This is Oren.
So glad to be here with you.
Go ahead and get comfortable so you can settle in for a good night's rest.
If you like,
Let's start with a few deep breaths.
Breathe in through your nose,
Taking a nice deep breath,
Filling your belly and chest all the way up to the top.
And then breathe out through your mouth,
Imagining any stress or worries,
Slowly leaving your body with that out breath.
When you're ready,
Breathing in again through your nose,
Full and deep,
Filling your whole body up.
And then breathing out through your mouth.
Letting out any sound of relief or relaxation that comes.
Just settling in and putting things down.
And then one final time,
Breathing in all the way.
And this time.
.
.
Go ahead and hold your breath for just a moment or two.
And then breathe out,
Releasing any worries,
Fears,
Or concerns that are on your mind.
When you're ready,
You can let your breathing return to normal and gently close your eyes.
Do whatever you need to get comfortable.
And any time you want to shift or adjust your position,
Go ahead,
Feel free to do that.
Feel your body lying there on the bed.
And see if you can let the mattress begin to support the weight of your body.
Almost like you were resting on a soft,
Smooth cloud.
The gentlest,
Most comfortable bed in the world.
And as you rest there on that soft,
Cushy cloud bed.
You can begin to let go of the day.
Today's over.
Whatever happened,
However wonderful or challenging.
Now is the time to put everything down and just let it be.
If any worries or concerns come to mind as we settle in to sleep,
You can just say quietly to yourself.
Okay,
Thanks.
Not now.
Later.
And then imagine that thought just gently floating away,
Like a thin,
Wispy cloud in the sky.
You know,
It's normal to feel worried or anxious about stuff in our life,
In our world.
We worry because we care.
And if we want to help,
We need to learn how to rest.
All of us need rest.
And not just for our bodies.
Our mind,
Our heart and our spirit needs rest too.
So that we can access our energy and our goodness to help others and the world.
So if it helps,
We can say thank you in our own quiet way.
Thank you to friends.
Thank you to family.
Thank you to teachers.
And neighbors.
Thank you to the sky.
Thank you to the air and to the water.
Thank you to the Earth.
And the animals.
Thank you to everyone and everything that has made this day possible.
Let's take a few moments to just appreciate anyone or anything else from your day that comes to mind.
Just resting with that feeling of gratitude.
Saying thank you sincerely in your heart.
In whatever way you like.
And then.
.
.
When you're ready.
We can set the scene to let things slowly come to rest and unwind for sleep.
Falling asleep is natural.
As natural as the sun setting.
Or the birds and animals returning to their nests at dusk.
Your body and mind know how to unwind and relax on their own.
So if you like.
.
.
Go ahead and imagine a peaceful scene.
Maybe it's somewhere in nature.
It could be a real place that you've been.
Or even someplace in your imagination.
You can feel the air on your skin,
And it's just right.
You can see the sun going down over the horizon in the distance.
The sky is beautiful.
And as the colors change.
And the light begins to fade.
It's as if everything is falling into place.
The birds and the daytime animals have all returned to their homes to rest.
You can feel a stillness.
A deep quiet.
That settles in over the landscape.
And as you watch this scene unfold all around you.
The light slowly grows dimmer and dimmer.
Until you can begin to see a few stars in the night sky.
Imagine that your thoughts and any remaining worries are each finding their own cozy place to rest.
As if every tiny piece of a complex puzzle in your mind were returning to its home.
One at a time.
Settling in.
Finding its place.
Curling up.
And growing quiet.
And as your mind begins to grow quieter,
A similar process begins to happen in your body.
With each breath,
Imagine that the muscles of your body were slowly relaxing and unwinding.
Starting with your eyes,
Feeling your eyelids gently shut.
As you breathe in,
You can feel your eyelids.
And as you breathe out,
All of the tiny muscles there in your eyelids begin to soften and relax.
Feel your eyelids getting heavy.
Resting shut.
Breathing in,
You can feel your forehead.
And as you breathe out.
Any residual tension or tightness there in your forehead and temples slowly releases.
With each out breath,
Imagine the muscles in your forehead.
And around the sides and back of your head.
Slowly relaxing.
Loosening.
Opening.
Begin to feel the rest of your face.
The muscles of your cheeks.
Your jaw and lips.
As you breathe in,
You can feel the muscles and tissues of your face.
And each time you breathe out,
They grow softer and softer.
More and more relaxed.
Any traces of tension slowly dissolving and melting away.
Feel your whole head now.
Resting gently on the pillow.
Just allowing your head to be supported.
Like you were floating here on the soft.
Fluffy downy cloud.
Become aware of the front and back of your neck.
Breathing in,
You can feel your neck.
And breathing out,
The muscles in your neck are becoming softer,
Lighter.
With each out breath,
Any tension or tightness in your neck is slowly dissolving.
Melting away.
Feel your shoulders resting there on the bed.
Breathing in,
You can feel your shoulders.
Breathing out.
Each and every fiber of the muscles in your shoulders begin to loosen and relax.
It's almost as if there's more space,
Something light and flowing in your shoulders.
Begin to feel your arms now.
Imagine that they're growing heavier.
Heavier.
Sinking down into the bed.
Like you're lying on a soft,
Soft cloud.
As you breathe in,
You can feel your arms resting here.
And as you breathe out,
Imagine your breath moving down through your shoulders.
Flowing down through your arms like a soft,
Smooth wave.
With each out-breath.
Imagine that wave of soft sensation flowing down your arms.
Moving through your upper arms.
Down through your elbows.
Into your forearms.
Through your wrists.
Flowing all the way down into your hands.
Your arms feel relaxed and easy.
Just resting there right where they are.
Become aware of your hands.
These amazing hands that do so much each day.
Touching,
Holding.
Grasping,
Turning,
Releasing,
And letting go.
Breathing in,
You can feel your hands.
These hands that can help.
That can hold,
Soothe.
And as your body breathes out,
Begin to imagine all of the muscles and tissues in your hands relaxing.
Feel your palms soft and relaxed.
Feeling your fingers.
Feel each finger slowly relaxing.
Resting there.
On the soft,
Gentle cloud.
Healing your hands.
If at any point you notice any worry,
Tension,
Or anxiety.
Just imagine it flowing down through your shoulders,
Down through your arms.
All the way down and out through your hands.
Feel your hands now,
Like two warm,
Soft,
Pulsing areas of sensation resting on the cloud.
Releasing any stress,
Worry,
Or anxiety through your arms and all the way out your hands.
Then,
When you're ready.
Begin to notice your chest and torso.
Breathing in,
You can feel your upper chest.
As your body breathes out,
The muscles and tissues there in your chest begin to soften and release all by themselves.
Feel your chest and abdomen.
Your belly.
Just letting the rhythm of your body breathing.
Flow and move gently.
Let your belly be soft.
Let your breath come and go naturally.
Easily.
All by itself.
Sense your back.
Your upper back.
Your middle and lower back.
Begin to imagine all of the muscles in your back from top to bottom relaxing.
Like a warm,
Soft wave of sensation flowing down your back.
You can begin to feel each muscle,
Every fiber,
Slowly releasing.
Softening and settling on its own.
All the way down your back.
Feel your whole upper body now,
Resting gently on that soft,
Soft cloud.
All of the muscles,
Tissues,
And nerve fibers.
Continuing to soften and relax on their own with each easy breath.
Then begin to feel your hips and pelvis.
Resting there.
And continue to let this wave of relaxation move down through your pelvis into your upper legs.
Feel those large,
Strong muscles of your legs resting.
You can feel your upper legs.
And as your body breathes out.
Just letting that soft wave of relaxation continue down,
Down through the muscles of your upper legs,
Softening and loosening.
Become aware of your knees.
Your shins and calves.
All the way down into your ankles.
And imagine that wave of relaxation flowing down through your knees,
Into your lower legs,
All the way down into your ankles and feet.
As your body breathes in,
You can feel your feet now.
And as you breathe out,
Your feet are relaxing.
These amazing,
Beautiful feet.
Carry us all day over the earth.
These feet that help us move and walk.
Letting all of the muscles,
Tissues,
And tiny bones of your feet soften and relax with each out breath.
You can feel your whole body now.
Your whole body.
Resting here on that soft,
Fluffy cloud,
Comfortable.
Relaxed and easy.
Letting your breath come and go naturally.
Like the rhythm of some ancient song.
Like the waves of an ocean pulsing deep within you.
Rocking your mind and body slowly to sleep.
Imagine yourself floating there on that cloud.
Beginning to drift.
Effortlessly drifting.
Floating to sleep.
Feel your body breathing all by itself.
Each breath.
Gently rocking your body.
Allowing everything to be just as it is.
Giving your body,
Mind,
And spirit this time to rest.
To receive the deep nourishment of sleep.
As you float there on that cloud.
Everything else is slowly coming to rest too.
Somewhere in the back of your mind,
You can see the people you know and love also going to sleep.
Each person.
Turning off the lights.
Settling into bed.
Closing their eyes.
And beginning to drift.
You can feel the goodness of your heart.
And the goodness of others all around you.
It feels safe.
It feels secure now.
There's something real and true about it.
It's as if you're surrounded by that goodness.
Gently floating along.
Protected by it,
All around you.
Everything's growing very still and quiet now inside.
Healing your body.
Resting on the cloud.
Healing your breath.
Come and go.
Easiest thing in the world.
It's still and quiet.
Like the most peaceful,
Contented time you've ever known.
Just floating.
Drifting.
Your thoughts are slowly evaporating.
Disappearing one at a time.
Just coming and going.
Like thin clouds in the sky.
Settling and sinking down.
Here it is.
You can let go and relax.
Letting sleep come on its own.
Letting sleep come.
All on its own.
Sleep well.
