If your heart is racing,
Your chest feels tight,
Or your breathing feels shallow right now… You do not need to fight those sensations.
Your body is experiencing a strong alarm response.
And these sensations can be really uncomfortable when you're trying to sleep.
For these next few minutes,
There is nothing you need to solve.
We are simply going to give your body the conditions in which it can begin to settle.
Take a moment to breathe in through your nose from your stomach.
Breathe in.
.
.
2.
.
.
3.
.
.
4.
.
.
Hold.
.
.
2.
.
.
And out through your mouth.
.
.
2.
.
.
3.
.
.
4.
.
.
5.
.
.
6.
.
.
And once more,
In through your nose,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
Hold,
2,
And out through your mouth,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Imagine that you are lying comfortably.
Inside a secluded wooden cabin.
In the Alps.
It is warm inside.
There is a quiet hearth nearby.
Giving off a steady,
Gentle heat.
Outside the window.
Heavy snow is falling.
There is no need to go anywhere.
Nothing is required of you right now.
Notice the support beneath your body.
Feel the weight of yourself being held by the mattress.
You don't need to make your body relax.
Just notice that you are already being supported.
And if your heart is still beating quickly.
Allow it to be quickly for now.
You are not going to measure it.
You're not going to check whether it's slowed down.
You're simply noticing.
There is a strong heartbeat happening.
And perhaps There is tightness in my chest.
Or breathing feels different.
My body feels activated.
These are observations rather than instructions.
Let the cabin be your container for this moment.
The fire is steady.
The room is warm.
The snow outside is quiet.
And you can simply remain here.
Bring your attention to your breathing.
There's no need to force a deep breath.
If a large breath feels uncomfortable.
Allow the breath to remain small and ordinary.
Now,
If it feels comfortable.
Allow the next breath to become just slightly slower.
Breathe in again gently for a count of four.
Hold for two.
And out for a count of six.
And again,
Breathe in for four.
Hold for two.
And out for a count of six.
And once more.
Breathe in for 4.
.
.
Hold.
And out for six.
Now let your attention move towards your chest.
You may notice pressure.
All simply an awareness that your heart is beating.
There is no need to change any of it.
Instead.
Imagine the gentle warmth from the hearth reaching the muscles around your chest.
Simply allowing warmth to be there.
As you breathe out.
See whether the muscles around your chest can become a little softer.
Just slightly less effort.
Let the next breath come naturally.
And,
As you breathe out,
Release any unnecessary tension from your shoulders.
Notice whether your shoulders have been subtly lifted or braced.
If they have,
Let them drop.
Like shoulders warming beside the fire.
Now bring your attention to your upper back.
Feel the surface beneath you.
Let the mattress carry its weight.
You don't have to hold yourself up.
Leave your attention to your arms.
Humps.
Forums.
Upper arms.
Notice whether you are gripping anything.
If you are.
There is no need to deliberately unclench.
Simply allow the fingers to become a little less organized.
A little less ready.
Now your jaw.
Notice your teeth.
Perhaps they're touching.
To say ah.
Allow a tiny space between your upper and lower teeth.
Let your tongue rest.
Let the muscles around your eye soften.
Let your jaw relax.
Imagine the warmth of the cabin around your face.
Warmth does not need to make anything happen.
It is simply there.
Your forehead is soft.
Your eyes are resting.
Your jaw is loose.
Your shoulders are heavy.
Your chest is supported.
Now,
We're going to take a step back and think about the meaning your mind can sometimes give to physical sensations.
When your heart suddenly beats faster,
The mind may say something is wrong.
When your chest feels tight,
The mind may say,
This isn't safe.
When your breathing changes,
The mind may say,
I need to fix this.
Notice that these are thoughts.
They may feel very convincing.
But a thought is still a mental event.
So instead of saying,
My heart is racing and something is wrong,
You can gently notice I'm having the thought that something is wrong.
Because my heart is racing.
Instead of,
I can't breathe properly,
You might say,
I'm noticing a sensation of shorted breathing and my mind is becoming concerned about it.
And instead of,
I have to get this feeling to stop before I can sleep.
You can notice.
My mind is asking me to make this feeling stop.
You don't need to argue with the thought.
You don't need to prove it wrong.
You don't need to reassure yourself repeatedly.
Simply notice.
There is the alarm story.
And then return to the body.
A heartbeat.
The breath.
The weight of your body against the mattress.
The warmth of the room.
Things feel worse when our attention is fixed.
So we're going to practice widening our attention.
Notice your heartbeat.
And notice your hands.
Notice your chest.
And notice the warmth of your body.
Notice your breathing.
And also notice the quiet sound of the fire.
The sensation does not need to disappear for you to be safe in this moment.
And you do not need to decide what the sensation means.
You can simply experience it.
Think of physical activation as energy moving through the nervous system.
It rises.
It changes.
It falls.
And,
Well,
You can't command it to disappear.
You can stop feeding it with constant checking,
Testing and monitoring.
So,
If your mind asks,
Has my heart slowed down yet?
Notice.
My mind's checking.
If your mind asks,
Is my breathing normal yet?
Say it to yourself.
Checking.
If your mind asks,
Am I going to sleep?
Notice.
I'm planning.
And then gently return to something concrete.
The mattress.
The wombs.
Of fire.
The snow.
You can allow the mind to speak in the background while you rest.
Perhaps there is still some tightness in your chest.
Let it be there.
Perhaps your heartbeat is still a little faster than you would like.
Let it beat.
Perhaps your breathing still feels slightly different.
Let the body breathe in the way it is breathing.
Your task is becoming smaller now.
Not to make yourself sleep.
Not to make the sensations disappear.
Simply to remain here.
Worm.
Supported.
And resting.
The fire continues to burn quietly.
Snow continues to fall outside.
You don't need to watch it.
You can simply know that it is there.
Feel the weight of your head.
The weight of your shoulders.
The weight of your arms.
The weight of your legs.
Nothing needs to be held up.
Nothing needs to be checked.
If a thought appears.
Let it be a thought.
If a sensation appears.
Let it be a sensation.
You don't need to follow either one.
Return to the warmth.
The steady support beneath you.
The quiet fire.
And the soft,
Muffled world beyond the window.
Your breathing can find its own rhythm now.
You don't need to control it.
Your heart can find its own rhythm.
You don't need to monitor it.
And if your mind asks when sleep will come.
You don't need to answer.
For now.
Rest is enough.
Wombs.
Support.
Quiet.
The fire continues The snow keeps falling.
And you can remain here without trying to make anything happen.
Just resting.
Nothing to sow.
Nothing to check.
Just rest.
Just this room.
Just this file.
Just this breath.
