Take a moment to notice that you are here,
Lying down,
Supported by the bed beneath you.
Nothing to fix,
Nothing to achieve,
Just allowing the body to be held.
You don't need to try to sleep.
Sleep will come naturally when the effort drops.
I am here to stand by your side,
To hold the space as you allow yourself to fall asleep.
Let your attention gently move to the points of contact where your body meets the bed.
Notice the weight of your head being supported,
Your shoulders,
Your back,
Your hips,
Your legs.
With each exhale,
Allow a little more of your weight to sink down.
Bring awareness to your face,
Softening the forehead,
Letting your eyes rest back,
The jaw unclenching,
The tongue resting easily in your mouth.
There is nothing you need to hold on to tonight.
Now,
Gently move your awareness down through the body,
Starting with your neck and shoulders.
They often carry so much.
Allow them to soften a little bit,
As if they are being gently taken care of.
Your arms become heavy,
Your hands relaxed,
Fingers resting just as they are.
Notice the natural rhythm of your breath.
There is no need to change it,
Just feeling the body breathing itself.
If you find that your mind is still active,
That's okay,
There is no need to quiet it.
Simply let the thoughts pass,
Like the distant sound you can hear in the background.
Now,
Bring awareness to your chest and belly,
Feeling gentle rise and fall,
Breathing in and breathing out.
Each breath a small letting go.
Now,
Move to the lower body,
Your hips softening,
Your thighs heavy,
Knees,
Calves,
Your feet,
The whole body is allowed to rest.
If,
At any point,
You drift in and out of awareness,
That's a sign that your nervous system is calming down.
You don't need to stay with my voice,
Simply know that I will be by your side,
Holding the space.
From here,
There is nothing else for you to do.
Simply,
Allow your body to fall asleep.
Your body knows how to do that,
It knows how to rest,
It knows how to restore,
It knows how to replenish itself through the night.
As my voice quiets down,
Allow yourself to simply rest in the soundscape that remains throughout the night.
Know that you are held,
That you are safe,
And you are supported.
