Welcome to this meditation to help you fall into a deeply restorative sleep.
This evening we'll explore a gradually deepening practice through awareness of the body,
Breath and mind and into a place of inner stillness where you can rest.
The music will continue for a little while after the guidance is finished to ensure you're sleeping deeply.
So let's begin with the first layer of awareness which is preparing for sleep.
Be aware of things external to you,
The room and the area immediately around you.
Create the conditions for rest the best that you can.
Turn off any lights or technology that's distracting.
And make sure your alarm is set if you need one in the morning.
Settle into your bed and find a comfortable position.
Continue to be aware of things that you would consider external to you.
Adjust anything that still feels uncomfortable or distracting.
I know you can always change your position as you relax more through the practice.
Take a deep breath in and sigh out your exhale.
Close your eyes.
Still aware of what's around you for a few more moments.
Feeling well orientated to the space that you're in.
Settling in.
You feel ready to rest.
Bring your awareness more inwards now to your body as you relax into the bed.
Can you be aware of the front of your body?
Aware of the front of your body.
Now bring your awareness to the back of your body.
Be aware of the back of your body.
Be aware of your right side.
The whole right side of your body.
And be aware of your left side.
Your whole left side.
Now bring awareness back to the front of your body.
And up to your head and your face.
Feel tension dissolve from the space between your eyebrows.
Soften all the tiny muscles in your face.
Invite your eyes to become still and soft.
Feel your jaw relax.
And release tension from your mouth.
Allow awareness to travel down to your chest.
And feel a spaciousness in your chest.
The spaciousness spreads across your collarbones,
Into your biceps.
And down your arms to your hands.
Your palms soften.
And your hands curl naturally.
Trace awareness back to your chest.
And down to your belly.
Allow your belly to gently expand with your breath.
And soften on your exhale.
Observe this gentle movement of your belly as you breathe.
Feel this relaxation travel down to your thighs.
Softening and releasing what you can.
Down into your shins.
And all the way to the tops of your feet and your toes.
Guide awareness to the back of your body.
And start at your heels.
Relaxing your heels.
Into your calves.
Through the backs of your knees.
And into your thighs.
Notice if you're still holding any tension in your glutes.
And over the next few breaths,
Use your exhales to let go of what you can.
Even if it's just a little bit.
Breathe as if you could breathe space into your low back.
Aware of your middle back.
And up to your shoulders.
Linger here a moment,
Simply aware of your shoulders.
And use your next few exhales to carry away holding and tension from your shoulders.
Soften up into your neck.
And be aware of your whole head.
Feel like you're softening towards the back of your head.
Feel as though you're softening back and down within.
Your whole body softens back and down into the support of your bed.
Your whole body feels relaxed.
Your whole body feels ready to rest.
Allow your body to rest.
Relaxed and at ease,
Turn your attention inwards towards your breath.
The gentle movement of your inhale and exhale.
Notice how calm your breath has become.
If you're still feeling some of the forward momentum of the day,
Use your breath to help slow things down.
Subtly increase the length of your exhales.
Easy inhale.
Don't overthink it.
Just breathe in to an amount that feels easy and right.
And let the exhale out a little slower and longer.
Feel yourself slowing down.
Feel yourself relaxing more and more with each exhale.
I invite you now to scan your body for somewhere that already feels like it's asleep.
A part of your body that has fully relaxed.
Feels drowsy and sleepy.
A part of you that's already resting.
Feel that part of you that's already drifted into sleep.
Notice how relaxed it is.
Your body is ready to rest.
Your breath is ready to rest.
Relaxing even more deeply and more subtle still.
You're aware of the place within where your thoughts usually are.
And it's okay if there are no thoughts.
Or if there's still many.
Simply observe this space where your thoughts come and go.
Be the observer of this space.
Choosing to not participate in any thoughts that arise.
Just relaxing back and down and observing any thoughts.
You can watch your thoughts without engaging with them.
Just as you can watch clouds drift by in a beautiful blue sky.
You can let any thoughts that still linger simply be there.
As you relax and rest in a place deeper than your thoughts.
Awareness becomes even more subtle and softens back and down.
Into the place within you that's quiet and still.
There is a calm and peaceful space within you.
Allow yourself to relax into the peacefulness within.
The stillness within.
This is a welcoming place.
A comforting place.
You feel safe and at ease here.
Simply relax back and down.
As if your awareness,
The observer,
Relaxes back and down to the place beneath and behind your heart.
Deep within you.
Beneath the layers of breath.
Deeper than your thoughts.
There is a beautiful stillness.
Relax into the stillness.
You can rest here.
Let yourself drift.
Deeper and deeper.
Relaxing.
Drifting into sleep.
You can let go.
It's okay to rest.
Drift deeper and deeper.
Into sleep.
