Welcome to this send me to sleep meditation practice.
I'm Kate Mishkon,
And I'm so happy that you've joined me.
I find this practice incredibly helpful if I'm struggling to fall asleep or if I wake up in the wee small hours and my mind's very busy.
And even if this practice doesn't send me to sleep immediately,
It takes me to a place where I feel much calmer,
Where it doesn't matter so much if I'm not asleep right away,
Because my mind feels quieter.
So please just take a moment to get yourself comfortable,
Whatever that means for you.
So cozy up and let me guide you through the soothing practice.
So first,
I'd invite you to bring your awareness to the area around your forehead.
We often hold so much tension in this area because our minds are busy with thought,
Thoughts of doing all the things we have to do or we haven't done on time.
And so I'd like to ask you to just see if you can let go a little into the area of the forehead,
Just imagining any borrowed brow lines,
Just smoothing themselves out and really allowing this area to relax a little and soften.
And now bringing your awareness to the eyes,
Just allowing the eyes to rest under the eyelids,
Remembering that there's nothing for them to do or achieve.
The practice is allowing everything to be just as it is.
So just allowing a softening of the eyes.
Noticing how the soft skin of the eyelids envelops the eyes,
Blankets them,
Allowing them to rest.
And now noticing the skin around the eyes,
That soft skin,
Just allowing it to release and soften so that there's a new sense of ease around the eyes.
Left eye and right eye.
And now moving your attention to the nose,
Noticing the gentle breath entering and leaving your nostrils.
Just for a moment or so focusing on the smooth and soft breath.
Perhaps noticing the temperature of the breath as it enters your nostrils and again as it leaves your nostrils.
And if your mind's busy and distracted,
Remember that that's okay,
That's normal.
And just come back to the sound of my voice and the breath entering the nostrils.
So just practicing that for a moment or so.
And now moving the awareness to the cheeks,
The pillowy soft cheeks.
Left cheek and right cheek.
Really allowing the skin to soften and ease.
And just enjoying that sense of softness in the cheeks.
Now moving down to the mouth,
Sensing into the gums,
The teeth,
The tongue.
Noticing how they feel.
Noticing how they feel.
Moving the attention down the neck,
Into the shoulders,
A place where we carry so much tension,
Often responsibilities,
That we lug around all day,
Weighing us down.
So just remembering that there's nothing for you to do now.
And seeing if you can bring the sense of real letting go into the shoulders now.
Left shoulder and right shoulder.
Allowing a real softening to fill the shoulders from deep within.
Just imagining all the tension within the shoulders dissolving.
The more you bring your awareness into the shoulders,
The more the tension eases.
Bringing the awareness now all the way down the arms,
Past the elbows,
Into the hands.
Our hands that do so much,
Fixing and making,
Writing and caring.
Just allowing the hand their moment of rest.
Feeling deep inside the muscle of the hands.
Noticing any tingling or pulsing.
Warm or cold.
Left hand.
And right hand.
Really sensing deep within the muscles and bones of each hand.
Enjoying that sense of deep presence.
And being grateful for all that the hands do for you in your waking life.
Moving your awareness now down to the belly.
Just bringing your attention to the gentle movement of the hands.
Just bringing your attention to the gentle movement of breath in the belly.
Allowing the effortless rise and fall of breath to fill the belly.
There's nothing for you to do now,
Just allowing the breath to rise and fall.
Really feeling into the natural waves of energy that's brought by each breath.
Just noticing the breath rising and falling in the belly.
And allowing your body to really let go with every out-breath.
Allowing your body to really let go with every out-breath.
Sinking deeper into relaxation with every out-breath.
Just letting go.
Sinking deeper into your body.
Deeper into the bed.
And just letting go with every out-breath.
Moving your awareness now down the thighs,
Past the knees,
All the way past the ankles and into the feet.
Moving your attention deep within the muscles of the feet,
All the way from heel to toe.
Perhaps noticing pulsing,
Tingling.
Perhaps heat,
Cold.
Just bringing your full awareness deep within the feet.
Left foot.
Right foot.
Just bringing a deep presence to the sensations within the feet.
Imagining the feet really grounding and rooting you down into the bed and into the earth beneath you.
And now bringing your attention to the whole body.
Lying here.
Rested and calm and at ease.
And really sensing into the body grounding and rooting down into the earth beneath you.
Noticing the body breathing in and breathing out.
And for the last moment or so,
Really allowing yourself to let go with every out-breath.
And with every out-breath,
Allowing the body to soften a little more.
To let go a little more.
To rest a little more.
And remembering that there's nothing to do.
There's nowhere to go.
Just allowing your body to let go a little more.
To rest a little more.
To soothe itself a little more.
And just taking a moment to give yourself thanks for taking the time to rest your body and soothe your mind.
Wishing you peace and rest and relaxation.
Take care and thank you for meditating with me.
Thank you for meditating with me.
