Soften into the position you have chosen for maximum comfort and make your body as aligned as you can.
This will help reduce any restlessness.
You can take up your favourite sleep position once you are ready.
All you need to do is follow along with this guidance which aims to tire your mind in a natural way.
Let my voice soothe you into sleep and be a friend if you are awake in the middle of the night.
Take a few moments to connect to the deep mind.
The sea of serenity deeper than any thoughts disturbing its surface.
Find some tranquility inside whatever else you are feeling.
We are going to take a journey through the layers of thought and emotion to the unchanging centre.
Even if sleep doesn't come,
The time you spend in this deep liminal space will be restful and renewing.
Place your attention now into the back of your body from your head through to your heels.
Take a slightly deeper breath and as you breathe out let your whole body sink into the bed beneath you.
Feel all the places of contact between your body and bed.
Perhaps in your heels,
Backs of legs,
Buttocks,
Back,
Shoulders and the back of your head.
Take another deeper breath and this time sigh the breath out.
Do this for a few more breaths in your own time and feel the vibration in your body.
On in breath now very slightly lift your right shoulder and with control on the out breath lower it back down.
On and in breath very slightly lift your left shoulder and with control on the out breath lower it back down.
Let your neck sink and release into your pillow.
Take a few resting breaths to feel the subtle effects of these movements.
On and in breath very slightly lift your right hip and with control on the out breath lower it back down.
On and in breath very slightly lift your left hip and on the out breath with control lower it back down.
Take a few resting breaths to feel the subtle echo of these movements.
On and in breath very slightly squeeze the buttocks together and on the out breath with control return them to neutral.
Take a few resting breaths to feel the effects of this movement in your lower back.
Feel heaviness and warmth in the backs of both your legs,
Your buttocks and your hips.
Feel heaviness and warmth in the backs of both of your arms.
Let gravity bring a feeling of heaviness throughout your body as you fully relax into the support beneath you.
Let your whole body and being come to rest in stillness.
Turn your gaze inwards and rest inside your inner body.
Bring awareness into your face.
Let the surface of your face be soft.
Let your jaw release.
Let the front of your throat be soft.
Notice the heaviness of your eyelids over your closed eyes.
With as small a movement as possible very gently squeeze both sets of eyelids together and slowly with control return them to neutral.
Rest and feel the after effect of this movement.
On and in breath very slightly raise both eyebrows and on the out breath with as much control as possible gently lower them.
Rest the face and feel the after effect of these movements.
Now feel the sensations in your top and lower lips.
On and in breath gently squeeze your lips together.
On and out breath return them to neutral.
Feel the after effect of this movement.
Now very slowly take in air through your mouth as if you are about to yawn.
Open your mouth as wide as feel comfortable.
Do this for a few breaths.
If yawns do arise feel the effects of them on your face and eyes.
Rest your face and feel the echo of this movement.
Now feel the presence of your natural breath.
Follow the in-breath into your nose,
The back of your throat and into your lungs.
Notice your stomach and chest rise on the in-breath and sink on the out-breath.
Enjoy this gentle rhythm.
Move your awareness into your chest.
Breathe into and out from your heart centre.
Feel into any natural sensations in the centre of your chest as you follow your breath in and out.
Let the chest muscles around your heart soften.
Let your heart centre be calm and spacious.
As you breathe in,
Say to yourself,
Breathing in,
I feel calm.
As you breathe out,
Say to yourself,
Breathing out,
I feel peace.
At your own pace,
Say these words to yourself a few times.
Listen with your heart as you say them.
In,
Calm.
Out,
Peace.
Now count the breath downwards.
On the in-breath,
Say to yourself the number 30.
On the out-breath,
Say to yourself the number 30.
On the in-breath,
Say 29.
On the out-breath,
29.
On the in-breath,
28.
On the out-breath,
28.
Continue counting the breath down at your own pace.
Let your breath be smooth and even.
On the out-breath,
Feel yourself sinking deeper and deeper.
