Hi,
It's Abi here from the mindful bee and I'm here to guide you through a meditation.
Today we're going to take an imaginary trip on a river.
You will learn how to let go of all the thoughts drifting around inside your mind so that you fall asleep more easily.
Does that sound good?
Great!
Now first you need to have a little wriggle around in your bed to get as comfy and snug as you possibly can.
Ready?
Now just allow your eyes to gently close.
We're going to start by taking some nice deep slow breaths so that our bodies can get nice and relaxed.
So when you're ready count to four on a big in-breath and then five on a slow out-breath.
Go at your own pace.
As you breathe in,
Fill up your body with as much fresh clean air as you possibly can and as you breathe out,
Feeling yourself getting rid of all the old stale air you've been holding in your lungs.
Again,
When you breathe in,
Feeling your belly and then your whole chest fill up with the fresh new air and as you breathe out,
Feeling yourself relax into the mattress beneath you.
Do this a few more times until you start to feel really,
Really relaxed.
Just noticing how heavy your body feels on the mattress and how well your bed is supporting you so that you don't have to do anything for yourself.
You might start to feel a little sleepy,
You may not.
Either way is perfectly fine.
Breathing gently here,
Breathing slowly in and out.
Now I want you to imagine if you can that you're lying on your back in the grass of a large and beautiful meadow.
The sun is shining overhead and you feel so warm lying here in the soft,
Comfy,
Springy grass.
If you really listen,
Maybe you can hear the babbling noises of a river close by and the faint tinkling sounds that are made as the water hits the stones sticking out of the river bed as it passes through.
Keep breathing slowly in and out as you listen to the sounds of the river.
Imagining now that the patch of grass you are lying on rises magically up into the air and carries you over to the river.
It gently places you on the water.
You can still feel the softness of the grass beneath you but now you can trail your fingers in the water and it feels so good and so warm,
As inviting as bath water.
Lying here you can see leaves swirling about on the surface of the river and hear the constant tinkling of the river.
It feels so peaceful and so calm and so restful.
You may find your mind wandering away from the sounds of the water at times and that's okay.
If it wanders,
Just seeing if you can notice where it has gone.
What sort of thought has caught your attention?
Maybe a feeling of some kind,
Tiredness or happiness or sadness or something else entirely.
Maybe a sound that you hear close by or a memory from earlier today that popped into your head or even a thought about tomorrow.
Whatever it is,
Whatever has caused your mind to wander,
Just noticing that thought and placing it gently on one of the leaves floating beside you.
Watching it float away down the river ahead of you and then returning to your breath going in and out of your body and the sweet sounds of the river.
See if you can notice the flow of the river beneath you,
Pulling you gently along under the warm sun.
Breathing in and out as you float smoothly along.
Noticing the fluffy white clouds above you,
Drifting through the sky in time with the slow movement of the river,
In time with your own breathing.
In and out.
In and out.
Becoming aware when your mind has wandered and just labelling that thought and then placing it gently on a leaf beside you.
Watching it float away on the surface of the water,
Being carried further and further from you.
Feeling the welcoming sun on the crown of your head,
Warming up your face,
Causing all the little muscles around your eyes and mouth to relax and soften.
Noticing the warmth spreading down your neck and into your shoulders,
Down your arms,
Then your hands,
Each of your fingers,
Feeling them sink into the grass beneath you.
Noticing the silky heat from the sun,
Moving gently down your chest and back,
Your belly,
Feeling each part of your body soften.
Feeling the warmth spread out down your body to your legs,
All the way to your feet and each of your toes.
Noticing how your whole body feels so heavy against the grass now and so warm,
So relaxed.
Feeling the movement of your belly as you breathe,
In and out.
In and out.
And if you find your mind wandering,
Just reminding yourself to notice what kind of thought it is and just placing it gently onto a leaf,
Watching it float away down the river.
Now,
Bringing yourself back to your bedroom,
Becoming aware of the warmth of your body as you lie here.
Noticing how cosy you feel in your bed,
All nice and snug.
Every single part of you feeling warm and safe and relaxed.
Noticing the weight of the duvet against you,
The softness of it in this moment,
In this place.
Feeling yourself drop completely into peace.
Your whole body gently rising with the in-breath and then naturally letting go on the out-breath.
In and out.
In and out.
Feeling so sleepy now as your whole body sinks into the mattress and your mind drifts into stillness.
No words sound.
