Welcome.
This is your time to soften,
To slow down,
And to gently release the pressures of the waking world and come into the quietness and stillness of the world of rest.
Begin by finding a position that feels supportive and natural.
Allow your body to settle into the shape it chooses.
Remember there is no right way to lie here,
Only what feels comforting to you in this moment.
Relax your whole body.
Take a slow easy breath in and as you exhale gently let it fall without effort.
Notice the way the breath moves through you.
Not something to force,
But something that happens on its own.
One more time,
Let's take a deep inhale,
Feeling the expansion of your lungs,
Of the chest,
And an exhale out.
Now finding a slow and gentle rhythm with your breath.
As your breath comes into a steady state,
Bring awareness to the points where your body meets the bed.
Feeling the gentle pressure beneath your back,
Your legs,
Your hands.
Feel how the surface rises to meet you,
Holding you without expectation.
Let your whole body release beneath you.
Let your shoulders drop a little heavier.
Let your ribcage fully soften.
Let the jaw loosen.
Even let the small muscles around your eyes,
Around the temples,
Let go.
If you notice any tightening or bracing,
Just notice.
You don't need to change it,
Just acknowledge it and allow that part of your body to rest in its own time.
Now imagine a warm wave of ease starting at the top crown of your head.
It begins to drift downwards,
Slowly,
Gently,
Smoothing across your forehead,
Relaxing your temples,
Softening the muscles in between the eyebrows,
Letting the mind unwind thought by thought.
This warm wave of ease moves down the back of your head,
Into the sides of your neck,
Easing the places that worked all day to hold you upright.
Allow the throat to soften,
Allow the back of your neck to release into the pillow.
This warm wave of ease moves down into your chest,
Spreading warmth across your collarbones,
Into your heart space.
With each exhale,
Feel a gentle opening here,
A sense of emotional unbracing,
Like loosening a knot you've held for too long.
Let the wave drift through your ribcage,
Your lungs,
Your belly.
Allow it to soften your stomach,
Your hips,
The deeper core muscles that often stay alert,
Even when you're trying to rest.
With every exhale,
Sink a little deeper into stillness,
Into silence,
Into softness.
Now imagine this wave of ease moving into your legs,
The lower limbs,
Your thighs,
Knees,
Calves,
The muscles that carried you throughout the day.
They can fully release now,
Nothing left to do,
Nowhere left to go.
And lastly,
The wave of ease reaches your feet,
Your toes,
Every small muscle,
Every tendon,
Every tiny joint softening.
If thoughts arise,
Whether they be memories,
Worries,
Unfinished conversations,
Just acknowledge and slowly allow them to pass,
Allowing the mind to loosen its grip,
To loosen the weight of these memories,
Worries,
Or unfinished conversations.
Feel the air around you grow quieter.
Feel the space inside you grow softer.
You've reached a moment in your day where nothing is required,
No explanations,
No decisions,
No effort.
You can allow the day to dissolve behind you,
Like a sunset fading into the dusk.
If there were moments today that felt heavy,
You can set them down and place them aside.
If there were moments that felt incomplete,
Right now,
Allow them to be where they are.
Rest is allowed.
Rest is deserved.
In this moment,
Bring the awareness back to your breath and body.
Notice how each inhale gently lifts you up,
And each exhale carries you deeper into stillness and into relaxation.
As you continue sinking into this deep sensation,
Imagine the room around you darkening just a little bit more.
The sounds around you fading into softness.
You are held,
You are supported,
You are here.
You are allowed to drift into deep sleep,
Nourishing sleep,
The rest your body has been asking for.
Let's take one more deep inhale and exhale melt deeper into the bed.
Another deep full breath in and then exhale all the way out.
We have come to the end of the meditation.
Allow yourself to let go.
Allow yourself to rest and sleep with ease.
