Good evening.
My name is Bill Larson.
Tonight,
As we let go of the events of today,
To be able to enjoy a peaceful and restful sleep,
Let's take a moment first to appreciate ourselves for being here.
But we're taking this time to be present,
To go inside ourselves and look into our own lives so that we can care for our own health and mental well-being.
Let's take a few moments to concentrate on our mind and body with a mindful check-in,
Being aware of any sensations,
Any thoughts,
Any tightness in the body,
As well as being attuned to mood,
Feeling,
Or emotions,
And just acknowledging whatever's being felt,
And for tonight,
Letting it be.
As we go through the body,
You may notice from time to time tensions,
Tightness,
Maybe achiness.
That's okay,
Because this is your time to focus on those stressed areas and allow them to soften so that you can find a more relaxed place for yourself before sleep.
Now very gently,
Let's bring our attention to your breath,
Being mindful of the breath in your abdomen,
Expanding on an inhalation and falling on an exhalation,
Breathing in and breathing out with awareness,
Breathing normally and breathing naturally,
Feeling the rise and fall of your abdomen.
Being aware of our breathing can help calm us down when we're feeling anxious,
Even fearful.
Breathe in and breathe out,
Taking in one inhalation and letting out one exhalation at a time.
Good.
Now gently withdraw the awareness from your breathing and let's shift our focus to a body scan.
Begin by gently concentrating on the soles of your feet,
The heels,
The bottom of your feet,
The toes,
The top of your feet,
Your Achilles tendon,
And above and into your ankle joints.
And as you breathe,
Release all the tension you might be feeling so that your feet feel relaxed.
Then extend that release into your lower legs,
Your calves,
Your shins,
And into your knees.
Remember,
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Now release the tension from your upper legs,
Thighs,
Hips,
And pelvis.
Good.
Let's now focus on releasing the tension in your lower back,
Your spine,
And eventually your upper back.
As you breathe,
Release any tensions you may feel there.
That's great.
Now as you breathe,
Be mindful of your shoulders and shoulder blades.
Feel yourself move from your shoulders to your upper arms and down into your elbows,
Forearms,
Wrists,
Hands,
And fingers.
Let that feel nice and relaxing.
Finally,
Mindfully release the tension in your neck,
Face,
And head.
That's good.
You have done a complete system check on yourself.
You have taken the time to put aside the events of the day to focus on you,
Your head and neck,
Shoulders,
Arms and hands,
Your chest and abdomen,
Your back,
Hips,
Legs,
And feet,
Feeling your body as a whole from head to toe.
Breathe in,
Feeling your chest rise ever so gently,
And breathe out,
Letting it fall and relax.
Even as we focus on the body and mind,
We may at times continue to experience some anxious thoughts,
Worries,
Even fears.
But remember to listen to yourself with compassion.
Remember when we are in the moment and present and use the practice of mindfulness,
Of inquiry,
Of investigating ourselves and practicing self-care.
We discover the underlying causes of our fears and worries,
So we conquer them and not let them keep us unhappy and unhealthy.
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
And as you breathe,
Imagine yourself sitting on a blanket outside on the perfect summer day.
Look up at the incredible blue sky.
Now,
Watch the clouds and pretend they are the very thoughts that bring you anxiety.
The more you relax on your special blanket,
The further and further those clouds fly away in the sky.
As you drift off to sleep tonight,
Remember that your anxious thoughts are nothing but passing mental phenomena.
Like clouds,
Mental events that come and go.
Being present in our minds and bodies allows us to become aware of the thoughts and traps we find ourselves in in that moment.
When we realize those instances,
Those bad feelings,
Those doubts,
Worries,
And fears are impermanent.
We become free.
You are now free.
And as we begin to end this meditation tonight,
Let's take a moment to think about the people in our lives who are also challenged with these feelings and extend our well-wishes of healing and of peace.
Most of all,
As you sink into your pillow and feel the warmth and safety of your blankets in bed,
Take time to congratulate yourself for proactively taking this precious time to work on you and turn your anxiety and anxiousness into power and freedom.
May all beings,
All those anywhere that live with doubt,
Remember that they too are held in the cradle and the heart of the universe and that no one is ever alone.
Wherever they are,
Wherever you are,
You are amazing and worthy of being free from fear.
And may you and all beings find peace and enjoy a wonderful,
Restful,
And deep,
Deep sleep.
Good night.
