Find a comfortable place,
A quiet place,
Where you can prepare for a peaceful night's sleep.
Lie down in a relaxed position,
Close your eyes and take a moment to centre yourself.
Sleep is something that happens when we stop trying.
So let go of any desperate desire to sleep.
Just rest.
Let go.
Sleep comes when it is ready.
View this guided meditation as a practice of allowing rest to happen.
No forcing,
Just enjoy this beautiful moment.
Begin by taking a few slow,
Deep breaths.
Inhale deeply through your nose,
Allowing your chest and abdomen to rise,
And then exhale slowly through your mouth,
Releasing any tension or worries.
With each breath,
Let go of the events of the day and any thoughts about tomorrow.
This moment is for you to relax,
And when ready,
Drift into restful sleep.
Now focus your attention on your body,
Starting from your toes.
Imagine a warm,
Soothing wave of relaxation slowly washing over you.
Move through the body and go in your own time,
At your own pace,
But keep it slow.
Slowly examine what is here in the body now,
Feeling the soothing warmth spreading through the body,
Washing away any tension,
And now spreading this warmth throughout the whole body,
And now back to the toes and feel this wave of relaxation moving up through your feet,
Ankles and calves,
Melting away any tension or discomfort,
Letting the muscles be like butter,
The warmth of your awareness,
Melting away tension,
Allowing any rigidity to drip away.
The warmth of awareness softening,
Loosening muscle from bone,
Let it continue up through your knees and thighs,
Relaxing every muscle it touches,
And allow your awareness to rest on any tension,
For the warmth to seep in and melt it away,
As the wave of relaxation moves into your pelvis and lower back.
Feel all the stress and strain of the day dissolve,
Let it flow into your abdomen,
Feeling the expansion and contraction that happens with the breathing process,
Let intention fall away and into your chest,
Releasing any tightness.
Sense this wave of calm spreading through your shoulders and slowly down your arms,
Down to the elbows and the lower arms,
And all the way into the hands and fingertips,
Surrender any excess energy,
Your body doesn't need to hold onto it,
There's nothing else to be done,
The day is over,
Just feel,
Feel deeply,
Deep into the belly of each muscle,
As it is touched by the warmth of awareness.
Now bring your attention to your neck and throat,
Allowing this wave of relaxation to ease any tension there,
Feel it moving up,
Into your face,
Relaxing your jaw,
Cheeks and forehead,
Imagine your entire body bathed in a warm,
Soothing light,
Completely relaxed and at ease.
As you lie there,
You may notice that your thoughts begin to drift,
Like clouds in the sky,
This is perfectly natural,
Allow these thoughts to come and go without judgement,
Knowing that you can revisit them in the morning,
For now,
Just let go,
Your only task right now is to embrace the gentle,
Comforting sensation of drifting into sleep.
If you wish,
Imagine yourself in a tranquil place,
Perhaps a peaceful beach,
At sunset or a serene forest,
With the sound of a gentle stream nearby,
Visualise every detail of this calming environment and let it guide you further into relaxation.
As you continue to breathe slowly and deeply,
You may find that you are drifting closer and closer to the edge of sleep.
Embrace this transition,
Letting go of waking consciousness and surrendering to the embrace of sleep.
In this state,
There are no worries,
No thoughts,
Only a deep and restful slumber.
As you drift further into sleep,
Feel a sense of profound peace and comfort wash over you.
Know that sleep is a natural and necessary part of life,
And it is here to rejuvenate your body and mind.
Embrace it with gratitude and surrender to its gentle embrace.
As you let go,
Allow yourself to drift off into a deep and restful sleep,
Knowing that you will wake up refreshed and ready for a new day.
May your dreams be sweet and may your night be filled with serenity and tranquillity.
If you are still awake,
Play this recording again and come back tomorrow and make this meditation part of your nightly routine.
And I leave you now to drift into a wonderful,
Rejuvenating sleep.
