Arriving At Sleep- A Gentle Sleep Meditation

So,

I'd like you to make yourself comfortable there,

Shuffling if you need to find that right position for you.

Of course,

You don't need to lie there completely still,

Your comfort is the most important thing.

And when you've found that comfortable position,

I'd like you to imagine.

Imagine something for me now.

And many people find it so much easier to imagine when they allow their eyes to close.

Imagining that right at the top of your head is a golden orb of light,

Just pulsating and throbbing away.

Now this golden orb of light is actually going to turn into an energy of calm that will travel all the way through your body and I will guide it down.

Every part of your body that this golden energy comes into contact with will feel more and more comfortable and relaxed.

So right now,

This golden energy is at the top of your head,

But just imagine it beginning to trickle its way into your forehead,

So that all those little muscles in your forehead can just begin to soften.

That's right,

As it gently transcends down into your cheekbones and into your jaw,

Relaxing your jaw and clenching your teeth.

Just noticing,

Perhaps,

How comfortable your loose face begins to feel.

That's right.

And now that golden energy spreads to the back of your head,

To circle your ears,

To move upwards towards your temples,

Before radiating right to the very back of your head,

So that every little muscle and fiber can just begin to soften,

To loosen.

So much more comfortable that way.

And that golden energy carries on its journey very easily down,

Down into your neck,

Spreading down those tendons and fibers,

Before journeying into your shoulders,

Perhaps noticing how lazy and heavy you can allow your shoulders to be,

As that comforting energy radiates down through your arms,

Into your wrists and hands,

And spreading with comfortable goal to the tips of your fingers and thumbs,

The palms of your hands.

And that golden energy continues into your chest now,

As you just take a little moment,

Just to notice your breathing,

Just to pay attention to its rhythm,

Steady and relentless.

And how you're breathing,

The rate,

The pace,

And the depth feels just right for now.

And that's because you're in control.

You're in control of all of this.

But you might like to notice just how every breath allows you to feel balanced and steadied,

Comfortable and calm,

Peaceful and open,

Dreamy and creative,

As that golden energy moves down,

Down into the core of your body,

Before spreading into your lower back,

Your hips,

And noticing that surface beneath you,

How reassuring and comfortable it feels.

Against your legs,

As that energy of calm,

That golden wave,

Spreads down through those muscles and fibers in your legs and knees,

Journeying into your ankles,

Before spreading to the tips of your toes,

The soles of your feet.

And whilst you lie there comfortably now,

I'd like you to use your powerful imagination,

To visualize a beautiful,

Sunny meadow.

The soft spring grass is ankle length,

And everywhere the bright green grass is studded with the color of spring flowers,

Delicate yellows,

Gentle blues,

And perfect whites.

And you're walking along in this glorious meadow,

At a comfortable pace,

You're not rushing,

You're just ambling.

And that's because you don't need to be anywhere or do anything at all,

Right now,

Apart from just absorb the beauty of this natural scene.

And the sun is high in the sky,

You feel its gentle warmth,

As you wander along,

Breathing in the clear,

Calm air.

And you notice a perfect spot,

Just to pause for a moment,

A perfect place to rest and restore,

And to absorb the peace of that quiet,

Natural meadow.

You roll out a picnic blanket onto the grass and settle yourself down and down,

Smoothing the palms of your hands over the softness of the blanket,

Appreciating the touch of it.

And your eye is enchanted by its beautiful color.

Right here,

Right now,

And in this moment,

It seems like just the perfect color for you.

You settle down,

And you can smell the sweetness of the fresh spring grass.

The fragrance of the meadow flowers,

Light and delicate,

As you watch them blowing in the grass,

Being caressed by that gentle spring breeze.

And noticing the meadow appears to you like a calm sea,

Being blown by a breeze,

As those grasses and flowers just gently ripple in the wind.

And you're alone here,

But you're quite comfortable with that.

You're having some time to yourself,

Just to be here for now,

A well-earned moment of peace and quiet and solitude.

And the edges of the meadow are lined with elegant,

Ancient trees.

Their dark trunks and branches perfectly silhouetted against the bluest of skies.

And the tiniest of leaf buds are just beginning to appear on those bare branches,

And you can feel the fragrance,

Spring,

All around,

Nature just inevitably finding its way.

A little yellow butterfly just flickers past your eye,

Just resting,

Pausing temporarily on a spring flower before fluttering off.

And you can hear the cheerful song of birds somewhere in those high trees.

You imagine them busily building nests and calling to the day,

This beautiful spring day,

A haven of calm and peace that is just right for you now.

So relaxed,

So safe,

So peaceful.

You find yourself settling back onto the picnic blanket,

Just lying down.

And as you do,

You gaze up at that perfect spring sky,

Watching little clouds,

Fluffy and light,

Like they've been drawn by the hands of children,

Just constantly moving along that expansive blue.

Shifting and changing,

Changing and shifting,

As they're blown by that welcome breeze.

Changing and shifting,

Nature changing all the time,

As nature is all about change,

From one season to the next,

From one moment to the next,

From one state to the next.

So relaxed,

Change,

So natural,

So inevitable,

So surprising,

But yet reassuring.

You find your eyelids heavying,

Although you're captivated by the clouds and the sky,

You find yourself drifting,

Drifting towards a daydream.

Perhaps a daydream that may stay with you for some time.

There's an old-fashioned railway station,

Charming.

It is with hanging baskets and large planters of seasonal flowers.

There are neatly preserved trushes and fascias painted with clean,

Fresh paint.

And there's a man sitting alone on a bench.

And somehow you know he comes here every day.

And every day for him is the same.

He's waiting for a train.

But he never knows what time the train will come.

So he arrives incredibly early every day to catch the train.

To catch his train.

This is the way it has been for so long.

As long as he can remember.

He quietly sits and watches all the other passengers arriving,

As they all seem to quickly depart on their various journeys.

He watches while he waits.

Watching the other passengers as they calmly,

Casually wait without any sense of annoyance or frustration.

Some read newspapers.

Some are engrossed in their books.

There are people lost in a world of their own behind large headphones.

Some are even having animated conversations on their mobiles.

And he wonders why it's so easy for them.

All this waiting around for him.

They seem to have found ways that work for them.

They look calmly absorbed by their solution to this waiting.

And he's intrigued.

Not for them the restless feeling of wondering.

Wondering when their train will arrive.

Just a patience.

And an acceptance.

That it will.

One day the man arrives for his usual lengthy wait.

But something has changed.

He sits down on his bench and looks around.

Unnoticed is a mother feeding her baby with a bottle on the far side of his bench.

He listens to the sound of the suckling baby.

Determined and rhythmic as the baby glugs on the bottle.

And his heart warms just a little.

He breathes gently.

He then sees a little bird hopping and pecking absentmindedly along the station floor.

Jaunty and alert.

But committed in its actions.

Pecking and scratching.

Fluttering to and fro.

Out of the way of commuters walking past.

But always returning to that same little patch of station floor.

He breathes calmly.

He notices today the scent of the hanging baskets.

Fragrant and fresh.

They've just been watered so there's a gentle and persistent drip.

Drip.

Dripping as the water from the basket splashes gently against the station floor.

He breathes comfortably.

For the first time.

He notices that his bench.

Is actually the most pleasant spot in this little station.

Here in the warmth of the sun.

With a perfect and uninterrupted view.

Of a green rolling countryside.

He settles back on his bench.

Noticing it warmer now on his back from the warmth of the sun.

Someone really takes care of this station he thinks.

As he notices the historic ironwork trusses against the red of the ancient brickwork.

He breathes contentedly.

His train arrives.

Earlier than usual.

He steps on board this time with a sense of gentle ease.

A warmth across his expression.

And the warmth of his expression greets a man already seated.

And they both politely murmur good morning to each other.

He makes his way to a little seat further along.

With a great view.

A window view and a table for his paper.

As he settles himself down he remembers.

From that point onwards.

To always notice that rolling view.

Of countryside.

And those hanging baskets.

Whenever he comes to the station again.

And as you arrive back from that daydream.

You notice the clouds are still slowly moving along that blue sky.

The blankets still soft and warm beneath you.

And the subtlety of the scent of those wild flowers and grasses.

Feeling the breeze against your skin.

And knowing that what you are doing right here.

Right now.

Is so very good for your body and mind.

As here.

You are able to put all of those things.

Into perspective again.

A perspective that works for you.

The sights.

The sounds of nature.

Soothing and comforting you.

As you allow yourself to be comfortable and rested.

And soon enough.

The body.

Will drift into a nurturing and peaceful sleep.

Healing and recovering from the physicality of your day.

And your mind will rectify.

And organize.

And process.

And rationalize.

But you will also have that wonderful healthy.

Low wave sleep.

That allows your mind to be at peace and ease.