The Maze Of Sleep For Anxiety

This meditation is for allowing your mind to escape and eventually sleep the good night sleep that you are supposed to have.

Sleeping better decreases anxiety,

Promotes calmness during your waking hours and clears your mind to think in a more focused way.

Before you begin your journey to sleep,

Please make sure that all distractions are taken care of and that the environment you are in is of a calming atmosphere.

To begin,

Draw in a smooth inward breath through your nose and when you have filled your lungs,

Release that breath even slower out through your mouth.

You may perhaps feel the sensation of your shoulders descending,

Or maybe your chest loosening.

Breathe naturally now,

And as you progress through this meditation,

Your breathing will automatically calm itself.

You can listen with your eyes open or closed,

It doesn't matter,

Just allow your mind to drift with the imagery from the words that you will hear.

Breathing calmly,

Breathing naturally,

Form an image in your mind of an outside scene.

The sky is of the purest and cleanest of blues,

The air is warm and comforting,

And the atmosphere is of an easy going nature.

In front of you is a vast greenery of grass and fields,

Hills and valleys,

For as far as the eye can see.

You stand on the top of a set of 10 solid steps that lead down to the grassy area.

In a moment,

You will walk down these steps,

As you do,

You will begin to feel the letting go of your day.

Standing on the 10th step,

You walk down to the 9th.

This is your first move forwards into a more relaxed state,

This is your acceptance and willingness to do so.

Down to the 8th step,

You have now committed to the journey of going to sleep,

Leaving the first two steps behind.

Now descending to the 7th step,

You feel your shoulders relax more,

And the beginnings of deeper and longer breaths,

You start to feel present without thinking about the past or future.

Over thinking begins to extinguish as you make your way onto the 6th step,

You feel more in tune with yourself and more importantly,

This moment.

Being ever more present,

The 5th step takes every level down,

You become more relaxed on every exhalation,

Your eyes soften and you begin to notice the scenery more vividly.

After away from the 10th step,

The 4th step brings you closer to sleep,

Your journey can only go deeper from this moment on.

Continuing down to the 3rd step,

You develop a clearer mind,

Your whole face loosens,

Your hands unclench as you feel a warm breeze from the low sun of this summers evening.

The 2nd step makes you recognise that letting go of any concerns can only help you to relax more and more.

Almost now on the grass,

The first step is a continuation of your journey downwards,

To calmness and clear mindedness.

Taking that first step onto the grass,

Your whole body feels relief as every muscle loosens from the sensation of the soft grass now beneath your feet,

Very much like a deep pile carpet of the softest material.

As you walk the warm green field,

The muscles of your feet soften from the tingling of each spring of grass.

Soft,

Warm and silent,

You slowly walk on.

With a vast view in front of you and all around,

Your mind begins to clear,

Likened by the clear blue sky up above.

Visibility into the distance is easy on the eyes as you notice the details of the hills and trees that remain still in the calm atmosphere.

With so much open space,

Your shoulders sink downwards with each step forwards,

And your breath deepens and lengthens.

Observing your surroundings is effortless as you become more aware of how relaxed you are becoming.

You feel your chest loosen,

Your legs becoming lighter and hear that each breath is naturally calm.

As your arms swing in the warmth of this day,

You feel the only breeze in between your fingers as you splay them.

With each step forwards,

Your mind begins to drift,

Settling into a more positive and peaceful state.

Every now and then,

The surroundings you see and hear disappear as your mind drifts into a daydream.

Each time you come back,

You feel more relaxed.

Walking is now an easy task,

You perhaps now feel like you have escaped any overthinking or tense state there was before.

As you focus forwards,

You notice a large tall hedge that lines the horizon from left to right.

In the middle,

In the direction you walk,

Is an opening,

It is the entrance to a maze.

Getting closer,

You see its magnificence,

A tidy cut labyrinth of greenery.

You enter the first corridor,

Still feeling the warmth of the setting sun and the calmness of quiet all around.

You can feel the energy of this positive place as you set foot between two high sided hedges,

As the subtle flurry of air is pushed past you,

Your skin feels reenergised and alive as you seem to vibrate with vitality.

The air settles every so often,

Leaving a most quiet and present atmosphere.

Slowly walking,

Wandering this peaceful maze,

You hear water trickling nearby.

Up ahead is a turn in direction,

You follow the route around.

As you turn the bend,

You are greeted with a magnificent lake with fountains dotted around its edge.

The water looks clear with no movement,

There are swans floating a little way out,

Swimming in peace itself.

You observe the swans move out to the other side of the lake,

Mesmerised by the water trail behind them.

Trees line this pleasant and pleasing space of freedom.

You breathe in all its relaxing properties,

You smell the scent of the bark on the trees and the sleepiness of lavender you see over the hedge in another area of the maze.

You feel good in letting go as you have.

Walking around,

You see on top of a large rock,

Beside the water are three stones.

Engraved on the rock are the words,

Make a wish.

Picking up the three stones,

You clank them together as you walk to the edge of the lake.

Filling the first stone with your wish to have a great night's sleep,

You feel the energy and intention being transferred.

Pulling back,

You launch the stone into the lake,

As far as you can throw it.

With a plop,

The stone slaps the water and sinks down into this natural wishing well.

Now filling the second stone with your need for calmness,

You transfer your intention.

Now feeling ready,

You pull back your arm and throw the stone into the lake.

With a splash and nothing more,

The stone fades out of sight and sinks.

The need now to fill the last stone with the immense intention of being present is now transferred.

To be present gives you the relief of not overthinking or worrying anymore.

Pulling back,

You catapult the stone,

This time flicking your wrist so it skims along the top of the water.

With full lengthy bounces,

It dives downwards and,

Like the other stones,

Out of sight.

As you look back out at the swans in the distance,

You watch them disappear around some trees.

The water now still,

The sky clear,

The air calm.

You feel more relaxed as you just observe.

Not a sound can be heard except that of your own deep breaths of peace.

You take this moment to be present,

Observing clear thinking with an intense relaxation.

Now enjoying a smooth cycle of inward and outward breathing,

You continue on around the lake to a new passage through the vast maze.

Looking around the water,

You see how still and calm it is,

And liken the lack of movement to what you sense in your mind now.

A warm reflection from the dusky red sky makes everything feel warm and safe.

Each footstep forwards is of a slow amble as your thoughts are only that in this moment.

Your eyes softer than before,

Your muscles loosened with contentedness.

Walking through and between the hedge maze,

The leaves of these tall walls now silent in movement and sound.

Everything now a little quieter than before.

As you take your next turn in the maze,

You are met with a beautiful garden landscape that takes up the size of this corridor.

Under a small apple tree,

Blackberries and strawberries grow here,

Rich in colour and sweet in scent.

Below the apple tree is a birdcage with a budgerigar displaying a beautiful array of yellow,

Green and blue pastel colours.

It softly chirps cheerfully,

Rocking side to side.

In the cage,

You see it has seed and water but is unable to get to the many rich fruits available in this part of the maze.

As you observe the bird,

You look into its eyes as it points its beak to the outside.

Inside you feel you can relate to your winged friend.

A bit like how your mind locks up thoughts with seemingly nowhere to escape,

It's by letting go that you can be free to be present as you felt by the lake a moment ago.

You have learned that your mind can go wherever it wants to,

At any time,

As it is not restricted by anything other than your own thoughts.

It's the negative self talk that creates the cage.

Smiling at the bird,

You lean forward and open the cage,

Standing back to give it some room.

The budgie hops slowly to the edge of its perch,

Looking at you from side to side and then sits on the threshold of its doorway.

Feeling delightfully,

It slowly spreads its wings and lifts up into the air.

You feel good inside,

Knowing that this little creature can be free.

Seeing the bird,

It circles happily above and then lands on a branch of the apple tree.

Chirping once more,

Pecking at a red wholesome ripe apple,

It begins to feast.

Having some fruit yourself,

You take your time eating as you watch your new friend explore his or her dinner.

The bird moves onto the reddest strawberries,

Sweet in scent and large in size.

You relax with a feeling of content,

Knowing that you have earned trust and friendship.

The little bird,

Now slightly sticky from its meal,

Flies over to a water fountain and begins to wash.

Pecking the water then itself,

It washes away any stickiness from the delicious fruit,

Taking a sip of the cool liquid every now and then to wash down the food.

Uncomplete in helping your feathered friend,

You decide to move on to the next part of the maze.

Through another passageway,

Now becoming slightly more dim as the sun sets,

You are met with a deeply thick forest,

Where the last of the sun's rays shine through the branches and leaves of trees.

The subtle haze makes this lush green area a bit more surreal in nature.

The earthy scent of bark and leaves of winters past create a sense of grounding as you continue to slowly explore.

Looking for signs of which direction you should go,

You follow your instincts and go where your heart takes you.

There could be many paths to the next section of the maze,

And by trusting your heart over your head can help you greatly.

It is thought that by trusting your head over your heart is the way forward,

But that couldn't be farther from the truth.

It is your heart that yearns for the desires in life and the goals you want to achieve.

As you walk amongst the trees,

You can liken these to your thoughts when overthinking or when you are possibly confused about a situation.

If you have ever heard the phrase that you cannot see the wood for the trees,

Then this is what it means.

Taking a step back in thought and trusting your inner self and your intuition helps you to progress finding a new direction.

At peace inside and following your heart,

You now walk the path that you think leads out of the forest.

You take in the beauty of this place,

The smell,

The cleansing effect of being one with nature.

As you walk,

You feel the vibration of the trees,

Their roots,

Bark and leaves.

By being one with everything around,

You feel grounded,

Confident and at peace.

The further you travel through this forest,

The lighter it becomes,

Not only in density,

But also of space.

Now seeing an opening up ahead,

You smile in content as your intuition has served you well.

On reaching this new corridor,

Light spills back onto the landscape,

The sky almost a purple velvet as the red of the sun fades away.

A warm sweet scent of evening fills the air as you travel down the next part of the maze.

Taking a couple of turns and deciding which way to go,

You turn once more to find an entrance to a colourful cave filled with crystals of all shapes and sizes.

The sparkle from the crystals are amazing,

Every colour imaginable is here,

Reflecting of each other and every surface.

Scent and awe is felt from the rich reward of following your heart to this place.

Walking through the cave,

You feel a great sense of energy,

Almost vibrational in nature and refreshing at the same time.

The pointed and squarely shaped crystals seem to be picking up the frequency of the earth and amplifying it like a needle of a record and using the cave as a speaker.

You hear the most generous,

Pleasant sound you have ever heard.

You feel the most peaceful sense in and around your body in this moment.

You are now one with yourself and everything around.

Walking through the cave,

You observe your own frequency.

A warm sensation of peace is felt now,

In your heart of self reassurance,

Calmness and great relaxation.

You continue on and through the cave.

As you walk to the exit of this beautiful space,

You even notice your own energy as a glow reflected from the crystals.

A pure violet and blue haze surrounds your body.

Your energy is strong and vibrant.

On reaching the end of the cave,

The beautiful sound begins to fade away,

Leaving you feeling very peaceful indeed.

Sunset now brings a tiredness to your day as you see the first stars of the sky appear.

Feeling now in a very carefree mood and a very relaxed manner,

You feel you know the way through this maze.

After turning a few junctions,

You arrive at a serene scene.

The cave from which you came from can be seen on a hilltop above,

Shining the light of the crystals onto a small waterfall.

A rainbow of all colours can be seen in the mist of the droplets of water in the air.

The lagoon smells fresh and clean,

Warm and inviting.

You decide to paddle into the water.

A surprise of warmth is felt as your feet submerge.

A pleasant softness is felt in your ankles.

The depth of the water is only as high as your hips,

So you make the decision to walk to the waterfall.

As you wade in,

Every muscle the water reaches,

Relaxes immensely.

You breathe deeply as your mind wanders in this moment.

When reaching the waterfall,

You stand in the colours of the rainbow mist.

An intense sensation of letting go and peace is felt as every part of your body softens.

From head to toe,

The light stream from the cave mixed in with the water provides an almost reiki like effect of healing.

Each chakra now aligned and balanced as you breathe in this moment of stillness.

Now starting at your root chakra,

Your trust in the universe and yourself is realised and now in sync.

The red colour emanated from the crystal cave to the water to yourself is felt as a powerful reassurance.

The orange light energy that floats around your sacral chakra and navel brings with it an intuition and knowing of how to problem solve situations.

So light now illuminates your solar plexus with wisdom,

Being wise in knowing how to navigate your path forward in life.

Glowing comes in the colour of light green energy around your heart chakra,

Glowing intensely with your desires,

Vitality,

Strength and self love.

Communication is important in life,

Not just with other people,

But with yourself.

Focalising and being true to oneself is the way to living your best and peaceful life.

Your throat chakra shines brightly like a beacon of communication,

Feeling free to do so in this moment.

Awareness of yourself and the world around is key to understanding how things play out and the directions you should take.

This is felt and seen as a violet colour between your eyebrows in your third eye chakra.

Lastly your crown chakra brightens with spirituality,

The total essence of what makes you you.

Every desire,

Every need,

Every part of your personality is freed from any inhibitions to help you live your fullest life,

It's purple glow is clean,

Strong and vibrant.

Your whole body inside and out glows immense colours and vibrates to the frequency of your own inner self.

Fined and at one,

You take a moment to appreciate it to its fullest.

Wading back to the waters edge,

You feel a sense of healing,

But also are very tired from the realisations.

As you continue to walk through the maze,

The evening air dries your body,

Evaporating every droplet into the warm air.

The tingles from drying are life giving signals that you are now healing,

Now being more aware that you are much more than you thought.

The last of the sun's rays fading out,

This is another reminder that with each new day comes a fresh new start,

And that you can let go of things when it is time to settle down for bed.

The moon now quietly glows in the night sky,

The stars only accentuate the deep blue nocturnal curtain of darkness.

You turn a few times,

At each junction seemingly knowing your way around,

To find an open space.

Here you find that you are high up in the sky,

Now overlooking the world down below.

A cloud floats on the edge of a hill that leads downwards.

You trust in your instincts once more and take a step onto the soft cushioned surface.

Stepping onto the cloud,

You slowly sink as a very intense feeling of sleepiness fills your mind and body.

Sitting down,

The surface is softer than a cotton wall,

A very easy sensation,

Loosens each and every muscle.

Your eyelids begin to close with a satisfying relief.

You lie comfortably in a restful position as your breathing becomes automatically deeper.

Sleep is a poignant time to feel present moments,

Without having to be concerned about them.

You are in the here and now,

Grounded and very much at peace,

As your eyelids close more heavily from the purely blissful sensations that you now experience.

Your head tilts downwards too.

Each outward breath beckons your neck muscles to relax further,

Deepening your desire to With no more thinking,

No more moving,

You begin to fall asleep.

As your head tilts downwards,

Your neck loosens your shoulders and the tops of your arms,

Softening each muscle like a wave down your body.

Your chest widens as each breath becomes longer and deeper,

Being filled with the state of sleep.

With your back resting heavily now in a perfect position,

Your abdomen becomes still and loose with content.

As your hips and thighs sink further into the soft surface of the cloud,

Your knees unlock and your calves rest down.

Each foot now unhinged as your ankles release and your toes splay in tranquility.

As the last of your awareness is noticed,

Your arms,

Wrists,

Hands and fingers,

Limply descend downwards with a deep exhalation of sleep.

Now asleep,

The cloud slowly takes you down to your bed,

Where you now lie.

As you sleep now,

All that you have learned about yourself is magnified and simplified without any other interpretation.

You will find strength in the journey that you have experienced and your subconscious will continue to strengthen all positive beliefs about yourself as you sleep.

Whilst you sleep,

You will find replenishment,

Rejuvenation and comfort of the highest quality.

There is nothing more to do now,

Except allow your breathing to show a pattern of sleep and enlightenment.

Any dreams you will have will be clear and focused solely on your wellbeing,

For when you awaken,

You will be focused,

Clear minded and relaxed.

And do outside style whatever can help you to prepare yourself so that when things happen,

You will feel the strength you desired.

You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You