Hello,
My name is Miriam.
Today I'll be helping you ease into sleep with a guided sleep meditation.
Before we get started,
It's important to optimize your surroundings to help you ease into sleep.
So do a quick check of your environment.
Ensure your room is a comfortable temperature.
The lights are off or dimmed down.
Check there are no external noises to disturb you.
If you prefer a calming scent,
You can place some lavender next to you or turn on your aroma diffuser.
And you may wish to put your eye mask on.
This is the start of the meditation.
So let's take a moment to get comfortable on your bed or wherever you will lie down and relax.
Maybe under the covers on a comfortable pillow.
Hands by your sides and legs dropped to the sides.
Laying flat on your back,
Enjoying the feeling of letting go.
Try to release all tension and stress in your body and sink into your bed.
Let go of your day.
Let go of your week.
Start taking a few deep breaths here.
Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
Sight out.
Let it go.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
One more time together.
Inhale and exhale.
Now let's do that with our mouth closed.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose.
Inhale.
Exhale through the nose.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Continue breathing and remain focused on your breath.
Everything on your breath silences the mind's fluctuations.
So if your mind gets distracted and you need assistance to really focus on your breath,
Place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest and continue breathing in and out.
Inhaling,
Feeling your right hand rise,
Your left hand rise and when you exhale your hands go back to the original position.
Let's take a couple of moments to focus on this here.
Start noticing how your body feels,
The different sensations and vibrations.
Ask yourself if you are ready to let go of your day and if you are ready to wind down.
Usually when it's time to sleep our mind starts racing,
Sort of playing a replay of our day.
Just take note with no judgement,
No attachment to a certain thought or memory.
Just take note and park it.
Whenever you get that thought or memory,
Inhale,
Bring the focus back to your breath and exhale.
Let it go.
Keep repeating this for a few moments at your own pace.
Start by letting go of your whole day,
Bringing your awareness inward to focus on your breath.
Let's start relaxing the body,
Switching off one body part at a time.
Let's start with the feet.
Allow your feet to relax,
To get the rest they deserve and move all the way up to your head.
Whenever you sense some tension,
Send the breath to that body part and with the next exhale relax it.
Relax your body,
Starting at your feet,
Moving up to your shins,
Your knees,
Thighs,
Hips.
Melt your stomach,
Your heart,
Your shoulders,
Your arms into the bed.
Relax your neck,
Your throat,
The space between your ears,
Unclench your jaw.
Relax the space between your eyebrows.
Your entire body is now relaxed and heavy on the bed.
Your body is now ready to go to sleep.
If your brain is relaxed,
You can now start drifting off to sleep.
If your brain is still racing,
Allow yourself to switch off.
Maybe you can start counting your breath.
One,
Inhale.
Two,
Exhale.
Three,
Inhale.
Four,
Exhale.
Five,
Inhale.
Six,
Exhale.
Seven,
Inhale.
Eight,
Exhale.
And continue up to 100.
