Welcome to this meditation to help you drift into a deeply restorative sleep.
In this meditation,
I'll help you to settle the body and breath,
And then guide you into a visualization of a wonderful place of rest and relaxation.
Music will continue for some time after the visualization has finished to help you drop all the way into deep sleep.
Before we begin,
Remember to set your alarm if you need one for the morning.
Make sure you've done everything you need to,
To prepare for sleep.
Start to make your way into a comfortable position.
Aware of your legs and the position of your legs,
Making your legs comfortable.
Aware of your torso.
If there's any discomfort,
Adjust what you need to so your torso is comfortable.
Aware of your position of your arms and hands,
Adjusting,
Becoming comfortable.
Check the placement of your head.
Make sure it feels supported.
Now guide your awareness to your feet.
Take an easy breath in,
Aware of your feet,
And as you exhale,
Let them soften.
Your awareness now can move up to your lower legs,
From ankles into calves,
Into your knees.
Take a breath in,
And on your exhale,
Allow your lower legs to soften and release any tension.
Aware now of your upper legs,
From your knees through thighs to hips.
Feel and be aware of your upper legs as you inhale,
And as you exhale,
Let your upper legs release.
Let go of any gripping or holding.
Your legs feel fully relaxed.
An awareness moves up to your upper body.
Breathe into your belly,
Feel it gently expand,
And then relax.
Repeat that a couple more times,
Just observing the gentle expansion and contraction of your belly as you breathe.
Now take your awareness to your hands.
Feel your hands.
Take an easy breath in,
And as you exhale,
Let them soften.
Your awareness now can move up to your arms,
Forearms,
Elbows,
Upper arms.
Take a breath in as you're aware of your arms,
And on your exhale,
Let your arms soften and release any tension.
Guide your awareness now to your shoulders and chest.
Take a breath in,
And as you exhale,
Allow your shoulders and chest to soften,
And release any held tension.
Keep your attention here for the next couple of breaths,
Softening your shoulders on your exhales.
Become aware of your neck and head.
It's comfortably supported,
So breathe in easily,
And see if you can let go of some holding or tension from your neck.
Breathing still gently into your belly,
As you exhale,
Melt away tension from your jaw.
Another easy breath flows in,
And as you exhale,
Your forehead softens.
One more easy breath in,
And as you exhale,
Your eyes get soft and still.
Now please come back to your breath.
For the next few rounds of breath,
Add an easy count to the inhale and exhale.
Breathe in to a count of four,
And out to a count of six,
Or maybe even eight.
So counting to four on your inhale,
Nice and easy,
And out to six or eight.
Inviting the exhales to be longer than the inhales,
But still comfortably so.
Go with the number that feels most soothing to you.
Simple count on the inhale to four,
And exhale long and slow.
Feel your body release even more.
Feel as if you're getting a little heavier,
Your whole body sinking into the support of your bed.
Let go of counting your breath.
See if you can invite into your body now an experience of lightness.
Your legs are light,
Your arms are light,
Your head is light,
Your torso too,
Your whole body feels light,
Effortless and open.
You feel light as a feather.
Feel now that you are outside on a late summer's day.
You can feel lush green grass under your feet and the soft touch of early evening sun on your skin.
Take a breath of fresh clean air.
You lift your gaze up and see that the sky is still a beautiful blue with wisps of white clouds drifting lazily by.
You hear the sound of water not too far away,
So you begin to walk towards it.
The grass underfoot cushions each and every step you take.
And as you approach the source of the sound,
You notice it's a shallow stream.
It's moving across rocks and sand.
It's flowing at an easy,
Slow pace.
There's a small wooden bridge crossing the stream,
With sturdy wooden planks that have been worn smooth through the years.
You make your way onto the bridge and stop halfway,
Sitting down to dangle your feet over the edge where they can swing freely.
You watch sparkles of light on the surface of the water,
As a gently rippling stream catches the sun's rays.
Your face relaxes as you watch the light dancing and shifting playfully.
A soft smile emerges on your lips.
You feel at ease here,
Peaceful,
And in sync with the rhythm of nature.
The sun is starting to drop lower in the sky,
As it takes its evening stroll towards the horizon.
Just across the stream,
There are two magnificent oaks,
Old and strong.
White drapes and sheer nets create a cozy tent from their branches,
With strings of soft lights artfully placed throughout.
Inside this whimsical tent,
There is a large bed covered in blankets,
Throws and pillows.
You continue across the bridge and make your way to the tent.
When you step inside,
You know you're completely safe in this magical space.
The nets protect you from any insects or animals.
You notice if you haven't already that there is a table to the right side of a bed,
And it has your favorite evening drink on it.
Pick up the drink,
Breathe in its wonderful aroma,
And settle up onto the bed.
Enjoy a sip and get comfortable.
You feel your mind clear and shoulders soften as you watch and admire the beauty of the setting sun.
The sky gradually turns from orange to red,
To purples and blues.
The sun has set now,
And as your eyes adjust to the twilight,
The lights around you cast a soft glow.
Relaxed and at ease,
You enjoy the stillness and peace of this beautiful evening.
Your eyes feel heavy.
You settle more deeply and comfortably into the pillows and blankets.
They're just as you like them.
Your arms feel heavy.
Your legs feel heavy.
Your torso feels heavy.
Comfortably heavy and relaxed.
Your eyelids become heavy.
Your eyes soften.
And close.
Allow yourself to rest here.
Allow yourself to drift into sleep.
