Hello dear one,
You are here and the day is behind you now.
This is your time to let everything go,
To release the day,
To soften and to rest.
My voice will guide you and when you're ready,
Sleep will come.
You don't need to stay awake or aware,
Allow yourself to drift,
To sink,
To fall into the soft embrace of sleep.
Settle into your bed now,
Pull your covers close,
Let your body be completely supported,
Completely held.
You're safe here.
You can let go now,
Continue to make yourself completely comfortable,
Allow your body to settle,
Let yourself sink even further into the support holding you,
Find your own sweet spot of quiet.
If there's any tension remaining,
Imagine kissing it goodnight and letting it go.
Perhaps draw a soft blanket over you,
Tuck a pillow beneath your head or knees,
Place a covering over your eyes to soothe the muscles and block out any movement.
Let yourself be held,
Fully supported,
As if cradled by earth itself.
Feel the surface beneath you,
Notice how it meets your body,
Supporting your head.
Let yourself become heavy,
As if you could sink right through this surface.
There's nothing you need to do now,
Notice your breath without changing it,
Witnessing its natural rhythm,
The gentle rise of the inhale,
The soft ascent of the exhale.
Let something release,
Your shoulders,
Feel your face soften,
The small muscles around your eyes,
Your temples,
Your forehead,
All releasing their grip.
Let your tongue rest easy in your mouth,
Your teeth slightly apart,
Notice your shoulders dropping away from your ears,
Your arms growing heavy at your sides,
Palms open,
Fingers soft,
Your chest softening with each exhale,
Your belly rising and falling like a gentle wave,
Your hips settling more deeply,
Your legs releasing,
Your feet falling open,
You are safe,
You are free to let go completely.
From this place of deep rest,
Bring your awareness to the space of your heart.
Here in this quiet center,
Plant a seed of intention,
A sankalpa,
A gentle resolve that will guide you toward the sleep you need.
This intention is simple,
Present tense,
And deeply true for you.
It might be something like,
I fall asleep easily and naturally,
My body knows how to rest,
I release the day and welcome sleep.
Or perhaps different words arise,
Words that feel right for you.
Silently repeat your intention three times,
Feeling it settle into your heart like a stone in still water.
Let even this intention go,
Trusting it has been planted,
Trusting it will grow.
Now I will guide your awareness through your body,
Part by part.
As I name each area,
Bring your attention there,
Then let it go and move on.
There's no need to move,
No need to concentrate.
Drift your awareness like a soft light moving through a quiet room.
Bring your awareness to the right hand,
Index finger,
Middle finger.
Now bring your attention to your left hand,
Now moving your awareness to the left hip.
Now bring your awareness to the back of the head,
Shoulder blades,
Backs of the thighs,
Hips,
Backs of the knees,
Supported and still,
Space between the eyebrows,
Resting as one,
Floating in stillness.
Now release your attention from the body,
And rest in the rhythm of your breathing.
No need to change the breath.
Notice it like watching waves roll onto shore.
Feel the cool air as it enters your nostrils.
Feel the warm air as it leaves.
The gentle rise of your chest and belly with each inhale.
The soft settling with each exhale.
You receive ease.
Each breath is a wave.
You're drifting into stillness.
Imagine now that you're lying in a soft meadow,
Under a vast night sky.
The grass beneath you is cool and gentle,
Supporting you completely.
A view,
The sky stretches endless and dark,
Scattered with beautiful radiant stars.
A full moon rises,
Luminous and serene,
Casting silver light across the meadow,
And across your body.
This moonlight is cool,
Soothing,
Like a healing balm.
Feel it touching your forehead,
Your eyelids,
Your cheeks,
Washing over you in soft,
Silvery waves.
The moonlight seeps into your skin,
Filling your body with a gentle,
Glowing calm.
Translucent,
Made of moonlight and stillness.
The night air is warm and soft,
And you can hear the distant sound of crickets,
The whisper of wind through the grass,
The deep silence beneath all sound,
Watched over by the moon,
Protected by the infinite sky,
Floating the threshold of dreams.
I will count you down from 10 to 1.
There's nothing you need to do.
Each number carrying you deeper into sleep.
5.
Sinking down now,
Releasing into rest,
Like a feather falling through the still air.
6.
Softer now,
Melting into the earth.
7.
6.
Peaceful,
Letting go,
Drifting further down,
The last threads of waking dissolving.
