Drifting Into Sleep: A Gentle Sleep Practice

18:47

18:47

Drifting Into Sleep: A Gentle Sleep Practice

by Jude Starkey

Type

guided

Activity

Meditation

Suitable for

Everyone

Plays

2

A gentle sleep practice from the Soul Corner Balearic series—created to help you soften the body, quieten the mind and ease towards rest. With calming guidance, this track invites you to let go of the day, release effort, and allow sleep to come naturally in its own time. Just soften, drift, and let yourself be carried towards rest. Please note: Do not listen to this track while driving or operating heavy machinery. This track offers an early glimpse into Soul Corner, a Balearic-inspired audio sanctuary for grounding, nervous system support and inner retreat—coming soon. Music: “Angelica (instrumental version)” by David Edward, licensed via Epidemic Sound.

Sleep Relaxation Body Scan Compassion Grounding Breath Awareness Muscle Relaxation Visualization Mindfulness Compassion Cultivation Grounding Technique Sleep Preparation

Meet your Teacher

Bath, UK

Meet your Teacher

Bath, UK

Transcript

If you allow yourself to begin to settle there's no perfect way to be it's just the way your body has chosen tonight and if your eyes would like to close then they can if they want to stay softly open that's okay too and you don't need to make anything happen you don't need to worry about clearing your mind you're just simply being here and that's enough let's take a slow breath together in through the nose all the way and as you allow that breath to fall out gently through the mouth see if you can let the shoulders begin to settle for you letting this music just wash over you taking another lovely breath all the way in and gently falling out of your mouth as you exhale relaxing your body just a little bit if you can as you breathe again breathing in and breathing out and there's nowhere else you need to be right now nothing you need to solve tonight if we just take a moment to allow you to settle into your body so just invite you to sense the weight of the body resting just see how does it lie on the surface beneath you where can you feel the contact easing into those places where you can feel your body weight just feeling held gravity they're doing its job really grounding you giving you a sense of just being and at the moment you may find that thoughts in your mind are still a little bit busy that's okay busy mind is not something we need to worry about fixing now it's just a sign you've been carrying a lot just offer yourself some compassion some kindness maybe with your inhale you can imagine you're breathing in and welcoming that compassion for yourself to fill the chest up with relaxation kindness care feel the space come as the air comes into your lungs just loosening any tightness just starting to soothe anything that feels heavy or difficult for you easing into your mind again tonight instead of pushing thoughts away imagine you're giving your mind permission just to pause pause its work and I know that can feel really difficult so no pressure on yourself usually connecting to the body begins to help the mind to just slow down so we'll ease our way around the body just coming into connection with various parts of you coming with me on a rotation of awareness there's no need to move anything you're just connecting in your mind just noticing and relaxing maybe easing the muscles in that area we'll start just at the top of the head so finding the scalp the muscles there and noticing how they feel for you is there any tightness or heaviness see if you can ease into softness let those muscles feel quite heavy guide that heaviness that flow down into the forehead at the front into the eyes down into the back of the neck and the top of the shoulders coming to your face we'll do the same here so cheeks just flow with relaxation all the way down you'll find the jaw the left and the right maybe you can just loosen your jaw a little bit just part your teeth soften the tongue allow any expression now to just be dropped your face is completely relaxed and allow that relaxation to be there that softening and come back to notice your breath still just connecting to the mind maybe any little thoughts that come just let them drift and I know that can feel difficult so don't worry just imagine a drifting drifting away of the thoughts we don't need to chase them and we don't need to judge them if a thought comes you quietly say to yourself not right now gently return to the sound of my voice the only thing for you to do here is to physically begin to relax your body just being patient with yourself letting it happen because it will no pressure just being coming back to bring attention into your body first of all noticing where your body is touching the bed maybe your head your shoulders your hips or your back your legs let this focus really anchor you as you let the bed support your weight completely and you don't have to hold yourself anymore and we'll gently scan the body not to change it just to notice and soften where possible and we drift all the way down to your feet and your heels just starting there if they feel tense or restless that's okay maybe imagine sending a sense of warmth imagine them becoming heavier warmer and more settled and slowly gently moving up into your calves and the upper legs and allow gravity to do the work for you now allow yourself to feel held and if we come to your stomach just notice the level of quietness and calm inside there so often holds emotions that's okay you can imagine just allowing your breath to touch your belly so as you breathe meets your diaphragm just softly comes into contact with your belly you don't need to control your breathing you're just noticing this is happening all by itself and slowly moving up to the chest and take a moment to notice how your chest feels what sort of sensations have you got there and if there's any tightness or heaviness or whatever you can feel imagine just letting us spread the warmth through that area for you gentle heat comforting and steady and as that gentle heat glows into your heart center maybe you can allow your shoulders to drop away just release them from your ears and let them feel quite held and soft and your jaw your tongue resting your mouth very softly noticing your arms really relaxed soft maybe heaviness there let your hands and your fingers uncurl let them rest as we come back to your face your head your scalp just feel your forehead smoothing a beautiful heaviness behind your eyes and your body knows exactly how to relax how to sleep don't worry that it's been a little bit tricky more recently you don't have to teach your body what to do if we help you to rest sleep will come we're going to imagine the night itself as something really kind this quietness of the darker dim light is protective and holding maybe you can imagine feeling wrapped safe as you lie under your duvet held by something calm and steady and this time of the day holds everything for you and anything you've been carrying today allow it to be placed very gently into the night so you don't carry them you just start to completely relax and today is finished now whatever went well or whatever didn't whatever still feels let it go let it rest right now there is only this moment this breath this rest and you're sleepy without earning it and resting deeply resting and as my voice gently becomes a little gentler a little quieter you don't need to follow every word you can drift in and out of listening you're just feeling soothed and care is coming into you as you breathe in releasing anything you need to as you exhale if thoughts are there that's fine just let them pass like a distant background your body beginning to sleep your mind beginning to settle you're just letting go and you're safe to rest held enough to sleep tomorrow will be another day taking care of itself slowly breathing finding the rhythm sleep can come now in its own time you don't need to do anything more tonight you just begin to rest