Welcome to this evening meditation.
As the day comes to a close,
Allow yourself to arrive here.
Finding a comfortable position.
Lying down or seated.
Wherever you are,
Make sure it's a state where you can fully rest.
Take a slow,
Deep breath in through the nose and a long breath out through the mouth.
Again,
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Allow your breath to settle into its natural rhythm.
Quiet,
Steady,
Unforced.
Feel the surface beneath you supporting your body.
Allowing yourself to be held.
Now bring your awareness gently to your body.
Notice where the day may be still lingering.
In the shoulders,
The jaw,
The chest.
There's no need to analyze or to fix.
Just notice.
With your next exhale,
Invite your shoulders to soften away from the ears.
Unclenching the jaw.
Relaxing the facial muscles.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Let the tongue rest easily in the mouth.
Soften the space behind your eyes.
Allow the temples to be smooth.
And imagine the body beginning to dim.
The lights lowering in a quiet room.
Now bring the attention to your breath again.
Feel the rise of the inhale.
And the gentle fall of the exhale.
Allow each exhale to be an invitation to let go.
You don't need to carry the weight of today into the future.
If the mind begins to wander,
That's normal.
That's okay.
This is not a performance or a competition.
Or something where people are judging you.
Simply return to the feeling of the breath as often as you need.
Again and again.
Remember that whatever happened today,
You've done enough.
Remember that there is time for rest.
There is time for stillness.
And time to soften.
Imagine a warm,
Calming presence moving slowly through your body.
Starting at the top crown of the head.
Flowing down through the face and neck.
Into the shoulders and arms.
Feel your arms becoming heavy,
Relaxed and at ease.
The warmth continues into the chest.
Notice the gentle rise and fall of your breath here.
Let the heart soften.
Let the warmth move into the belly,
Into the abdomen.
Allow it to rise and fall naturally.
No holding,
No bracing,
No clenching.
All the way down through the hips and the legs.
The thighs and the knees.
The calves and all the way to the feet and the toes.
Feel the entire body resting.
Supported,
Quiet,
Held and safe in this moment.
Deep breath in.
Full breath out.
If there's any lingering emotion or feelings,
Allow space for it.
You don't have to push or force sleep to happen.
Rest and deep sleep comes when the body feels ready to.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
With each breath out,
Imagine yourself sinking slightly deeper into the surface beneath you.
Into stillness,
Silence and ease.
As this meditation comes to a close,
Know that you can remain here.
Resting,
Drifting into sleep.
There is nothing more to do.
Nothing more to achieve.
Allow yourself to fully rest into deep sleep.
