This meditation is designed to prepare yourself for sleep.
Its purpose is to refocus your attention on your body.
During the day,
Our attention is directed outward,
Towards external stimulations.
This is the objects we perceive,
The sounds,
The conversations,
The tasks we have to accomplish.
By drawing our attention outward,
This makes us lose contact with our body and the sense of being centered and present.
We lose our connection with ourselves.
By inviting our attention back into our body,
We offer this preserved space,
A sanctuary where attention can find a footing to regain stability and where it can rest and relax naturally.
This meditation is practiced lying down on a comfortable support,
Such as your bed or a mat.
It is ok to doze off or lose track during this meditation.
If you are getting closer to sleep,
Respect this need for rest and let sleep come naturally.
Lie on your back in a relaxed position.
If you wish,
You can let your eyes close.
If it is comfortable,
Raise your knees to keep your feet flat on your support,
Your legs at about 90 degree angle.
You can let your feet slide at the side so you have a sense of stability and let your knees rest against each other.
Adjust your position until you are comfortable.
You can let your hands rest on your chest or your stomach,
One on top of the other.
Feel how the support is holding you.
There is nothing you have to do.
Let your body relax on this support.
Trust the support.
Let gravity naturally relax your muscles towards the support.
Feel the action of gravity in your legs,
Your belly,
Your chest,
Your shoulders,
Your arms.
Gently place your attention towards your torso and your breathing.
Take a full in-breath and let go to let the air leave your lung in a sigh.
Feel the relaxation this sigh brings.
Let's take three of these breaths together.
Maybe feel how the relaxation extends itself after the out-breath.
Feel this suspended time naturally moving towards the following in-breath.
In that quiet space,
Feel the relaxation offered by gravity.
Take a few of these breaths while relaxing in that space between the in-breath and the out-breath.
It's okay if you notice your mind wander.
However,
Simply bring it back to your breath,
Focusing on that space between in-breath and out-breath.
Feel your out-breath naturally lengthening and settling in that space of calm and quiet.
Feel that quiet space opening up in your torso.
Feel this space opening up towards your hips area.
Release tension in the torso and the hips.
Feel this space of calm and quiet extending to your legs,
Your feet.
Feel how this sense of calm is now extending towards your legs,
Hips,
Torso and upward,
Reaching into your shoulders and your arms.
Feel this space open up towards your head.
Feel the silence and the calm it brings.
See whether you can maybe feel the whole of your body filled by this space,
This space of calm and quiet.
Be gentle here.
Simply let that space extend or not in the various parts of your body.
Wherever you can feel this space,
Sense the calm and repose it brings.
I invite you to continue this practice at your own pace for as long as you wish.
Thank you for this moment of practice.
