.
The whole front of the body,
Face,
Lips,
Throat,
Chest,
Belly.
Tops of the legs,
Tips of the toes.
The left arm,
Hand,
And fingers.
The right arm,
Hand,
And fingers.
The left leg,
Foot,
And toes.
The right leg,
Foot,
And toes.
The whole body,
The whole body.
Gentleness,
Softness.
The whole body.
The whole body,
Knowing that you can drift off to sleep at any time.
Gentleness,
Settling into sleep whenever you are ready.
Sleep well.
