Welcome to this sleep meditation.
Calming the nervous system,
Calming the body before a night's rest is really important to get the body into ease,
Calm and presence for good quality of sleep.
Wherever you are,
Laying down,
Just notice the body making contact with the bed,
With the pillow,
With the sheets.
Allow the body to fully soften,
To rest on what is supporting it.
There's no need to hold,
No need to grip.
Allow yourself the permission to fully release,
To rest and to land wherever you are.
Start to notice the facial muscles,
The temples,
The eyebrows,
The jaw,
The cheeks.
Just noticing how much tension we hold here during the day.
Now let the weight of your shoulders release,
Allow it to sink into the surface beneath you.
Allow the chest to release as well,
The arms,
The belly,
The back,
The hips,
The legs,
The whole body releasing into the surface beneath you.
And if the eyes aren't closed already,
I'll invite you to gently let the eyes fall shut,
Lightly,
Gently.
Now start to bring awareness into the breath.
As you inhale,
The sides of the ribcage expand.
As you exhale,
The whole body softens.
As you inhale,
The body expands,
Creating space,
Creating openness.
And as you exhale,
Letting it all out,
The body softens,
The body relaxes,
Feeling centered and calm.
I'll invite you to continue with this breathing pattern,
Noticing what the breath does to your body,
Noticing how the breath makes your body feel,
Noticing any sensations or emotions that are arising.
If thoughts enter the mind,
Invite them,
Let them in without judgment,
Without the need to fix.
Just notice and gently guide your awareness back to the breath,
Back to the body.
Noticing where you feel now as time passes.
Notice the breath.
Notice the body.
Any sensations or emotions that arise.
Notice how the body lands on the surface beneath you.
Allow yourself the permission to release and let go.
At this moment,
There is nothing else to do,
Nowhere else to be but here.
Giving yourself permission to relax completely,
To rest and recharge,
To allow the mind to soften,
All so that we can prepare ourselves for the next day.
For tomorrow.
Continue to deepen the breath.
And notice every time you exhale,
What does the body do?
Every time you exhale,
How does it feel?
What's coming up in the body for you right now?
Just notice.
Continuing with this breathing pattern.
Continuing with the awareness present in your body.
I will leave you here today.
I wish you a great night ahead.
