Hello and welcome to this preparing for sleep meditation.
When considering any meditation related to sleep,
It's important to recognize that there's nothing to force and nothing to make happen.
So it's always good advice to set out on any sleep practice without any specific expectations or goals.
For the meditation that follows there will be no ending bell or instructions.
At the end simply continue to practice if you like or hopefully enjoy a good night's rest instead.
Let's start by lying down and finding a comfortable position,
Allowing your legs to rest in a posture hip width apart.
Just allowing your arms to fall by your side.
If you prefer you can gently rest your hands on your belly.
Begin by just noticing your breath.
Pay attention as best you're able to the physical movements related to breathing such as your belly rising and falling while the physical sensations of air moving in and out of your mouth and nose.
It's perfectly normal when focusing on the breath to find your mind wandering,
Rehashing through your day or worrying about the future.
Just recognize that you're thinking and just let these thoughts be and don't engage with them and then bring your attention back to the beauty and simplicity of the breath.
Breathing in and breathing out and following your breath for full cycles.
Notice if you're getting caught up with feelings that staying with the breath is an effort or having thoughts of self-criticism or frustration.
Know that thoughts are only thoughts,
That there's nothing that you need to fix or change right now in this moment.
Just notice where your thoughts go and label them thoughts and return your attention back Invite you now to shift your attention to the sensations in your body.
Take a moment here to feel into your whole body.
Just notice how your body's feeling,
Perhaps it's feeling relaxed,
Maybe there are some areas of tension or pain.
However it's feeling,
Know that you don't need to change anything,
You're just observing.
Now let's check into some specific parts of the body and start by moving your awareness to the physical sensations in your feet.
You don't need to wiggle your toes or move your feet,
Just notice them.
Could be the temperature or the pressure of your heels against the mattress beneath you.
And from your feet moving your attention into your lower legs.
And just noticing whatever there is to see and not trying to change anything.
And then from your lower legs through your knees and into your upper legs.
If you're feeling any stress or tension,
Try not to engage with these feelings,
You're just observing.
Then feeling into your buttocks and then through to your pelvis.
And then feeling into your tummy.
In your tummy you might become aware of the physical sensations of the breath.
Or sometimes even reflections of emotions.
Now moving your attention from your belly into your chest.
Just noting each time your mind gets caught up in thoughts of discomfort or distractions.
And gently and with patience guiding it back one more time.
And now moving your attention into your back.
And this is an area that for a lot of people can hold tension and stress.
Take this opportunity to allow your back to relax.
Allowing your shoulders to relax and drop.
If you're feeling a little uncomfortable,
You need to make an adjustment,
Allow that to happen with intention.
Pulsing and choosing your next action.
Now moving your attention into your upper arms.
Feeling down through your elbows into your lower arms.
Then moving down into your hands.
Feeling into them and noticing how they feel.
Perhaps they feel relaxed and heavy.
Now moving your attention into your neck and throat.
Then moving your attention up to your face.
Allowing your jaw to relax.
And into your cheeks,
Your eyes and eye sockets relaxing.
Then up into your forehead and into your scalp.
Allowing all those smaller muscles in your head to relax.
And then your entire head.
Allow it to feel heavy on the pillow and relax.
And now for a few moments,
Taking a general awareness of your whole body.
Pitched off and disengaged.
And now gently bring your attention back to your breath.
Anytime your mind wanders,
Like it invariably will.
Bring your attention back again to the breath.
If it's a useful anchor for your attention,
You can try and count your breaths.
Breathing in for one.
Breathing out for one.
Breathing in for two.
Breathing out for two.
And when you reach ten,
Begin back at one again.
Here goes for three.
You You You If counting becomes a distraction you can return again to the breath You always returning to the breath Noticing the belly rising falling.
.
.
And continuing on your own now.
If you find yourself distracted with empathy and compassion,
Always return to the breath.
That thought might help you to deeply focus on your life in return.
Stop being restricted to your level of convenience and your needs.
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