Hello,
This is Paige with a meditation to help you drift off to sleep.
Meditation does help us learn to be relaxed even in times when we're uncomfortable and it can be pretty uncomfortable when it's hard to fall asleep.
Usually in meditation we make a point to stay alert and aware so of course this will be more of a relaxing and letting go than a traditional meditation or said another way we'll rest our attention to relax so completely that we're able to fall asleep.
If you happen to get distracted by thoughts when you're trying to fall asleep you can try a technique of labeling the distraction.
So if a thought comes up while you're trying to rest make a note,
Thought,
And return to the meditation.
You can use this method to tag an emotion,
A sensation,
A sound,
Just make a mental note and return to the practice.
So let's get started.
Please find a comfortable position and since this is a lying down meditation get comfortable.
Begin to settle and relax.
Gently close your eyes and as you sink down into your bed let yourself feel supported and as you feel that support let go,
Let yourself feel held and relax into the support beneath you.
If you need to make any adjustments do so consciously and deliberately.
Let all of your weight drift down and we'll start by gathering our attention onto our legs and let them relax,
Releasing any tension in your muscles.
Let your legs soften and melt.
Relax your toes and feet,
Ankles,
Shins,
Calves,
Thighs and everything.
Relax and let your attention move up to your hips and let them feel heavy.
Let them rest.
Bring your attention to your arms from your fingertips all the way up to your shoulders.
Release any tension that you notice or feel.
Let it go.
Shoulders feel heavy and settled.
Notice if there's any tightness in your back or your chest and if you can release it.
Let your belly be soft and tense your eyebrows and forehead.
Unclench your jaw and even with your eyes closed let your eyes rest into their sockets.
Settle and relax.
Let your entire body be at ease and now that the body is experiencing greater rest please bring your attention onto your breath.
Become acquainted with your breath.
Notice the sensations of the breath coming in and the breath going out.
Take all the time you need for each breath.
Slow and easy.
We'll begin to deepen our breath,
Lengthen our exhales.
Any exhale that's somewhat longer than our inhale will help us relax even further.
Take a few cycles of slower deeper breath,
Nice long inhale and an extended exhale.
Take an inhale and as you exhale do so gently and completely and let go.
See if you can sink a little deeper into a state of tranquility.
Stay in a tranquil sensation in your body and breath as you breathe in and as you breathe out let go go deeper.
Breathe in stay in a sense of peace and calm.
Breathe out let go go a little deeper and stay where you are as you breathe in and let go sinking deeper into the experience of tranquility.
Take a few cycles of breath just like this all on your own.
And now that we may be in a more tranquil state with our minds more at ease and our bodies more relaxed let's see if we can relax even further.
Remember if you get a distraction label it and return to your breath.
Breathing in relaxing and as you breathe out sink deeper.
Nice steady inhales to rest,
Gentle but complete exhales letting go even more.
Take a few more rounds just like this.
Continue to breathe in and out.
Maintaining a sense of calm.
Allowing yourself to relax,
Letting yourself sink a little deeper,
Drifting off effortlessly to sleep,
Staying asleep,
Relaxing and letting go,
Relaxing and letting go.
Have a good rest.
