Fall Asleep Consciously: Body Scan & Hypnagogic Mindfulness

Embark on a transformative journey into restful awareness with this guided meditation, designed to strengthen the partnership between your conscious and subconscious mind. As you prepare for sleep, a soothing body scan leads you into deep relaxation, easing tensions and aligning your inner self. We then review and integrate the day, and generate seeds or intentions for the sleeping mind. As we delicately navigate the hypnagogic state (the entry into sleep), we foster mutual trust and receptivity between your waking and subconscious awareness. Ideal for nightly use, it not only promotes deep, restorative sleep but also enhances self-discovery and self-integration, welcoming insights and the symbolic language of the subconscious, as well as nurturing intentions for the greater mind to hold for you. While not aimed at inducing lucid dreaming, this heightened state of mindfulness of the transition state may lead to a wake-induced lucid dream. Sweet dreams. Photo by Peng Louis

Transcript

Welcome to this guided meditation for falling asleep consciously.

Find a quiet and comfortable space where you can fully relax and let go.

Take a moment to lie down on your back,

Allowing your body to settle into a position of comfort.

And if it feels good,

Place a soft pillow under your knees to support your lower back and enhance the relaxation.

And as you lie down,

Sinking into the surface beneath you,

Take a deep breath in,

Filling your lungs with revitalizing air.

And as you exhale,

Release any tension or stress that may be present in the body,

Allowing each breath to carry you deeper into a state of tranquility and peace.

As you journey into the realm of sleep,

Recognize it as a sacred gateway,

An opportunity to explore the depths of your being and unlock the vast potential of your subconscious mind.

A time when the veils between consciousness and subconsciousness are thin,

Offering a unique opportunity to tap into the hidden realms of your mind.

Falling asleep consciously invites you to embrace this gateway with intention,

Weaving your dreams into the tapestry of your waking life.

Each night,

We practice this profound gesture of surrendering into the arms of tranquility.

We allow ourselves to be cradled by the gentle embrace of the night.

In this state of surrender,

We release the burdens of the day,

Trusting that the restorative force that holds you every night is nourishing your body,

Mind,

And soul.

You are well-practiced in this form of vulnerability and trust.

And now,

You're practicing deepening it,

Bringing it to a higher level.

Allow your body to release any accumulated tension from the day and feel the weight of each muscle melting away.

As you sink into a profound sense of ease,

Feel the weight of your head resting comfortably on the surface beneath you.

Allow your forehead to smooth and relax,

Releasing any furrows or tension.

Soften the muscles around your eyes,

Allowing them to gently close and find deep relaxation.

Let your jaw unclench,

Allowing your mouth to gently part.

Take a moment to roll your shoulders back and down,

Allowing them to settle into a more relaxed position.

Feel the shoulder blades gently resting against your back.

Feel where they touch the surface beneath you.

Feel the space between the shoulder blades.

Now notice the rising and falling of the abdomen.

Observe the natural rhythm of the breath,

Allowing it to guide you into a deeper state of relaxation.

Feel the natural curve of your lower back and the support it receives.

As you inhale,

Imagine your breath flowing into your lower back,

Relaxing any tension or tightness.

And now your hips,

Your thighs and hamstrings,

Front of the knee,

Back of the knee,

Shins and calves,

And then your feet,

All relaxing.

As you deepen your breath,

Bring your attention to your hands and arms,

Noticing the sensation of touch.

Let your fingers relax and your arms fall even more into the surface,

Feeling the weight of your whole body sink deeper now.

As you continue to relax,

Notice the interconnectedness of your body and the sensations that arise.

Feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest with each breath,

The support of the surface beneath you,

And the comforting touch of clothes or blankets against your skin.

Embrace the profound presence of your body and its harmony with its surroundings.

Invite into your awareness now any images or memories from the day.

If there's any part of the day that stands out in your mind,

Welcome it into your conscious awareness and just allow it to be.

Are there any major feelings that you had today?

Major insights?

Major celebrations?

Or any regrets?

And as images come into consciousness,

Welcome everything,

Trusting that it is something wanting to be integrated through your conscious and kind embrace.

Now that your memory has been stimulated,

Let's start from the end of the day and go into the day with more detail,

Stepping back in time hour by hour,

Allowing your day to unfold before you,

Embracing the lessons,

Interactions,

Moments of challenge,

And moments of growth.

Notice any patterns or recurring themes that emerge and allow your intuition to guide you as you explore your day from this broader perspective.

Notice how your body responds.

Are there any sensations or feelings that arise?

Embrace any sensation,

Allowing them to surface and dissolve,

Creating space for deeper understanding and integration.

I'll now let you have a couple of minutes to go through your day,

Stepping back hour by hour.

And as you continue to review the day,

Stepping back hour by hour,

What celebrations or moments of joy arose today?

Were there any that brought a sense of accomplishment or growth?

Take a moment to savor these experiences,

Allowing seeds of gratitude to arise.

And as we move back hour by hour,

Observe any challenges or difficult situations that arose.

Take a deep breath and view them with compassionate eyes.

What insights can you gather from these experiences?

How can you bring more intentionality and presence if you encounter similar situations in the future as you go through this journey of remembering your day?

Invite the experiences that came just before or just after and see if you can notice the web of connections that unite the thoughts that you had,

The emotions you experienced,

The beliefs that may have been activated,

And the people or beings,

The animals,

The sounds,

Anything else you may have interacted with.

Notice any threads of connection that connect this day to other days.

And zoom out as you begin to see the bigger story that is unfolding within you.

Now allow yourself to take a deep breath in and out.

As you've received these precious gifts from your memory,

Your integrating consciousness,

Choose one or two insights or experiences that stand out to you.

What new perspective or lesson or insight or celebration would you like to hold as seeds?

Let these seeds root within your awareness as you relax deeper into the surface you're resting on.

In the coming days,

Nurture these insights with your focus and your choices,

Allowing them to guide you and shape your path.

Remember that it is the gift of consciousness to bring these insights to life in your daily life,

Allowing them to flourish and bring positive change into your days.

Trust in yourself and the wisdom that has emerged within you.

Out of everything that arose,

What is one intention or seed you might want to bring into your dreaming tonight?

Perhaps it's an energy,

Or perhaps it's a question.

Whatever it is,

Allow one thing you would like to intend or seed into the dreaming to clarify itself.

Let your breathing deepen as you let a profound relaxation wash over your body,

Focusing on the breath,

Focusing on the sensations of the body,

The body falling asleep as the mind stays conscious.

As your eyes remain closed,

Notice the subtle dances of light and darkness that play across your inner vision.

Perhaps there's shifting shapes,

Colors,

Or perhaps different shapes of gray,

Or dark,

Or light.

Observe them with curiosity,

Allowing your imagination to flow freely,

And if images start to emerge,

Follow them with your awareness.

Affirm to yourself that you are letting yourself be held by sleep,

By dreaming,

And as this play of light on the inner eyelids takes on shapes,

Takes on colors,

Perhaps becomes scenes or objects,

It will start to become dreamlike,

And this is consciousness holding you.

It's consciousness listening to you.

It's your body healing and carrying you into this new realm of dream awareness.

As you continue to focus on the imagery,

Feel your body rest even more deeply into the surface.

Feel your breathing deepen.

Notice any body sensations.

Welcome everything.

The dreaming is beginning to invite you into it more fully,

And it wants to know that you will be actively engaged in co-creating it.

Use your intention and will to change something about your visual experience right now.

The dreaming has incredible power to create stories,

Experiences,

Emotions,

And it eagerly awaits your conscious guidance,

Ready to co-create with you in the vast tapestry of wisdom and healing available.

As the imagery becomes more vivid,

Trust that as you bring your will and intention forward,

The dreaming will transform them into profound and insightful journeys.

Your dreams yearn to be infused with purpose and direction,

Eager to manifest your deepest visions and aspirations,

For they are also the aspirations of the dreaming.

You may feel yourself start to feel as if you are moving.

This is entering into the dreaming,

Beginning to co-create,

Beginning to partner with the dreaming.

Its power is vast,

And so is yours,

And together,

You will create incredible,

Insightful,

And healing experiences.

As your body begins to fall asleep more deeply now,

You may feel pulsing as your body prepares the mind for sleep.

Imagine your will and intention as seeds of light,

Floating gently through the ethereal expanse of the dreaming,

And as you release your intentions into the dreamscape,

Watch how they begin to take root and grow.

Notice how your intention shapes the landscape of the dream world,

How it calls out to characters that you're seeking to connect with,

To gain wisdom from,

To give and receive love to,

To give and receive compassionate understanding to,

Inner guides wanting to make connection to you,

Bigger stories with wisdom and insight.

Notice how your will is like an energy sent out into the dreaming that the dreaming receives wholeheartedly and co-creates with you to bring you insights you could have never thought of otherwise.

What gift can you bring to the dreaming?

What gratitude or thanks can you give?

Imagine the gift as energy,

Going out and interacting with the dream,

And imagine the dream receiving this gift,

Receiving this thanks.

Allow intuition to guide you as you play with the dreaming,

As you interact with this vast consciousness that you are.

You are beginning to become curious in the symbolic language of the dream.

You begin to engage with the imagery and the messages that are coming to you,

The meanings behind the symbols.

You experience curiosity and humility,

And the lucid dream allows you to ask.

You can ask what these things mean.

You can co-create an interpretation with a wise one.

Notice the play of symbols and meaning in the images,

In the dream figures that you interact with.

Your curiosity is deepening as you want to understand how to communicate more intimately with the world of your dreams.

The dreaming wants you to interact with it through your senses.

It wants you to touch the textures of the dream,

To smell its scents,

To taste its flavors,

To listen to its sounds.

You immerse yourself fully in the sensory experience,

Allowing your body to become a vessel for the dream's expression.

And as you are invited more deeply into the dreaming,

Your voice becomes a powerful tool of expression,

Connection,

And direct manifestation.

Become aware of your voice in the dream,

The instrument through which you communicate and share your innermost thoughts and intentions.

Feel the resonance and power of your words,

Both spoken and unspoken,

As they reverberate through the dream realm and co-create it.

As you encounter dream figures,

Symbols,

And landscapes,

You allow your voice to be a conduit for connection.

You speak with clarity and intention and curiosity.

You engage in conversations and dialogues within the dream that expand your awareness,

That heal,

That bring insight to you and the characters in your dream.

You use your voice as a vehicle for experiment and play.

You use different tones,

Volume,

And energies,

And let your voice carry the essence of your intention and emotions,

Infusing the dream with its unique vibration.

You creatively engage beyond words.

You use gestures and expressions,

And even energetic connections,

To relate to the dream.

Within the realm of dreams,

Your desires become potent catalysts for exploration and growth.

They carry the spark of your passions and aspirations and vision,

Urging you to seek their higher expression.

Embrace the power of your desires,

And let them guide you towards a deeper understanding of your purpose and potential.

As you enter further into the dreaming,

Take a moment to connect with your dream body,

And connect with the desires that reside within you.

Feel their energy,

Their vibrancy,

And the yearning they hold.

Recognize that your desires are not merely fleeting wishes,

But profound messages from your innermost self,

Calling you towards a higher expression of who you are.

As you venture into the dream realm,

Allow your desires to serve as beacons,

Illuminating the path of your exploration.

In this sacred space,

You seek the higher expressions of your desires.

You move beyond the surface-level wants,

And connect with the underlying essence that fuels your aspirations,

Your true needs,

Your deepest longings.

Whatever your desires are,

Let their manifestation be for the highest good of your dream self,

And the dream characters,

And the landscape,

And the earth of the dreaming.

You are safe.

You are held.

You are loved.

You are invited in as the dream reality becomes your reality.

You are now connecting with the deep intentions that hold meaning for you,

The aspirations that you seek to nurture and bring to life within the dreamscape.

Allow these intentions to rise from the depths of your being,

And send them out into the dreaming as gifts,

Into this new reality,

Into your reality.

You can bring your full self here.

You infuse your intentions with full,

Welcoming energy.

This is their home.

This is their garden.

This is the place you get to play,

To create,

To imagine.

You are held.

You are safe here.

In this reality,

What questions do you have?

What mysteries do you seek to unravel?

What guidance do you desire that this dream reality can help you with?

Notice how these questions interact with the dream reality.

Notice how the dream reality responds.

Notice the dance of your intention and the dreaming.

The receptive nature of the dream.

The receptive nature of your will as it listens to the dream response.

As you drift into sleep,

You surrender.

You let go.

You let the dream enter you.

As you enter the dream,

You allow everything to unfold naturally,

Without attachment or expectation.

You let what is bigger than your awareness speak and communicate with your awareness.

You have cultivated a deep connection with your inner guidance and wisdom.

And now you're entering the realm of dreams as the navigator.

Your intuition will guide you.

You will pay attention to the dream.

You will remain lucid.

You have everything you need within you.

You follow the whispers of your inner voice.

In curiosity,

You allow your dreams to unfold with a sense of wonder.

And you direct your experience for the highest good.

You are held.

As you let go now,

Directed purely by the energy of your intention and will and desire as it is co-created with the dream.

May your dreams be filled with profound insights,

Healing,

And transformative experiences.

Reviews

I fell asleep right away so I’ll have to hear it again 😊🙏🏼