I know trying to fall asleep with a busy mind can be challenging so hopefully this practice will help you to find your inner stillness,
Fall asleep more easily and have a restful and peaceful sleep.
A relaxed body and calm mind are very intimately interconnected so in this practice we will both relax the body and allow the mind to quieten,
Allowing your whole system to really let go and rest.
If you haven't already,
Lie down on your bed and find a position that's really comfortable.
Take a little while to sort yourself out and get yourself super comfy so that when you're ready you can just drift off to sleep.
Once you're comfortable,
As you begin to settle,
Take a moment to reflect that right now you are here,
You are in your home,
In your room and in the safety of your bed.
Right now there's nowhere else you need to be,
There's nothing you need to be doing or planning or thinking about.
You've done everything you need to do today and thought everything you need to think about.
This is your time now to rest,
Relax and fall asleep.
You kind of have to give yourself permission to really let go of your day and allow yourself to be present in your body.
Know that you are safe and know that you are loved.
You can let go of all the happenings in the day and allow yourself to find solace and comfort in your body and in your bed.
We'll start off by doing three deep breaths together to slow your energy and calm your mind.
We'll take a deep breath in through the nose and then a really long extended exhale out the mouth as if you're breathing out through a really fine straw.
And as you breathe out,
Try to really notice your body relaxing and settling.
So take a full deep breath in through the nose and then a long slow breath out through the mouth.
Letting your body and your energy slow down and relax as you do that.
And then again a deep breath in through the nose and a long breath out through the mouth.
Really noticing your body calm and relax.
A deep breath in and then a really long breath out.
Resting and settling.
One more time,
Breath in and long breath out.
Letting your whole body really relax into the bed.
And then just rest your awareness on your natural breath.
Notice the natural rhythm of the breath coming in and out.
Notice the feelings and sensations of the air coming in and out of your nostrils and your throat and chest.
And let those feelings and sensations really soothe you and support you as you breathe.
Let them be a comfort for you as your body and mind begin to relax and settle.
Notice the feelings and sensations of your lungs,
Ribs and abdomen rising and falling with each in-breath and each out-breath.
And you can use the awareness of your breath in your body to gradually allow your body to deeply relax breath by breath.
Now please don't worry about trying to make anything happen here or hold your awareness on anything.
You've done enough doing and trying today.
This is the time where you can just let go and allow yourself to be present in your body and rest in the quiet.
Resting in the calmness.
Now put your awareness on your out-breath as a resting and settling breath and really follow each out-breath down.
Feeling your body relax deeper and deeper with each out-breath.
Whenever you become distracted by whatever it is you're thinking about or stressing about see if you can gently let those thoughts go,
Kind of like you're letting go of a helium balloon.
Let the thoughts drift off and fly away to wherever they want to go.
And gently bring your awareness back to your breath and feel your body deeply relax into your bed again.
Know that you can come back to those thoughts tomorrow.
Now is your time to rest and settle.
And now move your awareness to the ground of your being.
Notice the feelings and sensations of your soft and comfortable bed pushing up from below you.
Notice the feelings and sensations of the contact of your whole body with your sheets and your bed.
Notice the feelings and sensations of the weight of your body resting down into the bed.
Notice the feeling of the bed really supporting you as you relax.
The feeling of it almost holding you as you allow your whole body to relax and settle.
And notice whether you're really allowing yourself to trust that sense of ground and really let go into it.
Allowing your whole body to deeply relax into your bed,
Into your ground.
And again if you're distracted see if you can gently let the distraction go for now.
And then gently bring your awareness back to your breath.
Back into feelings and sensations in your body.
Allowing your whole body to relax deeply back down into your comfortable bed.
The whole weight of your body breath by breath.
If you notice any tension in your body or like your body is subtly lifting up,
Gently allow it to relax and feel your body sink down into the bed again.
Allowing yourself to deepen and relax.
Allowing your whole body to be relaxed and your mind to become more quiet.
And as you breathe you could have a sense that your whole body is breathing.
As you breathe in there's a sense of gathering.
And as you breathe out there's a sense of letting go and opening.
Allow that soft natural rhythm of your breath to soothe you and relax you.
And let you slowly become more quiet.
Allow your body to become heavy,
Sinking into the sheets and your pillow breath by breath.
Know that you are safe.
Know that you are loved.
And if you find you've drifted off in thought again,
That's ok.
You can just let it go,
Like you're letting go of a helium balloon.
And gently come back to your body.
Let it relax and sink down into your bed again.
Allowing your whole body to relax and your mind to become more still and quiet.
Sinking deeper and becoming heavier,
Breath by breath.
You can gently take your attention to your heart center and notice its steady rhythm.
Its calming pulse.
Notice the feeling of love in your heart.
And let its warmth soothe you and comfort you.
As you relax and begin to quieten.
Resting in calmness.
Resting in peace.
Allowing your mind to become still.
And your whole body deeply relax and sink down into the safety of your bed.
And whenever you're ready,
You can allow yourself to drift off to sleep.
Or just keep resting in the warmth and the safety of your bed.
Finding comfort in your relaxed body.
And calm mind.
Sleep tight.
