Settling Into Sleep

Restlessness may arise during times of stress. Research is beginning to indicate that mindfulness can support sleep through managing the body’s stress response. The following meditation by Manoj Dias leads you into a state of rest through the practice of full-body awareness.

Transcript

Hello,

My name is Manoj Dias and this is a practice on settling into sleep.

Begin your practice by finding a comfortable position and this practice is best done lying down in a position that feels easeful and restful.

You can allow your eyes to remain open or gently close.

Whatever feels appropriate for you,

Taking time to settle into a position that feels safe and nourishing.

During this practice,

You are guided to notice and feel physical sensations,

The breath,

Emotions,

Thoughts and feelings of well-being and to experience yourself as a witness of all of what's going on.

Whatever you experience is okay,

Just as it is.

Simply rest at ease and follow my guidance,

Allowing my voice to be an anchor for your mind.

As we begin this practice,

You will be invited to explore sensations,

Emotions and thoughts without trying to fix or make anything else happen.

As you welcome whatever is arising,

Your body and mind are learning to remain at ease,

While you discover the place within that is always at ease and peaceful.

Experiencing this moment just as is.

Begin to feel your body settling naturally into a space of stillness.

Your senses are wide open.

Paying attention to your senses,

Notice the taste in your mouth,

The sounds around you,

The smells,

Images or colours behind your eyelids,

The touch of the air on your skin,

Your senses open and alive.

Now allow your safe space to emerge,

A special place where you feel secure and at ease.

Bring to mind a room or a place in nature,

An image of a favourite symbol or the feeling of deep peace.

Whatever your safe space is,

Imagine it using all of your senses,

Noticing sounds,

Smells,

Tastes,

Colours,

Shapes that are present,

Sensing feelings of security,

Ease and wellbeing as you imagine your safe space.

Sensing feelings of security within you that are always available at a moments notice.

As you do this,

Notice in your body where you feel warm and relaxed,

Knowing that you can return to this secure safe space any time during your practice or in daily life whenever you need to feel secure,

Calm and at ease.

Now allow your heart's deepest wish to arise,

Something that you want more than anything else in your life.

This may be a wish for yourself or for someone else or for the world around you.

Whatever it is,

Allow this wish to rise up naturally as your deepest heartfelt desire.

Perhaps it's the feeling of being whole,

At ease and healthy,

The feeling of deep self-acceptance,

Peace or wellbeing.

Whatever it is,

Welcome and affirm your deepest wish in the present tense with your entire body as if it's true right now.

Then,

Set your intention aside and notice how it returns at the end of practice or as you go about your daily life.

Bring to mind your intention for today's practice.

How would you like to feel during and as a result of this practice?

Perhaps a sense of inner peace,

Joy or wellbeing.

Perhaps relief from physical discomfort or tension or pain.

Your intention may be as simple as to remain aware throughout this entire practice.

But whatever it is,

Allow your intention to emerge fully,

Feeling your intention as an ally,

Supporting you to be focused and aware throughout your practice.

Affirming this and the feeling of your intention with your entire mind and body.

Realising how it supports you during your practice and in your daily life.

Now let the sound of my voice guide you in experiencing sensations throughout your body.

As I name each area,

You may feel sensations that are present or nothing in particular.

But whatever you experience is just as it is in this moment.

The mouth.

Bring your attention to the sensations inside your mouth.

Roof of the mouth,

Floor,

Inside cheeks,

Left and right,

Back of the throat,

Tongue,

The entire mouth,

A field of sensation.

Ears,

The ears,

Left ear,

Right ear,

Sensing both ears at the same time.

Nose,

Welcoming the breath as pure sensation in the nose.

Both nostril,

Right nostril,

Both nostrils at the same time.

Eyes,

Left eye,

Right eye,

Both eyes together,

A field of radiant sensation.

Head and neck,

Sensing forehead,

Skull,

Back of the head and neck.

Inside the throat,

Shoulders,

Left shoulder,

Left upper arm,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Left palm,

Fingers,

The entire left arm,

Right shoulder,

Right upper arm,

Forearm,

Wrist,

Right palm,

And fingers,

The entire right arm.

Both arms together as one field of sensation.

Upper chest,

Upper back,

Middle chest,

Middle back,

Abdomen,

Lower back,

The entire torso as a field of sensation.

Right buttock,

Left hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Left foreleg,

Foot,

Toes,

The entire left leg.

Right buttock,

Right hip,

Thigh,

Knee,

Right foreleg,

Foot,

Toes,

The entire right leg.

Sensing both legs at the same time.

Sensing the entire front of the body,

Back of the body,

Right side,

Left side,

Sensing the entire body,

Inside and outside as a field of radiant sensation.

Awareness,

Be aware of all that is now present in your awareness.

Feeling yourself as the one who is aware of everything.

Sensing what's present.

And experiencing yourself as the field of awareness in which everything is coming and going.

Become aware of the body breathing.

The flow of the breath as sensation in the nostrils.

The abdomen gently rising as breath flows in and releasing as breath flows out.

No need to change anything.

The body breathing naturally and rhythmically in breath.

Abdomen rising.

Out breath.

Abdomen releasing.

No need to change anything.

The body breathing itself.

Begin counting each breath silently backwards from seven to one in the following way.

In breath,

Abdomen rising.

Seven out breath,

Abdomen releasing.

Seven in breath,

Abdomen rising.

Six out breath,

Abdomen releasing.

Six.

Continuing counting and breathing in your body's natural rhythm.

If you lose count,

Begin again at seven.

Breathing,

Counting and being with everything just as it is.

Now let go of your counting and be aware of the fields of sensation throughout your body.

In the mouth,

Face,

Scalp,

Neck,

Throat,

Shoulders,

Arms,

Hands,

Torso,

Pelvis,

Chest,

Chest,

Shoulders,

Legs and feet.

Awake and alert.

Your body,

A field of radiant sensation.

Now bring attention to feelings that are present throughout the body.

Notice any warmth or coolness,

Heaviness or lightness.

Comfort or discomfort.

Allowing them to be noticed fully in your body.

If no feelings are present,

Simply welcome whatever is present.

It's helpful to locate the opposite of the feeling.

If you're feeling warmth,

Now find coolness.

Heaviness,

Find lightness.

Comfort,

Find discomfort.

Welcoming an opposite of feeling fully into the body.

Now welcome both opposites of feeling into the body at the same time.

Without thinking,

Simply experiencing how doing this affects your body and mind.

Now bring attention to an emotion that is present in your body.

Perhaps one that you are working with in your life.

You may want to recall a memory that invites a particular emotion in your body.

Welcoming the emotion as sensation into your body.

Inviting this emotion to unfold fully as sensation in the body.

If no emotion is present,

There's no need to make anything happen.

Simply welcoming whatever is present.

If an emotion is present,

Where are you feeling it in your body?

Allowing it to blossom fully.

Recalling thoughts,

Images or memories that arise with this emotion.

And it's helpful to allow any opposite emotions to emerge.

Perhaps recalling a memory that invites this opposite emotion into your body.

If an opposite emotion is present,

Where do you experience it in your body?

Your time,

Welcome the opposite emotion.

Remembering that there's no right or wrong way of doing any of this.

And that you are welcome to return to your safe space at any time.

Welcome a thought or belief that you sometimes fall into.

Perhaps one that you take to be true about yourself.

If no belief is arising,

Simply being with whatever is present.

And if there is a belief present,

Hold this belief about yourself to be true.

Where and how do you feel it in your body?

Sensing how this belief affects the entire body.

Noticing any images,

Emotions or thoughts that co-arise with this belief.

Trying to change anything.

There is no need.

And if it's helpful,

Bring to mind the opposite of this belief.

As you hold this opposite belief about yourself to be true.

Notice how it affects your body.

Welcoming any images,

Emotions or memories that also emerge.

Present to your experience,

Just as it is,

Without trying to change or fix anything.

And now,

In your own rhythm,

Alternate several times between these opposites of belief.

Welcoming first one as true,

Then the other.

Experiencing how belief acts upon your body and mind.

Now welcome both beliefs at the same time.

While experiencing how this affects your entire body and mind.

Be aware of all that is now present in your awareness.

Feeling yourself as the one who is aware of everything that's now present.

Sensing what's present and experiencing yourself as the field of awareness in which everything is arising.

Be attentive to your sensations throughout the body.

Pleasure,

Happiness,

Joy or well-being.

Perhaps recall a particular event from your life that invites feelings of pleasure,

Joy or well-being into your body.

Welcoming whatever emerges,

Just as it is.

Perhaps experiencing the sensation of joy as an inner smile that radiates from your body.

And this smile of sensation expanding throughout your entire body,

Flowing out into your torso,

Arms and hands.

Down into your pelvis,

Legs and feet.

Flowing up into the head and face.

Mouth and lips and eyes smiling.

Legs and feet flowing up into the head and face.

Mouth,

Lips and eyes smiling.

The entire body is smiling.

Body is radiant and alive with the feeling of joy or well-being.

A sense of being okay,

Just as you are.

Be aware of all that is now present in your awareness.

Feeling yourself as the one who is aware of everything that is now present.

Settling into awareness itself,

Open and spacious.

Being awareness in which everything is coming and going.

Awareness in which everything is welcome,

Just as it is.

Become aware and reflect on all that has been or is now present.

Sensations,

Emotions,

Beliefs,

Joy,

Well-being.

The experience of being just aware.

Everything just as it is.

Feel yourself just as you are.

Now,

Settle back into your safe space.

Your place of stability,

Security and well-being.

Notice your breathing.

Easy and effortless.

Bring to mind your intention for this practice.

Noticing the formation of an intention for your next practice.

Recall your wish as a sensation in your body.

Experiencing it as an accomplishment of your practice.

If you are not fully asleep,

Settle into the relaxation of your body.

A felt sense of slowing down and being with the natural sensations in your body.

Thank you for watching!

Reviews

Very nice! Smooth voice, calming result. Good preparation for sleep, but also nice to do when I’m not going to sleep. Really enjoyed the technique of experiencing a physical sensation, and then imagining its opposite; experiencing an emotion and imagining its opposite. The dialectic ! Very helpful! Deep healing! Thank you so much.

Such a beautiful voice to lull you off to sleep. Thank you 🙏

This worked a treat. Thank you so much for sending me into the land of nod 🙏❤.

Marvelous! Thank you for making this 🌸

I always fall asleep before it is finished. That's a compliment!

I have awaken this morning feeling refreshed and peaceful. Thank you for a good sleep.

Gracias ONU, gracias Insight. Dios los bendiga