Feel Better: For When Life Hurts | Guided Sleep Meditation

"Feel Better: For When Life Hurts" is a transformative guided sleep meditation that offers solace in times of emotional discomfort, grief, and pain.. In this immersive meditation, you'll visualize your pain as a delicate, luminous globe, observing its hues, energy, and size with compassionate detachment. As you tend to this metaphorical companion, you'll gradually make peace with it, freeing up valuable energy for your healing journey. The meditation then guides you to envision a serene dream getaway, where you'll find respite in a lofty bed amidst nature's beauty – a rustic cabin by a tranquil lake or a beach cottage perched on a cliff, where soothing breezes and enchanting vistas lull you into a restful slumber. It's time to dream away.

Transcript

This guided sleep meditation will offer solace and comfort as you prepare for bed.

You're listening to Feel Better,

A meditation for when life hurts.

Be it physical pain,

Grief,

Emotional pain,

Or simply overcoming life's disappointments.

This meditation will help you confront your pain in a graceful way.

As an observer,

Then you may envision a comforting place for the rest that you need and deserve.

Big feelings come at night and with this practice we will tend to them and release them.

Sleep will help soften and soothe.

So get as cozy as you can.

It's time to dream away.

I would like to welcome you to Michelle's Meditation Sanctuary.

I am Michelle and my intention is to join you on this journey as a compassionate guide who understands how much you deserve to feel better.

Perhaps there were times early in your life where maybe you fell asleep in the back of a car or someplace unusual,

No matter how much you fought it.

Approach this practice with a similar mindset as I lead you to the soft embrace of sleep,

No matter what is going on,

No matter how much your body and mind fight it.

Think of me as an ally offering simple suggestions to change the patterns of thinking.

Perhaps your thoughts have been spiraling out of control,

You are now able to better manage and steer these thoughts and feelings.

And while this practice is intended to induce sleep,

You may listen whenever you need a gentle reminder to wind down and self-soothe.

Every feeling you have is valid,

But feelings aren't always facts,

And it becomes harder to differentiate between the two when you are tired and in need of rest.

Let the sound waves of my voice and serene messages wrap around you in a sweet embrace.

You are doing your best.

Commend yourself for showing up,

For letting every breath guide you closer to sleep and healing,

Closer to feeling better.

And know that you may change any part of this experience to what feels right in the moment,

And what feels right in this moment may not be the same as what feels right in another.

Trust yourself.

Be the best friend to yourself that you most need when life hurts.

Be kind to yourself as you settle deeper into the support of your bed.

You've got this.

Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly to tap into what you are feeling now.

Imagine your palms have soothing powers,

Offering warmth and a wave of loving energy.

Visualize this love flowing through your heart into the epicenter of your vital organs.

It may be a full spectrum of colors,

Or any color that you find most appealing right now.

It radiates through you,

To the core,

Gently bringing down the volume of feelings you carry.

Feel free to let out a sigh.

It can be the kind of sigh that says,

I've had enough for today,

I'm ready for something different.

When you already inhale slowly,

Savoring the air that travels through you,

Imagine the oxygen molecules are a shade of blue,

As tranquil as the deep ocean.

They travel to your overstimulated nerves and temper them with coolness.

As you reach the top of your breath,

You say to yourself,

I'm going to be okay.

And then sigh.

Feel the heaviness of sinking down and surrendering,

Letting everything out with this breath,

Letting go to this moment,

Knowing how much you need and deserve serenity and peace.

Flow through another breath,

Sending waves of peace throughout your body.

Let this breath act like a ticket to a long-deserved vacation.

As you exhale,

Your sigh is as delicate and needed as the trade winds across an island.

One last round of conscious breathing ensues as you inhale through your nose,

Trusting the next breath will come,

Whether or not it has your attention.

Your body is doing all it can to help you thrive.

And then at the top of the breath,

Indulge in a yawn if you want.

In this time as you sigh,

Make an audible sound,

As loud or quiet as you need it to be.

Do what feels right to you,

And then return your breath to normal.

Your lungs,

Your heart,

They've got you,

Supporting you in times you need it most.

Feel the ebb and flow and the variations between feeling heavy and sinking down and expanding with a lightness of being.

You may emphasize the feeling that appeals to you more right now.

As you settle into this tranquil state,

We are going to distance you from the pain you have been experiencing,

Approaching it as an observer.

I invite you to imagine your pain is a luminous globe suspended in front of you.

As an investigator,

Or a detective on a new case,

You may take note of its size right now.

This is only a benchmark for the current moment.

Does this orb of pain fit in your hands,

Or is it so big you could wrap your arms around it?

Whenever you feel its presence in your waking life,

You may envision it,

Knowing that it is ever-changing.

Sometimes it may feel big,

And sometimes it may be smaller.

Observe its colors and the energy it emits.

Notice any swirling patterns or fluctuations within it.

Notice its colors.

Are they saturated and vivid,

Or delicate and muted?

This globe is a unique representation of your emotional burdens,

A visual reflection of the feelings that have accompanied you.

Lean in closer and investigate its energy.

Is it swirling and chaotic,

Or is it calm and steady,

Or is it completely still?

Recognize how it affects things around it as you watch this external globe.

Remember that you are the observer,

Separate from the pain itself.

You have the power to gauge its intensity and explore its contours without becoming entangled in it.

Find an opening where you may pour all your worries,

Concerns,

And doubts into.

They cascade out of you in a deluge,

Leaving the hidden corners and pockets where they may exist in your physical body.

With each exhale,

Release these feelings and pour this energy into the globe.

See how it transforms into tendrils of neon light that merge with the core of this sphere.

In this exchange,

You reclaim a sense of control,

Acknowledging that you have the power to influence the energy that surrounds your pain.

It need not be stagnant,

You are never stuck.

Now take a step further back,

And simply assess what you see.

You are not trying to fix or change anything in this moment,

You are merely observing.

No longer bound to the power these feelings once had,

Revel in the comfortable distance between you and the globe as you create healthy boundaries.

As life unfolds around you,

You can check in with the pain globe whenever you need to.

You may accept it's been a companion on your journey,

A presence that reminds you of your resilience and capacity to heal.

And you may find that over time,

The globe shrinks to the size of a speck,

A subtle reminder of the challenges you've faced and the strength you've discovered.

But no matter the size,

No matter the role it is playing,

It is okay.

Okay doesn't mean everything is perfect,

Or how you want it to be.

It just means that you are finding ways to be okay.

Feel proud of yourself for being able to manage it however you have and however you will.

There is no pressure to eradicate it in a certain set of time.

There is no pressure to do anything that doesn't make you feel better.

And from this comfortable distance,

You may completely own this globe as yours.

And rather than fight it,

Bury it,

Or even pretend it doesn't exist,

Simply notice it as a companion tagging along for the ride.

You may find by giving it the attention it cries for,

That you discover a softness,

And it becomes a little bit easier to deal with its presence.

Discomfort in life is unavoidable,

But how we approach it and tend to it is everything.

And you are showing up for it and for yourself by taking this time to simply observe it.

Now as you continue to breathe with the ease and grace of someone lounging poolside at a dreamy resort,

Envision yourself visiting this pain globe over time,

See it each day fluctuating in size.

It liberates you to know that it will not always be this intense,

It will not always be the same.

And it is so much easier to approach it with a neutral and curious mindset,

Checking in on its size,

Colors,

And energy.

As you tend to it,

You create a space of acceptance and understanding.

You make room for self-compassion.

You may even give it a playful name,

Letting humor spark a wave of new healing.

With each interaction,

A sense of peace and reconciliation grows between you and this globe.

This process of acknowledging and tending to your pain allows you to conserve energy that can be channeled into your healing journey.

The gentle rhythm of your breath reminds you that you are not defined by what happens to you or the feelings that come with what happens.

You are doing so well,

You are doing the best you can,

And it is amazing.

These things that happen when life hurts are like ocean currents in the vast sea of life.

Just as the ocean's tides are an integral part of its beauty and its connection to things beyond itself,

This is an integral part of your journey.

Embrace it with compassion,

Embrace yourself with compassion.

And now at night,

As sleepiness weaves through each breath and moment of winding down,

Imagine putting this globe to sleep.

Tend to this external orb lovingly,

Wrapping it in a knitted blanket.

Let it know you will check in again some other time.

But like an unruly child desperately in need of rest,

You are able to calm it into a deep slumber.

And as it goes to sleep,

Your attention turns to imagining a peaceful retreat.

Your imagination may deliver a ticket to anywhere in the world you wish to go.

You may even go beyond this world,

Drifting through time and space,

To whenever and wherever appeals to you most.

There are no limitations,

And as you walk through this envisioned space,

The clouds clear the sky and sunlight filters through the local flora of your desired getaway.

Rays of gentle warmth stream through the gaps,

Casting gilded light and an ethereal glow on the path ahead.

The breeze rustles the leaves and kisses your skin as delicately as the sunlight that pours over you.

Birdsong fills the air as they sing out to one another that they are still here,

And you too are still here.

More and more present as pleasant sensations and the beauty around you become magnified.

You note the rhythm of your heartbeat,

Which is steady and slow.

You feel a lightness in you,

And the light illuminates you in a way that when you observe yourself walking as if in a dream,

You see the glittering mosaic of all the experiences that have created the person you are now.

They appear in sparkling pops of color and light,

And though often concealed by your physical body,

You now have an x-ray vision that allows you to develop the ability to see beyond it.

You notice all the moving parts and all parts of you that have overcome so much and still shine.

You see this mosaic through a new filter with a narrative that focuses on the upside and all you still wish to do and experience.

You focus on the beauty of things that may not be physically present,

But are still very much a part of the sparkliest aspects of you,

For you are able to celebrate all the things you miss most and bring them along.

You are able to craft the journey onward,

Peering through whatever lens you desire as you continue this leisurely stroll through a heavenly oasis of your own design.

You arrive at a home,

Perhaps it is a home you have been to or one you have only dreamt and fantasized about.

It could be the first home that you felt safe in.

Perhaps this home is located in a different landscape.

It could be in a forest clearing overlooking a lake or atop a mountain peering out onto the valley.

It could be a beach cottage nestled among dunes or high above on a sea cliff.

It could even be on a far off planet.

Take this time to pay attention to the details of this getaway as the last light of sunset glimpses the landscape in shimmery orange gold light.

Feel your feet connect to the earth.

The sensation of gravity alternates with the sensation of being mid-air and free floating through space.

Again,

Focus on what feels best to you,

Be it a sense of grounding or a sense of flight.

With each breath,

You drink in the tranquility of this natural haven.

Your lungs feel cleansed,

Your chest feels light.

You follow the path to the home and enter it,

And you wander within the cool lofty space to find your way to the bedroom.

You open a set of double doors to a serene,

Airy space where the cares of your life gently melt away.

You can even see them slipping off your shoulders and cascading to the floor as if disrobing from stress.

The room is awash with soft pastel hues that blend seamlessly with the peachy pinks of sunset that filter through sheer billowing curtains.

As you breathe,

You feel the cool circulating air that flows through the bedroom with a constant gentle movement.

You settle into the bed in this tranquil sanctuary.

You are cocooned with the comfortable lightweight sheets and weighted quilted bedspread that you have ever experienced.

The mattress cradles you like a cloud,

Yielding to your form as if made just for you.

Your body sinks into the plush bedding and you feel every part of your being,

Physical and emotional,

Supported by this sanctuary.

In this moment,

Before you fall asleep,

Your attention turns to the bed stand and on it is a photograph of you in the future.

You recognize your face,

The sparkle in your eyes,

The muscles in your face are relaxed and a youthful glow and expression of curiosity stand out more than the changes your face has had over time.

You recognize something very familiar in this depiction.

In it,

You have returned to you,

To the beautiful essence of you that has been here since day one.

When you took your first breath,

And without even thinking about it,

You trusted the next would come.

A smile forms on your face,

You rest your head deeper into the marshmallow-like pillows and take in the vista beyond open French doors,

Looking out on nature as the blues of the night paint the sky.

The first stars make their presence known and the moon rises,

Reflecting on a body of water that sparkles outside this sacred home.

The night air is alive with a soothing scent,

The earthiness of pine trees,

The invigorating brine of the sea,

Or perhaps the sweet aroma of wildflowers.

Each breath you take fills you with a sense of renewal,

As if the very air you inhale carries the tonic of healing.

The night infuses you with a promise of repose,

Of healing and deep sleep.

In this dreamy haven,

You are free to let go and surrender to sleep.

With every breath,

You absorb the serenity of this enchanting space,

Allowing it to seep into every fiber of your being.

And as you become one with the tranquil beauty around you,

You feel deep appreciation,

You feel confident that you always deserve to have this experience as you become better at regulating your emotions and listening to your highest self.

And as you begin to drift off into a peaceful slumber,

You rest easy,

Knowing that this serene haven is always here for you,

Ready to welcome you into its comforting embrace whenever you seek solace and renewal,

Knowing that you may enhance pleasures or even change them with one thought at a time.

And I am going to count you down slowly and lovingly to a place for restoration,

Where your body may repair itself one cell at a time,

And where your subconscious mind may gently guide you through dreams that help heal and conjure hope.

As you embrace the night ahead with love for yourself and a sense of steadiness and control,

You may not be able to control everything you want,

But you can be the artist that crafts the unfolding hours of your sleep and dreams so you may awaken tomorrow feeling better,

Feeling refreshed,

And paying attention to all the moments when life feels good.

10.

Tranquility washes over you,

Nurturing your well-being.

9.

Your breath makes space for relaxation and renewal.

8.

Your body melts deeper into the bed,

While your spirit takes on the fluidity of a dream.

7.

Your energetic vibrations usher you to a state of calm and ease.

6.

You navigate towards softness,

Loving on the softness within you.

5.

Drifting,

Floating,

And letting go.

4.

Feeling light and closer to sleep.

3.

Awash in self-love and compassion,

So proud of all you have created in this moment.

2.

Finding balance and serenity.

1.

Snuggling in the waves of sleep that flow over you.

2.

Finding bliss,

Finding peace,

Finding repose,

Finding sleep.

It's time to dream

Reviews

This is very soothing & healing. Thank you, Michellle.