Highway To Calm: Vagus Nerve Reset For Sleep

Let the serene waves of sleepiness gently wash over you and lead you to peace with tonight's guided sleep meditation,

Highway to Calm.

These three simple words represent that no matter how loud the world has been today,

There is a bath inside you that leads to tranquility.

Tonight,

You may let down your guard and self-soothe as you explore the magical powers of the vagus nerve,

Finding relief on a bone-deep level.

You deserve to feel safe as you harness the beauty of your imagination and the healing powers of your nervous system.

Settle into the sanctuary of your room and mind,

Feeling the grounding sense that you are welcome,

You are safe,

And you deserve to inhabit this space of total tranquility,

No matter what the day and no matter what life have demanded of you.

Welcome to Michelle's Meditation Sanctuary.

I am Michelle,

Your ally and nightly guide.

Think of my voice as that of a long-time trusted friend.

The voice of someone who is always safe and nurturing in the times you most need to self-soothe.

Your nervous system may become flexible,

Fluid,

And as it does,

That delicious release from rigidity helps you find release from head to toe.

Enjoy the freedom that comes at night,

Where you may appreciate the special body you call home.

I am only a guide,

And you may change any detail or fade into a blissful,

Healing sleep whenever the tug of slumber becomes too hard to resist.

Make the most of this time as you come down,

Without any rules or requirements.

You may simply feel good.

Before you are fully immersed in tonight's visualization,

I want to introduce you to a part of yourself that works tirelessly to keep you safe.

Within you lies a magnificent path,

The vagus nerve.

In the ancient tongue,

Vagus means the wanderer.

And tonight,

Imagine this wanderer as your own personal superhighway of calm.

There are things you may often do that help you connect with this powerful nerve.

Hugging yourself,

Curling up in a fetal position,

Or placing a hand on your heart,

Or indulging in a sleepy yawn.

Your breath is an easy on-ramp to the highway of calm,

So let out a sigh and release any heaviness in your body.

Maybe rest one hand on your heart and the other on your belly,

Sensing your palms are offering a soothing tonic.

As you inhale,

The air in the room begins to change.

And expand as much as you can,

Without pushing or trying too hard.

Taking in the herbal notes of sage,

The earthy sweetness of dry desert earth,

And the sweet honeyed notes of desert primrose.

Maybe open your mouth and yawn.

And as you do,

Stretch the muscles of your ears and throat,

Both vagal points of release.

Exhale in a sigh,

And maybe enhance it with a sound,

A hum of release.

And once more,

Inviting your vagus nerve to this conversation about settling down.

Enjoy one more round of conscious,

Deep breathing,

However you like.

Tuning into all the ways your vagus nerve is now offered release.

With the soft pressure of your hands,

The easy activation with a yawn,

And the nurturing hum of a releasing sigh.

Notice how much more relaxed you feel with each breath,

As you let your body take over from here.

In your mind's eye,

You may choose to imagine the backs of your closed eyelids are transforming into movie screens.

See yourself arriving on a desert road,

Surrounded by vacant beauty and a colorful expanse.

The sienna-brown and golden world is a wash in sunset hues of dusty rose and fuchsia.

The endless sky seems hand-painted with streaks of tangerine gold,

Lavender,

Cotton candy pink,

And a deep royal purple.

The air offers the first hint of nighttime coolness.

Waves of the day's warmth and the night's promise undulate on the soft desert winds.

They kiss your face ever so gently,

Your soft attire billowing and massaging your smooth skin.

With every breath and every moment,

The air loses the heat of the afternoon and the molten rose-gold sun slips away.

The sand ripples endlessly toward the horizon,

Glowing with a soft pink and golden hue.

Your feet are grounded on the firm surface of a long,

Shimmering road.

That weaves like a silver ribbon of moonlight through the infinite,

Silent desert plateau.

This highway of calm shimmers brighter as the sky deepens into the blue hour.

Its presence is profound.

This is your vagus nerve.

It starts at the very base of your brain and weaves its way down through the delicate muscles of your throat,

Winding around the steady rhythm of your heart and settling deep into the soft center of your solar plexus.

This highway is the bridge between your thinking mind and your feeling body.

When the world becomes fast and loud,

This highway becomes crowded with the traffic of stress.

But as you explore on this tepid night,

The lanes are clear and fast.

The temperature continues to come down as your body's engines effortlessly turn off.

Every breath you take now is a signal sent down the silver road,

Telling every organ,

Every cell,

And every nerve that the day is done and you are so very safe and calm.

Glowing with a soft,

Bioluminescent pulse,

This highway is the bridge through which your brain whispers peace to your heart and your heart whispers safety to your soul.

This highway has two distinct lanes of energy.

One lane has been busy all day,

Carrying the spark of your interactions and movements.

But the second lane,

The one you now travel,

Is the restoration lane.

This lane is wider,

Deeper,

And glows with a steady silver-blue light.

It is the path that repairs your cells,

Slows your breath,

And leads you directly into the dream world.

As you stand here in the twilight,

You see the light in the first lane dimming,

While the silver glow of the restoration lane becomes brighter,

Clearer,

And more inviting.

You continue down the silver artery and take in a deep,

Slow breath.

The air tastes different,

And the clean sweetness of the desert night is so pleasing.

As you exhale,

Let out a long,

Slow sigh.

Notice how that one sound begins to vibrate the silver road where it passes through your chest.

Revel in the comfort that comes when you feel the power of soothing yourself,

Of being the solo wanderer down this highway of calm.

As night takes hold,

The desert floor ripples in sienna waves,

Swirls of gold dust rising as it expands beyond the road.

The celestial blues deepen and cast the muted browns and vibrant silver road in their tranquilizing and cool tones.

The sky is now a shade of deep indigo,

Stars glittering with hope as the pearlescent moon rises.

You close your eyes for a moment and sway naturally,

Giving in to the soft whispers of the cool,

Desert night breeze.

You find yourself drifting in the safety of this moment,

Your feet grounded,

While you also feel a contrasting sense of weightlessness.

You lie down on the earth,

Peering up at the sky above,

Taking in its awe-inspiring beauty as your heartbeat slows down and your nerves are so very calm and settled.

You watch as four glowing orbs appear,

Drifting in a mesmerizing dance overhead like balloons.

The long,

Slender silver ribbons reflect the moonlight and delicately dangle from these silk lanterns.

These are your personal lanterns,

And they glow in your favorite,

Most cherished hues.

Perhaps they are a deep,

Royal violet,

A shimmering,

Translucent turquoise,

Or a warm,

Pulsing amber that reminds you of a flickering candle.

You soon discover these orbs conjure a sense of ease as they approach.

There is more to them than meets the eye.

These lanterns are vessels of transport,

Filled with a pure,

Gravity-defying magic.

Despite their soft,

Ethereal appearance,

They have a strength and certain power.

With your consent,

The ribbons gently tie around your wrists,

Your ankles,

And the center of your abdomen.

You trust your intuition to let them guide you.

But even as you surrender,

You soon realize each of these floating vessels responds to your thoughts and breath.

As you focus on the orb of light tied to your right wrist,

Feel it pulse with a gentle massage.

Gradually,

It begins to tug upward.

It is a gentle,

Persistent pull,

Carrying your arm toward the stars,

Giving you a nice stretch.

Your hand feels light,

As if it is made of nothing but mist.

Now,

Feel the orb at your left wrist catch the celestial breeze,

Lifting your other arm into the cool,

Silent air.

You feel your shoulders widening,

Any tension simply falling away into the dark.

Now,

The lanterns at your feet begin their work.

Feel the orb at your right ankle glow brighter,

Lifting your leg.

At last,

The one supporting your waist rises as well.

Fully supported,

Feeling delightfully weightless.

You begin to rise,

As you float higher and higher into this indigo expanse.

You look down and see that silver highway of calm.

You feel your vagus nerve glowing far below you,

Like a thread of starlight.

From this height,

Feel the challenges of your day,

The voices,

The checklists.

They look like tiny,

Distant flickers on the ground.

They are receding further and further away,

Until they are nothing more than invisible grains in an endless,

Moonlit sea of sand.

You are weightless.

You are drifting in the silence of the stars.

In this limitless space,

There is nothing for you to hold onto,

And nothing that can hold onto you.

Except for the delicate strings that give you a freedom to simply float.

While you drift in this boundless,

Dreamy night sky,

Notice that the highway of calm is no longer just a silver road beneath you.

You recognize it as part of your very essence.

Within you,

A silver loom begins to weave a healing web,

A profound,

Microscopic peace.

See a thread of liquid silver light starting at the very base of your skull,

Where your head joins your neck.

This is the on-ramp to your calm.

As you breathe in,

The loom moves into your throat.

It meticulously breathes through every muscle of your neck,

Your vocal cords,

And your jaw.

Visualize the light softening your jaw,

Letting it hang slightly heavy and relaxed.

Your tongue drops away from the roof of your mouth,

Finding rest in the quiet of your throat.

The silver light is unbinding every word left unspoken today.

Every tension held in the face you show the world.

Once more,

A kind,

Welcome sense of freedom arrives,

Reminding you of how your body's most natural state is to be calm and centered.

On your next exhale,

You let out a long,

Soft vibrating hum.

Feel that sound moving,

Like a ripple across a pool of water,

Vibrating the silver threads in your neck.

This vibration is a direct massage for your vagus nerve.

It is a physical,

All-clear signal that travels from your throat all the way down to your heart.

The loom moves lower now,

Knitting a soft,

Protective mesh around your heart.

In this cool,

Dark sky,

Your heart doesn't have to work so hard.

It slows its rhythm,

Beating in perfect time with the pulsing of the silver road.

The light wraps around your lungs,

Making every breath feel effortless,

Like the tide coming in and out of a quiet shore.

Now,

The loom moves into your solar plexus,

Right in the center of your torso.

Imagine this area as a warm,

Swirling galaxy of silver and gold.

It is melting the knots in your stomach,

Smoothing out the tension,

And replacing it with a beautiful,

Golden stillness.

The loom tenderly expands through your digestive system,

Your liver,

Your kidneys,

Beating every organ in a quiet,

Resounding thank you.

Every cell is being saturated with the knowledge that you are safe,

You are protected,

And you have the power to self-soothe and self-regulate.

Every cell in your body responds to your intention for peace,

For coming down,

For letting go.

The silver strings begin to fade as the lanterns have done their job,

And the vibrant orbs take off into the starry sky.

And you simply float,

Gradually descending into a realm for sleep.

You sink deeper and deeper down,

So very calm and trusting.

The protective web within you brings on a calm that goes so deep.

You begin to yawn.

You glide back to your sanctuary,

A room that exists solely for you.

Every detail,

Every sensation felt here is serene and supportive.

You land on the cool sheets,

Tucking into their comfort.

Tall,

Floor-to-ceiling windows reveal the indigo sky.

The stars twinkling in what feels like applause,

Celebrating the depths of comfort you now discover.

And the connection you found with the universe that exists within you.

The ceiling is open to the night sky,

Allowing the pearly,

Silver light of the moon to cascade down like a waterfall through the open skylights.

You feel the weightlessness of your ascent shift to a feeling of being grounded,

Of being home.

At the foot of the bed,

A velvety-weighted blanket is neatly folded.

It is your favorite nocturnal color,

Perhaps a deep midnight emerald.

It is plush and heavy.

You carefully unfold the fabric,

And it seems to assist you.

Appreciating its heft as it settles upon you,

It applies pressure to all the places that yearn to receive the sense of grounding and protection it provides.

A soothing masterpiece of coziness.

The blanket feels like the night sky,

Given form and weight.

Promising shelter and protection.

As the undertow of sleep begins to gently tuck at your heart center,

Leaving a sense of drowsiness in your head,

You focus on the safety the blanket brings.

Feel it settle first over your toes,

Then the arches of your feet,

Then your ankles.

Every inch it covers becomes heavy and immobile.

It feels as if the blanket is pressing the quiet into your bones.

As it moves up your shins and your knees,

Your legs turn to lead.

You feel the muscles in your thighs completely let go,

Sinking deep into the mattress.

Now the blanket reaches your solar plexus.

Feel that perfect,

Heavy,

Velvety,

Resting right in the center of your being.

This is your anchor.

This pressure is a physical message to your vagus nerve.

A confirmation that the road is clear and you have arrived home.

It is a warm,

Steady weight as you are safe.

You can let go.

Naturally,

Your body rolls onto your side,

Knees toward the warmth of your solar plexus.

You tuck yourself inward into a fetal position.

In the sacred,

Primal posture,

You are protecting your internal highway.

You are the protector of your own serenity.

You honor all parts of you that were born with the knowledge of how to self-soothe and maintain an internal balance no matter what happens outside.

And even when rattled,

You find it easier to come down,

To tend to yourself.

You take a trip on your highway to calm.

The weighted blanket now settles over your shoulders and up to your chin.

You are tucked into the infinite support of your sanctuary.

You look out through the window of your sanctuary at the silver highway one last time.

It is quiet now and the journey is complete.

Every cell in your body is now silent,

Basking in the silver light that remains.

You feel the appreciation that now flows through you with a silky warmth.

The appreciation for all this vagus nerve does.

And for all the easy on-ramps that help bring you back to peace.

As sleep becomes more irresistible,

These affirmations take hold.

Setting the tone for the night of deep restorative rest that is soon to arrive.

I belong to the stillness.

My highway is clear.

I effortlessly regulate my nervous system.

I surrender to the highway of calm.

Your eyes are so heavy now in the velvet shadows of your sanctuary.

A deep,

Restorative sleep.

The silver loom has finished its weaving and you are wrapped in a vessel of absolute and conditional peace.

Sleep now,

In the heart of your sanctuary.

Sleep now,

Knowing your vagus nerve is soothed and honored and tended to.

Finding serenity.

Finding inner peace.

Finding utter comfort.