You don't need to try to fall asleep,
And you don't need to follow every word.
Sleep doesn't come from effort.
It comes when the body no longer feels the need to stay alert.
So tonight isn't about making anything happen.
It's about letting the body soften so that it can do what it already knows how to do.
You don't have to hold yourself here.
You're supported.
You're protected.
And you're held in this moment.
So close your eyes if you haven't already,
And let your body settle.
Feel the surface beneath you,
Holding you and supporting you.
Bring your attention to your jaw.
Not to change it,
Just to notice it.
Let your teeth part slightly.
The tongue is heavy,
Wide,
Resting.
Nothing to do,
Nothing to control.
Feel the space at the back of the mouth,
Soft and unheld.
And the throat,
As if it could widen slightly,
Like a quiet,
Open passage.
There's nothing to manage here,
Nothing to force.
You don't have to hold yourself anymore.
Now notice your breath,
And let it be exactly as it is.
And then gently notice the exhale,
The way it leaves the body,
Like something being set down or released.
At the end of the exhale,
There's a small,
Quiet pause.
Nothing happening.
You rest there in this pause.
The inhale returns on its own.
The exhale releases again,
And then you pause.
Each exhale is a small letting go.
And each pause is a place where nothing is needed from you.
Continue focusing on the exhale and pause for just a few moments longer.
Now bring your attention to all ten toes.
Let your awareness move slowly up the front of the body,
The tops of the feet,
Ankles,
Shins,
Knees,
Thighs,
Pelvis,
Lower belly,
Soft,
Upper belly,
Chest,
Gently moving,
Shoulders,
Upper arms,
Elbows,
Wrists,
Hands,
All ten fingers.
Move your attention to the collarbones,
Throat,
Face,
The whole front of your body,
Belly,
Open and receiving.
Now gently shift to the back of the body,
The back of the head,
Neck,
Shoulder blades,
Knees,
Upper back,
Mid-back,
Hips are heavy,
Buttocks,
The back of the legs,
Heels,
Soles of the feet,
The whole back body,
Resting,
Being held.
Now feel the whole of your body,
The front and back together,
One piece,
Nothing to separate.
The front of your body is soft,
The back of your body is supported.
You don't have to hold yourself here.
Let more of your weight drop without trying,
As if the ground beneath you has been waiting.
Even what's still holding can be held in this moment.
Nothing needs to change.
Let your attention become less precise now.
You don't need to feel things so clearly.
The edges of your body soften.
The outline of you,
Less defined.
It's as if you're being held,
Not just from beneath,
But from all around.
Breath is moving somewhere in the background.
Body is resting.
Nothing to follow.
There's nothing left to do now.
Nothing is needed from you.
The body knows how to sleep.
And it will when you stop holding.
Let everything become quieter,
Softer,
More distant,
As if you're already drifting and there's nothing pulling you back.
You don't have to stay with my voice.
You don't have to come back.
You are being held.
You're safe to let go.
Sweet dreams.
