Welcome,
My name is Celia Roberts.
I'm the founder of the Biomedical Institute of Yogren Meditation.
Today we're going to look at a meditation for assisting with sleep.
So we're going to focus just primarily on one part of the body and this is the eyes and we're going to practice mindfulness of the eyes.
Now often when we're quite agitated the eyes will be sharp and focused as we enter into flight or fight.
And so before sleep we want to activate the parasympathetic nervous system response.
So we want the eyes to withdraw and to do this we want to press around the mama points of the eyes and any of this pressure around the eyes tends to stimulate the ocular vagal reflex.
The ocular nerve speaks to the vagus nerve and the vagus nerve tells the heart rate to slow down.
So we'll rub the palms together and then we palm the eyes.
And as we palm the eyes we cup just around the bones of the eyes and stare into the darkest blue black image the eyes can see.
Now the pressure around the eyes should have a calming effect.
And if you can try and withdraw the pupils by relaxing the eye muscles.
The eyes are closed.
Good.
Release this mudra and then from there just feeling the effects of the practice on the eyes.
Now one technique that I have found to be very helpful for bringing yourself back to sleep is to practice mindfulness of the eyes.
So I want you to bring your attention to the inner corners of the eyes.
Softly withdraw the eyes back into the skull.
Relax the inner corners of the eyes to assist you in doing this.
And then bring your attention to the outer corners of the eyes.
Slowly withdraw the eyes back into the skull.
Relaxing the outer corner of the eyes.
Then the bottom of the eyes.
Be aware of the eyelids,
The bottom eyelid,
Just gently covering the bottom of the eye.
And feel the sensation,
The moisture in the eyes and the connection between the eyelid,
The bottom eyelid and the pupil,
The eye itself.
Draw the eye back,
Allowing the pupils to become smaller as this happens.
Then bring your attention to the top of the eyeball and how the eyelid just gently makes connection with the top of the eye.
Feel the moisture here,
The connection,
The softness.
See if you can continue to withdraw the eyeball back into the skull,
Relaxing the eye muscles,
Utilizing the ocular vagal reflex to quieten and calm the heart,
Bringing the heart rate down.
Preparing for sleep.
Again,
Relax both eyes back into the skull.
Let the eyes travel back more deeply.
Let the relaxation become deeper and deeper and deeper.
Notice as you sink the eyes back,
The heart rate will soften,
It will slow.
Or perhaps you just notice a deep connection between the eyes and the heart.
In fact,
This is definitely a truism in Ayurveda.
We read the state of someone's heart through the eyes.
As you meditate mindfully on the eyes,
Continue to notice the effects on the heart,
Whether that's a consciousness,
An energy or a real reduction in your heart rate.
Just observe that.
Notice how the eyes begin to soften as you lengthen your exhalation.
Focus a little now on the exhalation and the withdrawal of the eyeball back into the skull with a longer exhalation.
This exhalation being longer will elicit the parasympathetic nervous system response and assist you in your sleep.
Try not to focus too much on the inhale rather than the exhale being predominantly your point of awareness.
Finally,
We'll practice compassion and let the eyes experience compassion,
Kindness.
The eyes that closed,
But you put a positive intent.
Compassionate eyes,
Soft,
Gentle,
Compassionate eyes.
Let the eyes embody peace and compassion.
Softness and gentility.
We embody this throughout the whole body,
The embodied brain.
Softness,
Gentility,
Peace and compassion.
So you cultivate these feelings,
Just notice any changes to the eyes and heart and the connection between the two.
Compassion,
Peace,
Soft eyes,
Soft heart.
And then finally,
Place your attention mindfully in the eyes again,
Really resting all of your attention at this point.
Eyes relaxed,
Soft,
Gentle and at ease.
Drawing the eyes back and back and back into deep rest,
To deep sleep,
Shavasana or corpse pose.
This is the hardest pose to master as we wish to withdraw the mental energy into a state of samadhi or alternatively,
Yoga nidra,
Yogic sleep.
Eyes and heart withdrawing soft,
Quiet,
Gentle,
Peace.
May be happy,
May be healthy,
May be filled with deep compassion and may be at peace.
May your whole life be truly blessed.
