Welcome to your guided meditation to help you ease into peaceful rest and sleep.
We will go on a guided train journey.
The Overnight Express.
So really settle in now and find a comfortable position.
Give yourself permission to pause.
To rest and to drift.
And you can close your eyes now or later if you prefer.
Softening the little muscles around your eyes.
Unknitting any furrows in your brow so that your forehead becomes smooth.
Take a nice,
Slow,
Full breath.
Pools.
And let it go all the way out until you find the end of the breath.
And the little paws there.
Drop your shoulders,
Soften your forehead again and your jaw.
In this tiny window before you start the next inhale.
Breathe all the way in.
And breathe all the way out.
Beginning to follow the easy rhythm of your breath.
So that in the tiny pause before you start the next inhale.
You can soften and sink into the surface beneath you just a tiny bit more.
It's time to set the world aside.
Let go of the earlier part of the day.
And begin your gentle transition into sleep and rest.
And settle down.
Into yourself.
Take another slow,
Full,
Nourishing breath.
Breathe out any tension.
Each breath.
Is an opportunity.
To make space.
And soften.
Inviting in peace and stillness.
Peace and ease.
And each breath out,
Releasing into rest.
And safety.
Resist the habit to try at all and just ease into this one breath at a time.
Easing muscles one by one.
Just a little bit at a time.
And as you let the body continue to breathe you.
Imagine or just think about walking down a country lane.
Towards a little train station.
Where you will be boarding a Sleepy Express,
The overnight train.
It's a crisp autumn evening and as you walk along,
You feel the path beneath your feet.
Breathe in the cool autumn air as the day starts to fade.
And take in the trees along the lane.
Their leaves fluttering in the slightest of breezes.
It rained a little while ago.
And you can still smell the damp earth.
And feel the moisture on the air gently caressing your face.
As you make your way along the lane.
All the events of the day.
Seem to release their hold.
As you look forward to the gentle evening ride.
Soon you turn a corner.
And you see the station up ahead.
It's an old building,
Painted beautifully.
With a row of old-fashioned lamp lights.
In front.
A curved archway there at the entrance and a sign overhead that says train station.
In beautiful gold lettering.
The pavement is in front of you and it's still a bit wet from the rain.
And as you walk,
It glistens a little,
Softly reflecting the lights above.
Inside the station.
There are ornate,
Carved old wooden benches in a waiting area.
And on one wall is a ticket window.
The person behind the window is reading a newspaper.
And when you come up to the window.
They put down the paper.
Smile warmly.
And greet you by name.
You hand them one shiny round coin from your pocket.
And they hand you a ticket.
So you take your ticket.
And go out the back door towards the tracks.
Just as your train is pulling in.
It's an old one.
Very clean.
Elegant and lovingly cared for.
As the train comes to a stop.
The conductor steps out.
Greets you kindly by name.
And takes your ticket.
They wish you a safe journey.
And you climb aboard.
It's only a little way through the corridor to your sleep compartment.
So you walk down,
Open the door.
And find everything you need is there.
The bed is soft and inviting.
And seems almost to have been made especially and specifically for you.
So comfortable.
You take your place and notice as you settle down.
It's the perfect temperature for you.
And as the train begins moving,
You begin to feel the gentle motion of the carriage and hear the clickety-clack of the wheels along the track.
Clickety-clack clickety-clack a soothing sort of rhythm.
Outside,
Your train is passing through open fields and wooded areas.
Along rivers.
And past beautiful mountain landscapes off in the distance.
All cloaked in a softening sky of darkness,
Covered by a twinkling night sky.
But here,
Inside,
You are cosy and comfy with nothing to do.
At all.
But drift off into a dreamland.
And you can let your mind drift.
And dream to contented thoughts and memories or far-off places.
You can go anywhere you like on this train.
As you feel your body.
And your mind.
Begin to relax.
Starting with your feet Allow all the tension to leave them.
They've done well for you today and deserve a rest.
And so the relaxation in your feet.
Finds its way to your ankles.
Your calves.
And your knees.
Easing up to your upper legs,
Your hips and your backside.
Just let the muscles all go heavy and feel this easy sensation.
Flowing up into your abdomen.
And lower back.
And your upper back.
And chest.
Feel this peaceful feeling flow down into both your arms.
Into your hands.
And out through the very tips of your fingertips.
And then all the way up into your neck.
Your head.
And face.
All expressions.
Simply.
Smoothing away.
And as we begin this journey.
A journey round the body.
Almost as if we're visiting.
Each of these stations as I mention them.
Starting at the right side thumb.
Right index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger little finger.
Journeying to the wrist.
On the right side.
The right elbow.
Right shoulder right side ribs right side waist.
Right hip right knee.
Right ankle Big toe.
Second toe.
Third toe fourth tone.
Little toe.
Settling down.
And now journeying from the left side thumb.
Index finger middle finger.
Ring finger little finger.
Wrist Elbow shoulder left side ribs.
Left side waist.
Left hip knee.
Ankle Big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe.
Fourth toe,
Little toe,
All settling down.
Both soles of the feet.
Both calves.
Both thighs.
Both hip bones at the pelvis.
Your lower belly and lower back.
Your upper belly.
And the middle of your back.
Your heart and ribs.
At the upper spine.
Your shoulder blades.
Your shoulders your collarbones.
Throat.
And between the eyebrows.
And all the way up to the top of the head.
Aware of all those parts,
Those stations.
At the same time.
Aware of the whole body.
All at once.
The whole network resting.
The body breathing.
Like a breeze blowing through and your whole body perfectly calm.
And resting.
And just to make sure.
There's nothing left between you and rest now.
Imagine at the very top of your head.
Your head opens and out float any thoughts that might still have been trapped inside.
To flutter free and find their way out of the train.
And up into the beautiful starry night.
Where they drift off.
Out of sight.
Now you're all clear,
Remember to close gently the top of your head.
Because soon you'll be drifting,
Safe and sound,
An easy sort of daydreamy place that will carry you all the way through the night.
Safely as you continue to feel the gentle motion of the train.
And hear the clickety-clack along the tracks.
As you just Idly begin to follow your breath.
A gentle sort of curiosity.
Repeating the words mentally.
Self.
Soft.
Tea.
Peace Soft.
Peace.
Soft.
Deep peace at ease So easy now.
On a peaceful journey.
So.
Peace.
So.
