Good evening and welcome to this guided meditation for deep,
Restorative sleep.
I invite you to take a few moments before you fully settle,
Ensuring that you are completely comfortable and ready for the sleep you so deeply deserve.
Before you come down into complete rest,
Perhaps you gently stretch the legs,
The arms,
Or any parts of the body that feel tight or tense.
Anywhere that you feel you're holding on.
Tune into the places within you that are asking for release or care.
And breathe as you move and adjust your vessel.
And take your time.
Once you've tended to these spaces within the body,
Allow yourself to completely relax and soften into the support beneath you.
Lying on your back or on your side,
Feel yourself unraveling.
Surrendering.
The weight of your entire being.
And let's take a gentle,
Soothing breath in through the nose,
And slowly release it out through the mouth.
And breathing out.
And again,
Breathing in softly,
And releasing perhaps with a subtle sigh.
One more breath,
Slightly deeper than usual,
And a longer,
Relieving exhalation.
Begin to bring your awareness to the hands.
Spreading and relaxing the fingers and the palms.
Softening the shoulders and the neck.
And allowing the back to spread wide.
Taking on the essence of water.
Or warm honey.
Imagine the belly,
The hips,
The bottom,
The legs,
And the feet completely sinking into the arms of the earth.
Safely held here.
Effortless.
Becoming one with rest,
And with the realm of deep,
Restorative sleep.
And continue to breathe.
And continue to surrender to the night.
And as you lay here,
Bring awareness to the face.
Imagining a wave of peace washing over the face.
Softening the forehead.
The cheeks.
The temples.
The tongue.
The jaw.
And the tiny muscles around the eyes,
Softening and sinking back.
Surrendering to this deep rest.
And gently return to the rise and fall of the breath.
Feeling the air entering through the nostrils.
Rising and falling.
Like peaceful waves.
And now,
We'll gently introduce your Sankalpa.
A simple,
Heartfelt intention,
Planted as the body rests and the mind softens.
Silently repeat to yourself three times.
I rest deeply and completely.
I rest deeply and completely.
I rest deeply and completely.
I rest deeply and completely.
I rest deeply and completely.
Without effort.
Like seeds in fertile soil.
As you continue to unwind,
Allow your awareness to travel through the body.
As I name each part.
There is nothing you need to do.
You simply listen,
Feel,
And rest.
Beginning at the crown of the head.
The middle of the forehead.
The right eye.
Right cheek.
The right ear.
Listening and receiving sound.
Listening and receiving sound.
The tip of the nose.
The right nostril.
The left nostril.
The right upper lip.
Inside of the mouth.
The roof of the mouth.
The teeth.
The jaw.
The whole face resting.
Restoring.
The pit of the throat.
The back of the neck.
The upper back.
The right shoulder.
Bicep.
Forearm.
Wrist.
Index finger.
Ring finger.
Pinky finger.
The entire right arm resting.
Resting and restoring.
The left shoulder.
Bicep.
Elbow.
Forearm.
Wrist.
Index finger.
Middle finger.
Ring finger.
Pinky finger.
The entire left arm resting.
Restoring.
Awareness migrating to the center of the chest.
Sensing the gentle rise and fall of the breath.
The upper belly.
The lower belly.
Awareness wrapping around the low back.
The right hip.
Hamstring.
Shoulder.
Sole of the foot.
And all of the toes.
The entire right leg resting.
Restoring.
Returning to the pelvis.
The left hip.
The left thigh.
Hamstring.
Shin.
The ankle.
Sole of the foot.
All of the toes.
The entire left leg resting.
Restoring.
Sensing the entire body now.
The head and the face.
The right arm.
The left arm.
The right leg.
The left leg.
The entire back side of the body.
The entire front side of the body.
Every cell deeply surrendering.
Drifting.
Resting.
Sleeping.
Wrapped in the warm embrace of your blankets.
Supported by the soft pillow beneath your head.
Surrender to the safe cocoon you are within.
Allowing a slow flow of gratitude to enter into the heart and spill into the rest of the body as you drift into deeper states of stillness and rest.
Begin to allow the mind to gently wander.
Imagine yourself being held by the healing medicine of darkness.
Softening,
Resting as you find yourself at the edge of a quiet forest.
The air is cool and clean.
The night carries a sense of peace.
Nothing here is rushed,
Nothing asks anything of you.
A narrow path winds gently forward.
Soft earth beneath your feet.
Leaves,
Pine needles,
Soil,
Moss.
Cushioning each step.
You are being carried.
Tall trees rise above you.
Their branches creating a natural canopy overhead.
Moonlight filters softly through the leaves.
Casting silver patterns on the ground.
You move slowly along this path.
Or perhaps the path moves you.
Guiding you exactly where you need to go.
With each breath,
The forest seems to breathe back.
The scent of earth,
Moss,
Bark.
Deeply grounding you.
A subtle chorus of night sounds.
Crickets,
Distant owls,
The whisper of leaves.
You feel safe here.
Seen yet unseen.
Held by something ancient and wise.
As you continue along the path.
You notice the trees open into a small clearing.
At the center of this clearing is a place of rest.
There are smooth stones,
Fallen logs.
Soft beds of moss.
You are invited to pause here.
You take a seat and begin to rest easily.
Supported by the earth beneath you.
And the healing forest around you.
The darkness is full of quiet nourishment.
Full of deep,
Restoring medicine.
You allow yourself to be held,
Embraced,
And carried.
Simply resting,
Listening,
And drifting.
And if sleep comes now,
The forest will remain.
Holding you as you slip into deep,
Peaceful rest.
The forest continues to breathe as you breathe.
Slow,
Steady,
Reliable.
And the mind can soften.
And the body can melt.
Sleep can come and go in gentle waves.
You might sense the body becoming heavier.
Or drifting somewhere in between.
Legs relaxed.
Jaw relaxed.
Tongue resting easily in the mouth.
And if you wake briefly,
Remember the forest will still be here.
The path will still be beneath you.
The darkness will still be kind.
You don't need to listen anymore.
And you don't need to stay awake.
You don't need to do anything at all.
Just resting.
Just drifting.
Just sleeping.
Just resting.
