Prepare for Sleep - Deeply Relax Body and Mind

This simple and effective mindfulness meditation will allow the body to relax deeply, and through mindfulness of the sounds of the present moment, will also allow the mind to relax effortlessly and naturally into a profound experience of peace and silence. An ideal preparation for deep sleep.

Transcript

We're going to become more aware of our bodies,

So turning our attention to the body and just see what draws your attention.

So I'll describe what I feel and experience,

But the invitation is to just allow your meditation to develop naturally and organically.

So what you're drawn to when we come out from the body might be different.

So I'm noticing first of all the pressure,

The weight,

How the body is being supported.

Where are my eyes and the muscles around the eyes?

I feel a bit of tension in the shoulders,

Maybe just have that intention to release any tension you come across.

I'm getting a sense,

Just a general sense of the energy of the body,

Of how the body's feeling,

Quite lively,

Not really,

I wouldn't describe it as relaxed at the moment.

Really exploring for yourself how your body's feeling and what's going on in and around your body.

I'll leave a few moments without commentary so you can really go into the depths of your experience of your body in this moment.

And after a while of exploring what's going on with my body,

The different sensations and experiences start to get a sense of the body releasing tension,

Of the body coming to rest in the present moment.

Almost a sense of relief in the body,

That it can take a break,

Take a rest,

That the body isn't needed to be in action at this time.

It can begin to wind down and ease off.

I can begin to notice that feeling of relaxation very slowly,

Very gradually appearing throughout the body.

I'm going to enjoy and encourage that relaxation response in the body for a few more moments.

As the body does start to relax,

I'm now getting a sense of connection,

Really feeling the connection between the body and my immediate environment.

Feeling of beginning to be grounded.

As any stress and tension eases from the body,

It's as if my body becomes more a part of its environment.

So when I'm active or there's any stress,

My body feels very separate from the environment.

Now I'm beginning to feel that closeness and connection.

As I observe the body closely,

It gradually starts to just become part of the environment,

Connected and in harmony with everything that's around the body.

So I'm going to spend a few moments just enjoying that feeling of connection,

Harmony,

Being grounded.

And this can deepen the feeling of relaxation in the body and allow me to let go even more.

Okay.

As the body relaxes and as I begin to experience the body as part of the environment,

I get a sense of a subtle flow of energy,

As if the basic energy and life force of the body can begin to flow more naturally and more freely now that the body is relaxed and connected.

So enjoying that subtle flow of energy,

Of life,

Of awareness,

Flowing freely through the body.

As I feel this energy flow in the body,

I may then notice more subtle tensions,

Parts of the body not as completely relaxed as others.

And I can then consciously choose to allow those parts of my body to also more deeply relax and to really allow this gentle flow of energy and life and awareness to flow into all parts of the body,

Letting go of any residual tension or stress in the body.

And then finally for the first part of the meditation,

The mindfulness of the body,

As the body relaxes and settles,

Really appreciating how the body is just simply being.

The body in a state of rest simply being in this present moment,

Connected to the present moment.

The more familiar and acquainted to this feeling in the body,

The more I can begin to adopt that same feeling of being,

Of simple,

Connected presence in my mind as well as my body.

I can begin to feel a harmony between my awareness,

My mind and this state of being that's natural to the rest of the body.

Okay.

I'm beginning to feel the presence of peace in the body.

Maybe even feeling that the body can begin to radiate that peace and that relaxation.

Feeling at home,

At rest and at peace with the body here in the present moment.

Okay.

Allow your attention to be drawn to the sounds that you can hear where you are.

To begin with,

I like to just check that my awareness is nice and open,

So having this feeling,

This sense of awareness being broad,

Open and wide,

Not focusing or concentrating,

And allowing sounds to arrive and arise within my awareness,

And noticing the most obvious,

Closest sounds,

In my case at the moment the sound of my own voice,

Maybe the sound of my breath,

And then noticing any sounds from the room that I'm in.

Checking if there's any background,

Continuous sounds that I may not notice unless I really listen out for them.

Then I actively choose to really listen out for any further or distant sounds,

Occasional quieter sounds.

I'm bringing a real sense of alertness to the listening.

Many sounds could be very occasional and I never know when they're going to arrive,

So I remain alert and open to catch sounds as and when they come into my awareness,

And wherever they come from.

Can the deemed sheets card be added to BeIGHT And before too long and because I'm already feeling quite relaxed from the first part of the meditation,

I begin to get a sense of a quietness,

A stillness,

A silence as I listen.

So it's a sense of listening to the space around sounds,

Behind,

Between each sound as I keep my awareness open,

Becoming aware of a silent open space within which the sounds are coming and going,

Appearing and disappearing.

And although this is an experience of listening to quietness,

To silence,

It's as if I can choose to turn up the volume or the impact of that experience and bring the background silence more into the foreground of my awareness,

Become more absorbed in the quietness and just allowing the sounds to come and go more in the background.

And after a while I get a sense that this silent space within which the sounds are coming and going is actually also the space within which everything is happening.

So my body is at the centre of this open,

Still,

Silent space.

My breath is rising and falling in the centre of this open and empty space.

My thoughts are coming and going and flowing through this space,

This silent space of my awareness.

In fact this whole moment,

Not seeing it as different parts but experiencing the wholeness of this present moment is held within this open space of my awareness.

Getting a sense of this being perhaps the experience behind the idea of yoga,

Of union,

Of holding two things together,

Silence and sounds,

Emptiness and forms,

Stillness and movement.

The ever changing present moment and the changeless,

The timeless,

Timelessness of my open awareness.

Just enjoying bringing these two different experiences together,

Enjoying the contrast.

The place these two things meet is in this present moment and within my awareness.

There's a sense of the gentle flow of the present moment,

The flow of thought,

Sound,

Breath.

These simple,

Gentle changes from moment to moment.

And simultaneously a sense of empty stillness in which these changes are gently flowing through.

Allowing the body to relax,

Allowing the mind to relax,

Enjoying the flow of the present moment,

Enjoying the quiet stillness of your open awareness.

No non- memorization.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Reviews

Fabulous! This is joining the kmlist of meditations that help me return to sleep. Thank you! 🙏 💤🦋🧘‍♀️