Deep Sleep - Complete Relaxation

For an ideal sleep, relaxation is the key. Using mindfulness meditation to relax deeply into the present moment. Learn how to totally relax your mind and your brain, your body and your soul. An excellent practice to prepare for a deep and restorative sleep.

Transcript

A guided mindfulness meditation relaxation experience to deeply relax mind body and soul so lie down prepare yourself and be comfortable and let go of any thoughts or expectation of sleep we'll be relaxing the body the breath the mind the thoughts and then relaxing ourselves at the deepest level possible the level of our awareness and that deep state of relaxation will bring freshness and restoration revitalization so it really doesn't matter if we fall asleep or not so the first thing i normally turn my attention to if i'm thinking about relaxing is the body just to notice if there is any particular areas of tension or stress being held in any parts of the body my shoulders are normally tense and tight and i check that my jaw is not holding any extra tension just let the jaw be loose and checking the eyes the muscles around the eyes then the sensational awareness of the body that i find most conducive to relaxation is feeling all those parts of the body that are in contact with something so i scan through the body and notice all those sensations of connection and i feel like i can allow tension to pass out of the body through these points of contact so that sensation of slight pressure and warmth can trigger start to trigger the relaxation response in the body that sensation of touch and contact can ease tension and anxiety held in the body so And as soon as I begin to feel the body start that process of becoming more relaxed,

My attention naturally falls upon the breath.

As the body becomes still,

Then the only movement really left is the movement of the breath in the body.

So then for me it's about allowing that movement to be as smooth and easy and effortless as possible.

So allowing the breath to take control and my job is just to see if I can relax the body enough that the breath as it comes in can just enter freely and as fully as it needs to without any restriction,

Without any tension blocking the breath at all as it comes in.

And when the breath's ready to leave the body,

Just checking I'm not holding on to the breath at all,

Not getting in the way of that release of the breath.

So really seeing my job as not getting in the way of the breath,

Not restricting the breath with any tension in the body.

Relaxing the body to allow the breath to enter and leave the body without interference,

Without restriction.

So let's spend a few moments using those points of contact,

That sensation of connection to bring ease and release to any tension in the body.

And see if we can be aware of the breath and just take a step away so we're not interfering in the breath in any way.

Beautiful.

After a while I can feel like the body and the breath have begun that process of slowly and gradually relaxing.

You can't speed relax.

It's a process of gradual unwinding and releasing.

Then I can notice that even though the body and the breath are starting to ease and become more relaxed and effortless,

My mind,

My thoughts could still be racing away,

Be very active.

So that's the next place for my interest and attention to move to.

How can I relax my thoughts so they can be in harmony with the relaxing body and the relaxing breath?

So how can I relax my thoughts?

So firstly becoming aware of them.

Then seeing if I can apply the same principle as with the breath of seeing if I can not interfere with the thoughts.

See if I can relax my mind,

My brain,

My awareness so that the thoughts can just come and go however they want to.

Just as I'm allowing the breath to do whatever it wants to do by allowing the body to be relaxed.

So how to relax the brain?

I can treat it just like any other part of the body,

Just as if it was a muscle.

Just becoming aware of the inside of the head and just have that simple intention to allow that part of my body to release,

Let go and relax completely.

Give myself permission to feel that relaxation response right in the centre of my head.

And just checking the face,

The neck,

The head more widely and just checking they all feel nice and relaxed as well.

So the whole head,

Brain,

Face,

That feeling of release,

Letting go and enjoying that relaxation response.

Occasionally checking back in with the whole body and the breath.

Feel continuing that feeling of release of tension through the body,

Through those points of contact and checking that the breath is being allowed to flow freely through the body.

So how can I relax the mind so the mind can be as relaxed as the body?

For me the way to do that is to have an experience of the mind being open and spacious.

So the mind isn't restricted to being inside the head.

So to experience that mental space,

Find it easiest to just become more aware of physical space around me.

As I hold that physical space within my awareness then it becomes also my mental space.

So aware of the space just around the body,

Above the body,

Aware of the space in the room and aware of the space outside and with your awareness or your mind's eye or just a sense of feeling,

Allowing the awareness to open up right to the horizon all around you and open up to the sky above you,

As far out as the stars if you wish.

So having a sense of this vast,

Unlimited physical space that's all around us and just holding that lightly and gently within my awareness.

So now I can feel my mind is as open,

As spacious as the physical space around me.

I can feel that the mind is at ease and relaxed.

There's now so much space for my thoughts to just flow through without any stress or tension or conflict.

My mental space is so open,

Wide and broad.

It really doesn't matter what thoughts come,

Doesn't matter how many or how fast or how negative or stressed the thoughts themselves are.

My mind that is accepting and welcoming each and every thought is an open,

Relaxed space without conflict,

Without limit,

Without division.

So I just allow the thoughts to flow through my open,

Relaxed mind,

Just as I continue to allow the breath to flow freely through my relaxed body.

And feeling that connection,

That harmony now between mind and body as both become similarly relaxed.

And the final stage for a total relaxation experience is to see if I can relax my whole being,

My whole self,

My whole experience.

In a sense,

Relaxing my whole world.

So realising that it's not just my thoughts that are passing through this open mental space in my mind,

Actually everything that I'm experiencing,

Everything of this moment is also happening within my open,

Spacious awareness.

My whole experience,

My whole world,

Being allowed to be just as it is held within my open,

Relaxed awareness.

And body and soul all together and all relaxed,

Open,

Allowing.

Feeling that relaxation right at the core of my being.

And the relaxation that includes everything of my experience,

Everything of my world.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness,

Bringing together mind and body,

Relaxing both,

Allowing breath and thoughts to flow freely,

Allowing your whole being to be relaxed.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

So I'll leave four or five minutes to just explore this idea of holding the whole of the present moment,

Each moment of your experience within an open awareness.

Reviews

Loved every minute of it. Very relaxing and calming. ✨😊

Complete relaxing moments at their best! My entire body, mind and soul became one in a spacious and conscious space. A ‘Simply Be’ experience allowed me to fade away into my true self and open awareness. Exquisite oneness developed into a meltdown experience. The ocean waves expanded my peaceful and calming sensations. The commentary was simply outstanding, thank you, Stephen🙏🏻♥️👌🏻💤