Begin by finding a comfortable position,
Lying down in your bed as you prepare for sleep.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
And exhale softly through your mouth.
Inhale deeply again,
And exhale completely.
Let your breath slow naturally and guide you inward.
Gently close your eyes if you haven't already.
Let's begin to bring awareness to the body.
Feel the support of the bed beneath you.
The sensation of the sheets and blankets touching your skin.
As we begin to scan mentally from the top of the head down to the toes,
Gently invite each area to soften.
Relaxing your forehead.
Bringing your attention to the space between the eyebrows.
The eyebrows.
The eyes.
Softening the muscles behind the eyes.
The cheeks.
Maybe dropping the tongue from the top of the mouth.
Letting your shoulders begin to melt.
Bringing the attention to the center of the chest.
Softening your belly.
Softening your back.
Both the upper back and the lower back.
Allowing tension to flow down the arms and out the fingertips.
And the pelvis.
Allowing your legs to grow heavy.
And anything that isn't serving you is moving down and out those legs,
Through the soles of the feet.
You are here.
You are safe.
Begin to imagine yourself laying in a wide open field.
Soft,
Cool grass cradles your body.
A gentle breeze brushes your skin.
You feel the warmth from the sun shining down.
Above you that sky stretches endlessly.
You notice the clouds floating on by.
You are surrounded by a golden light.
And distant birdsong.
You start to notice butterflies.
Dozens,
Maybe hundreds.
They are beautiful.
Floating gently towards you.
Each one brings something powerful.
The presence of someone who has loved you.
An ancestor.
A beloved who has passed on.
You may not see them clearly,
But you unmistakably feel their love.
You watch as the butterflies dance in the beautiful sky.
But there is one butterfly that stands out.
Wings shimmering in violet,
Gold and blue.
Radiant with presence.
You feel drawn to it.
It flutters slowly towards you.
Purposefully.
And then it drips away.
You rise from the grass as you are drawn to follow this beautiful butterfly.
First walking slowly.
Then with increasing energy.
You find yourself jogging.
And then an ecstatic run.
You feel joy bubbling in your chest.
Pure,
Childlike joy that you haven't felt in a long time.
Coursing through your veins.
The butterfly leads you to a sparkling river.
You are in awe of the beauty of this place.
In the distance you hear music.
Soft,
Rhythmic,
Familiar.
And as the butterfly floats around you,
You begin to move,
Dance,
Spin and stretch.
Laughing with that childlike joy that has overcome you.
You are releasing every weight that you have carried.
Until your body feels light and free.
And that's when you notice in the shade of two old trees,
There's a hammock swaying gently.
It invites you in.
You settle into it.
Wrapped in a cool breeze and the distant tunes.
The beautiful butterfly lands softly on the edge of the hammock.
Bliss swells in your body.
You feel gratitude.
Pure and expansive.
As you drift towards sleep,
The butterfly begins to dance once again.
The movement brings you messages.
Messages from loved ones,
Ancestors,
Guides and angels.
Maybe words.
Maybe symbols.
Maybe a knowing.
Let the messages come one by one.
There's nothing you need to do.
Only receive what arrives.
Carry these messages,
The joy,
The love.
Carry the messages of joy and love with you into your dreams.
Remember,
You are always loved.
