You may have woven mindfulness practice in your day,
But as soon as you lie down in bed,
You notice the mind beginning to race.
As you settle down for the evening,
The mind may not always read the situation accurately,
But the stimuli of daily life,
The mind can seem louder than usual.
If you need guidance to create longer,
Deep sleep,
I invite you to listen to my talk about optimal environment for deeper sleep prior to this meditation.
However,
If you are ready,
Let's carry on.
Let's begin.
This meditation can be used as a guide to settle the mind and body as you prepare for sleep.
Standing next to your bed,
Take a few deep breaths,
Calming the mind and body before settling into your bed.
Center yourself in the present moment,
Bringing your awareness to the body as it is right now.
I invite you to slowly climb into bed.
Remain aware of what is happening to your body.
Notice any sensations,
Any readjustments needed,
Any adjustments that may be necessary for you to feel comfortable.
Take a moment,
And as you lie down,
Feel the body assume a resting position.
Use the breath to bring mindfulness to the body and cultivate relaxation.
This is a great practice of being in the present moment.
As you breathe in,
Feel your lungs fill with air,
And send that air some positive,
Relaxing sleep energy.
When you exhale,
Feel your body soften into your mattress.
Feel the weight of your body on your mattress with all its lightness.
And maybe at the same time,
Tell yourself,
Thank you,
Thank you for having such a great bed to sleep in tonight.
Picture yourself falling deeper into the mattress as you feel your body relax with each inhale and exhale.
Start a body scan at the top of your head,
Moving down the body all the way to the toes.
And as your attention rests on each part,
Relax it and soften into the bed every inhale and exhale.
As you scan down your body with the energy of sleep,
Maybe you are able to see a color,
A relaxing color that sweeps down your body with energy of love and safety.
As you inhale and exhale while scanning your body,
You could feel every muscle fiber of your body relaxing and softening.
Every cell in your body multiplying with energy of calm.
And as they multiply,
You are more relaxed.
Inhale and exhale.
You are now following a deep,
Relaxing,
Normal breath rhythm.
Continue focusing on the breath in your body.
As you start to slowly fall asleep,
Fill your heart with gratitude that you are falling asleep with calm in your heart and peace in your mind.
You may already be sleeping.
If not,
Return to your breath,
To the wave of peaceful colors scanning your body,
Focusing on your muscles softening.
Inhale and exhale.
Inhale and exhale.
Sweet dreams.
