Begin by making yourself as comfortable as possible.
Take your time.
Lie down on your back or in any position that feels natural for sleep.
If your body wants support under the knees,
The neck or the side,
Allow it.
Once you are settled,
Let go of any need to adjust.
The body now knows how to rest.
Gently close the eyes.
Let the jaw soften.
The tongue rests heavy in the mouth.
The space behind the eyes widen.
There is nothing to achieve.
Nothing to allow perfectly.
Nothing to follow perfectly.
If sleep comes,
Allow it.
If it feels natural,
Allow a simple intention to arise.
Something like,
I rest deeply.
Or sleep comes easily to me.
Repeat it once,
Softly,
In the mind.
And then let it dissolve.
There is no need to remember it.
Bring gentle awareness to the natural breath.
No need to change it.
Simply notice.
The inhale arrives.
The exhale leaves.
The inhale arrives.
The exhale leaves.
The inhale arrives.
The exhale leaves.
Simply be aware of this.
With every exhale,
Feel the body sinking slightly deeper.
As if the floor or the bed is holding you completely.
The nervous system begins to soften.
The natural breath.
The inhale.
And the exhale.
And the whole system softening.
Relaxing.
Bring your awareness to the top of your head.
Feel the scalp soften.
The forehead smooths.
The temples release.
Eyes heavy.
Cheeks relaxed.
Jaw loose.
Troth softens.
The shoulders melt away from the ears.
Feel the arms growing heavy.
Upper arms.
Elbows.
Forearms.
Fingers.
The chest gently rises and falls.
The heart area softens.
The belly relaxes completely.
No holding.
No effort.
Awareness moves to the hips.
The thighs.
The ankles.
The whole body now feels warm.
Heavy.
And still.
If awareness drifts,
That's perfect.
Simply resting is enough.
And once again,
Bring awareness to the top of the head.
Feel the scalp soften.
The forehead smooths.
The temples release.
Eyes heavy.
Cheeks relaxed.
Jaw loose.
The troth softens.
The shoulders melt away from the ears.
Feel the arms growing heavy.
Upper arms.
Elbows.
Forearms.
Hands.
Fingers.
Elbows.
The chest gently rises and falls.
The heart area softens.
The belly relaxes completely.
No holding.
No effort.
Awareness moves to the hips.
The thighs.
The ankles.
The feet.
The feet.
The toes.
The whole body now feels warm.
Heavy.
And still.
If awareness drifts,
That's perfect.
Simply resting is enough.
Feel the scalp soften.
The forehead smooths.
The temples release.
Eyes heavy.
Cheeks relaxed.
Jaw loose.
The troth softens.
The shoulders melt away from the ears.
Feel the arms growing heavy.
Upper arms.
Elbows.
Fingers.
Elbows.
The chest gently rises and falls.
The heart area softens.
The belly relaxes completely.
No holding.
No effort.
Awareness moves to the hips.
The thighs.
The ankles.
The feet.
The feet.
The whole body now feels warm.
Heavy.
And still.
If awareness drifts,
That's perfect.
Simply resting is enough.
Bring gentle awareness to the natural breath.
No need to change it.
Simply notice.
The inhale arrives.
The exhale leaves.
The inhale arrives.
The exhale leaves.
The inhale arrives.
The exhale leaves.
Simply be aware of this.
With every exhale,
Feel the body sinking slightly deeper.
As if the floor or the bed is holding you completely.
The nervous system begins to soften.
Imagine the natural breath.
The inhale and the exhale.
And the whole system softening.
Relaxing.
Imagine yourself lying beneath a vast night sky.
A vast night sky.
The air is calm.
The temperature is just right.
Above you,
Stars shimmer softly.
Steady.
Each breath out feels like sinking deeper into the earth below you.
Supported.
Nothing is expected of you here.
Thoughts may come and go like distant clouds.
You don't follow them.
You don't push them away.
Let them come and let them go like distant clouds.
Let the thoughts come and let the thoughts go.
You simply rest beneath the sky.
Unmoving.
Remember your intention.
That simple intention that when something like I rest deeply,
Or sleep comes to me easily,
Repeat it once again and let it dissolve into the breath.
Bring gentle awareness to the natural breath.
No need to change it.
Simply notice.
The inhale arrives.
The exhale leaves.
The inhale arrives.
The exhale leaves.
The inhale arrives.
The exhale leaves.
Simply be aware of this.
With every exhale,
Feel the body sinking slightly deeper as if the floor or the bed is holding you completely.
The nervous system begins to soften the natural breath.
The inhale and the exhale and the whole system softening,
Relaxing.
Now release all guidance.
Release listening.
Release awareness itself.
There is nowhere to go.
Nothing to stay awake for.
If sleep has already arrived,
Remain there.
If not,
Trust that it will come in its own time.
I will leave you here sitting,
Resting,
Held,
And free to drift into deep natural sleep.
You are safe.
You are safe.
You are safe.
You are safe.
Rest deeply.
You are safe.
Rest deeply.
You are safe.
Rest deeply.
You are safe.
You are safe.
Rest deeply.
You are safe.
You are safe.
You are safe.
You are safe.
You are safe.
Rest deeply.
You are safe.
You are safe.
You are safe.
You are safe.
You are safe.
Rest deeply.
You are safe.
You are safe.
Rest deeply.
You are safe.
You are safe.
You are safe.
Rest deeply.
