Hello,
And welcome to this guided sleep meditation.
In my own sleep solution journey,
I have found body scanning to be one of the most effective tools to take me out of the thinking mind and to deliver me gently into the safety of the present moment and to relax me enough to let go and fall into slumber.
Our minds are wired to wander.
We think endlessly about our future,
Worrying,
Rehearsing,
Sometimes even eagerly anticipating something pleasing.
Or we ruminate the past,
Replaying scenarios in hopes of a better understanding,
Of finding vindication or redemption,
Or maybe hoping for a chance to rewrite history.
From a survival standpoint,
These tendencies do serve a purpose.
Thinking,
Rehearsing,
Replaying,
It all prepares us,
Helps us to navigate life's situations,
To learn from our mistakes,
To take action when we need to.
Often,
In an effort to be our best,
We work so hard that we undermine our body's inherent wisdom and override our system's divine ability to guide us through all that life brings before us.
We think that working harder or thinking more will bring us solutions,
But this mindset actually blocks us from the rest and restoration we really need to be physically and emotionally healthy and balanced.
This is an effortless meditation,
An opportunity for you to put down all that worries you,
To trust in the inherent wisdom of your body and soul,
And to give yourself the rest you need.
If thoughts arise as you listen,
I invite you to let yourself know that all the thoughts will be waiting for you when you wake up.
You don't need to tend to them right now.
You can let them know that you'll be back soon.
For now,
You don't have to do anything at all,
And you especially don't have to try to fall asleep.
Your body will sleep when it's ready.
You simply have to listen to my voice,
Bring your attention to each body part as I name it for as long as you can,
And when you are ready,
Allow yourself to let go of my words and drift peacefully into the music.
Beginning with the right hand thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Pinky finger,
The palm of the hand,
The back of the hand,
The soft inside of the wrist,
The forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Inside the ball joint of the shoulder,
The armpit,
The right collarbone,
Right side of the chest,
Right side of the torso,
Right hip and hip socket,
Hamstrings,
Quads,
The back of the knee,
The front of the knee,
Shin,
Ankle,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
The right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Pinky toe,
The left hand thumb,
First finger,
Second finger,
Third finger,
Pinky finger,
The palm of the hand,
The back of the hand,
The soft inside of the wrist,
The forearm,
Elbow,
Upper arm,
Inside the ball joint of the shoulder,
The armpit,
The left collarbone,
Left side of the chest,
Left side of the torso,
Left hip and hip socket,
Hamstrings and quads,
The back of the knee,
The front of the knee,
Shin,
Calf,
Ankle,
Sole of the foot,
Top of the foot,
The left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Pinky toe,
Bring your attention to the crown of the head,
The back of the head,
The base of the neck,
The right shoulder blade,
The left shoulder blade,
Across the entire upper back,
Middle back,
Lower back,
Notice where your buttocks meet the surface beneath you,
The backs of the legs,
The heels of the feet,
The whole back body safely held by gravity,
Bring your attention to the tip of the right ear,
The ear lobe,
Inside the ear canal,
The tip of the left ear,
The ear lobe,
Inside the left ear canal,
Notice the space between your ears,
Bring your attention to your forehead,
The right temple,
The left temple,
Your eyebrows,
The space between your eyebrows,
Your right cheekbone,
Your left cheekbone,
The bridge of the nose,
The divot under your nose,
The right jaw,
The left jaw,
The chin,
Upper lip,
Lower lip,
Inside the right cheek,
Inside the left cheek,
The tongue,
The roof of your mouth,
The gums,
Notice the whole body,
The whole body gently breathing,
The whole body safely held,
Scanning the whole body for any areas of tension that may remain,
Seeing if you can invite a softening to these areas,
A gentle invitation to relax,
Not judging,
Not forcing,
Perhaps gently breathing in and gently breathing out of any areas of tension,
Following the rhythm of the breath in and out of a soft and relaxed body and mind,
Allowing yourself to drift into the sweetest,
Most precious sleep.
