Sleep Better With A Relaxed Brain 3

A busy mind often prevents us from being able to fall asleep and get a good refreshing night's sleep. This mindfulness meditation of breath and thoughts will gently guide you into an experience of relaxing your brain. This is followed by the relaxing sound of ocean waves and birdsong, giving you plenty of time to drift off into a deep sleep, naturally and effortlessly. For best results, vary which of the 'Sleep better with a relaxed brain' series you use each night to keep your mind engaged.

Transcript

So to begin with,

Become aware of your breath.

And we're going to practice the approach we're going to apply to our thoughts and our brain later on.

But initially,

We're going to be using the breath as our focus.

But the idea isn't to concentrate on the breath to the exclusion of anything else.

So I'd encourage you to maintain an open,

Light,

Easy awareness where you're not trying to block out anything else.

So thoughts,

Emotions,

Sounds,

They'll all be happening in this moment and that's absolutely fine.

We just want to gently hold the breath in the center or the foreground of our awareness.

So we're cultivating a particular interest in the breath.

We're choosing to explore the breath,

But not to the exclusion of anything else.

So allowing everything else in this moment to happen around the breath.

So I want you to really feel the physical sensations of the breath.

So we're not just thinking about the breath,

But really feeling the breath in the body.

So notice which parts of your body are responding to the breath,

Where the movement occurs in the body as you breathe in and out.

So I'm going to go ahead and go over that.

Are responding to the breath,

Where the movement occurs in the body as you breathe in and out.

Feel the breath enter through the nose or mouth and notice how it feels as it leaves the body.

Actively exploring all the sensations related to the breath.

Remembering just to allow everything else to continue,

Thoughts,

Feelings,

Sounds and just exploring the breath.

Not trying to change the breath in any way,

So you don't have to breathe deeply or slowly.

If the body wants to take a deeper breath in,

Then allow that to happen.

Don't prevent the breath from changing in any way,

But not directing or choosing to breathe in any particular way.

Noticing the rhythm of your breath just as it is and as it develops in its own way.

So whether the breath is deep or shallow,

Fast or slow,

Just follow the rhythm of your own breath.

Sometimes I find it useful to put a little mental marker on the very beginning of the in-breath.

Just noticing that point of the breath cycle,

Where the breath begins as you breathe in.

And then just picking that up again with the next breath.

A useful way of just maintaining a gentle focus.

And follow the breath in and out,

And being alert to that very beginning of the in-breath each time.

So this is something we'll use when we move our attention to our thoughts.

So just catching the beginning of the breath entering the body.

Remembering to really feel the breath in the body,

Feel the sensations.

So we're not trying to change the breath in any way.

We're being inquisitive and interested in the breath.

And we're noticing the beginning of the in-breath,

The point where the breath enters the body.

And we're allowing everything else to happen around the breath.

Don't worry if you find yourself lost in thoughts and you find it difficult to pay particular attention to the breath.

Because you're just slightly ahead of us and we'll be coming and joining you with the thoughts in just a couple of moments.

Just be aware that as you're thinking you're also breathing both things happening at the same time.

So we're going to practice one more thing with the breath before we move on to the thoughts.

And that's just adopting an attitude and an intention towards the breath,

The in-breath and the out-breath.

So firstly the in-breath to invite you to just have that feeling,

That thought or that intention to allow the breath into the body.

So with each in-breath that feeling of allowing the breath in.

Notice how that feels to allow the breath in freely and fully,

Just as much as the breath wants to enter the body.

So no restriction on the breath,

Allowing the breath in.

And for the out-breath,

Having that thought,

That feeling,

That intention of release,

Letting go.

So how does it feel to release the breath,

To let go as you breathe out?

So allowing the breath in,

Letting go of the breath as we breathe out.

And in this way allowing the breath to flow freely through the body,

Rising and falling in the body without any effort.

We don't actually have to make any effort to breathe,

We don't have to remember to breathe.

Breathing is one of those automatic functions of the body.

We can choose to consciously affect it if we want to,

Or we can just allow it to be natural and spontaneous.

So allow the flow of your breath through your body.

Effortless attention,

Open awareness,

Free flowing breath.

Okay,

So let's apply all of this now to our thoughts.

So first of all having that interest,

Being inquisitive,

Being alert and aware of our thoughts,

Noticing our thoughts as we think.

Adding that easy open awareness to the thoughts.

And just as it didn't matter whether the breath was fast or slow,

Deep or shallow,

Same with the thoughts.

The content of your thoughts is completely irrelevant,

Doesn't matter how fast or slow,

Deep or shallow,

Positive or negative.

Just notice the thoughts whatever they are.

So not trying to change or redirect your thoughts in any way at all.

And then see if you can catch the beginning of a thought as it enters your mind.

Just like we are doing with the in-breath when we notice the beginning of the in-breath as the air enters the body.

Just see if you can notice as a thought first enters into your mind.

If it feels like there's just a lot of thoughts just jumbled around then don't worry too much about this stage.

Just notice the thoughts,

Whichever thoughts you become aware of.

So let's add that thought,

That feeling and that intention of allowing.

So allowing each thought to come into our mind just as we allow the breath into the body.

Have that feeling of genuinely welcoming each thought into your mind.

No matter what that thought is.

And just as we released and let go of each breath,

So we were ready to take in the next breath.

And each thought that you become aware of,

That you allow into your mind,

Also let it go.

Release the thoughts so that you are ready to welcome in the next thought.

Don't try and push any thoughts away,

Just allow them to be there.

But if we're not making any active effort to hold on or explore any particular thought,

We're giving it the freedom to drift away in its own time.

And we can turn our attention to wonder what the next thought might be.

Being ready to welcome the next thought.

So in this way,

Allowing the thoughts to come and go through your mind,

We can begin to get a sense of the thoughts flowing freely,

Just as the breath flows freely.

So the breath flowing freely through the body,

The thoughts flowing freely through the mind.

Just breathing and thinking without making any effort to change either of them.

So we're going to practice one more thing before we finish by relaxing the brain.

So I want you to become aware of your hands or your feet,

Your arms or your legs.

And I want you to pay attention as to what you do and what you experience when you choose to relax that part of your body.

Could be one arm or one leg or both arms,

Both legs,

A hand,

Both hands,

One arm.

One or both feet.

And do that two or three times.

So just get a sense of when you decide to relax a part of the body,

What do you do and what happens.

So just getting a sense of that natural relaxation response that we can allow to happen in a part of the body.

We bring our attention to that part of the body and then we allow that part of the body to relax.

So there can be that feeling of release or letting go.

The easing of any tension that may be in that part of the body just through our intention and our awareness.

Okay,

So if we move our attention now to the head and face,

Become aware of the face.

Eyes,

Nose,

Mouth,

Jaw.

Maybe the throat as well.

And just apply that approach of relaxation.

So bringing our awareness to this part of the body,

To the face.

And relax.

Release.

Let go.

Allow any tension in all the little muscles across the face to begin to ease.

And notice how that feels,

That relaxation response in the face.

And then within our awareness,

Noticing the top,

Back and sides of the head,

The scalp and the skull.

And that exact same approach of relaxation to this part of the body.

Awareness,

Intent and release.

How does that feel?

And now treating the brain as just any other part of the body.

Allow yourself now to relax your brain.

Awareness,

Intention and release.

How does it feel to allow the brain to relax?

How does it feel to allow the whole of your head,

Face,

Skull and brain to all simply relax?

So now allowing your thoughts to flow freely through a relaxed brain,

A relaxed mind.

And allowing the breath to flow freely through a relaxed body.

A relaxed body.

A relaxed head.

A relaxed face.

A relaxed brain.

Free flowing breath.

Free flowing thoughts.

Free flowing thoughts.

Okay,

So as we bring the meditation to a close,

Just notice how you're feeling.

Notice that all we're doing is thinking and breathing in the present moment.

But if we truly allow these processes to happen within our awareness,

In time with patience it can bring a sense of calmness,

A sense of ease and presence.

Without trying to change anything about the breath and without trying to change anything about the thoughts.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Reviews

Thank you 🙏 Stephen 💛 ! I think that many times I have listened to your recording and not left a response, because they always do what they’re designed to do, ease me to sleep 😴! Then when I wake up the next morning, I’m like “how do I rate this? I didn’t hear the end?” Having said that, that’s 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ in my book!! Thanks again!

Thank you 🙏 for a great sleep! I especially liked the breathing practice which greatly helped me relax and feel centered.
I appreciate your meditations, bless you for sharing your guidance. 💗💗💗💗💗

This practice made me feel relaxed more or less straight away. My breath became my anchor and the breathing helped me to stay in the here and now state. I felt connected and peaceful. My breathing rhythm helped me to control my thoughts by letting them go effortlessly. Great way to allow myself to remain in the moment to moment without the thoughts disturbing my beautiful space. The commentary was so lovely and serene that falling asleep is exactly what happened to me.

Truly a perfect meditation to help anyone to sleep soundly and peacefully 👌🏻. Stephen's soft and beautiful voice is very special when listening to his outstabding commentary🤍. Thank you 🙏💤🤗✨🧘‍♀️