Awakening in the middle of the night can feel frustrating,
Discouraging at times.
If you have recently awoken and it is the middle of the night and you're wanting so desperately to be able to just sleep,
To just rest,
I welcome you to take this as an opportunity to be with what is and to open to a sense of compassion for yourself in this moment.
Rather than resisting being awake,
How might it be to take this time to nurture yourself,
To be kind and loving in this moment?
If you have left your bed and gone to another comfortable place or if you are remaining in bed for one more effort to fall asleep,
I invite you to rest,
To fully support yourself,
And feeling as comfortable as possible,
And to just follow the gentle guidance of my voice.
Settling in,
Welcoming the mind to rest on the gentle rhythm of your breath.
Maybe place one hand on your heart,
One hand on your abdomen,
And feel the gentle touch of your own hands resting.
Perhaps there is a sense of warmth,
Slight pressure of the weight of your hands,
Or maybe there is a lightness.
Just notice how it feels to rest your own hands on your heart and your abdomen as you feel the gentle movement of breath,
Waves of breath rolling in and out,
Feeling a gentle expansion and release with each inhale and each exhale,
Connecting with the sensations,
The movement,
Without trying to change a thing.
Being with this movement of breath,
Noticing where you feel expansion with each inhale,
And where you feel a release with each exhale,
With each inhale,
Welcoming rest,
With each exhale,
Letting go of anything that does not support you in this moment of rest,
Letting go of any thoughts of the past or the future,
Letting go of any holdings in the body,
Mind that are no longer supporting you,
No longer necessary.
The body is welcome to let go.
The mind is welcome to let go.
The breath is welcome to flow freely in and out.
In and out.
As the mind rests,
The body continues to breathe all on its own.
In and out.
In and out.
You might find it helpful to just add these words in,
Out,
In,
Out,
With each breath guiding you deeper and deeper to a place of rest,
Letting go.
In and out.
The hands resting on the body or gently resting down along the sides of the body,
Effortless,
Completely at ease,
Open to receive each breath,
Guiding you deeper and deeper at rest.
All thinking has dissolved as the mind is at rest.
Stillness,
And ease are welcoming,
Comforting in each moment.
All else falls away.
