1 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to this meditation, the second in a five part 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:16,320 series of longer meditations. This is a gentle sleep descent, 3 00:00:17,719 --> 00:00:22,559 a practice designed to help your body soften, your mind 4 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:27,760 quiet down, and your nervous system ease and to rest. 5 00:00:30,519 --> 00:00:34,520 If you're listening in bed, allow this to be the 6 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:40,759 last thing you do to day, and if you fall asleep, 7 00:00:41,439 --> 00:00:47,759 that is perfect. There is nothing you need to achieve here, 8 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:58,679 no need to follow every word, no need to stay focused. 9 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:06,519 Just let my voice be a soft guide as you drift, 10 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:16,319 get comfortable, let your body settle into the shape it 11 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:24,280 wants to be in. You might shift your shoulders, relax 12 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:33,760 your jaw, adjust your pillow, and then allow yourself to 13 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:41,359 be still. If it feels good, let your eyes close 14 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:49,959 and take a slow breath in through the nose and 15 00:01:50,120 --> 00:02:02,400 a long, gentle breath out again inhale and exhale through 16 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:12,919 your mouth, letting the day go one more time inhale 17 00:02:13,479 --> 00:02:24,400 and exhale, softening even deeper. And now allow your breathing 18 00:02:24,599 --> 00:02:31,759 to become natural. Allow your breath to flow through you 19 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:44,400 without effort. Now imagine your body becoming pleasantly heavy, not 20 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:49,599 heavy in a stock way, but heavy in a safe 21 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:57,439 way like a warm blanket. Settling over you, feel the 22 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:04,960 back of your head supported, feel your neck letting go, 23 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:17,000 Feel your shoulders melting down and away. Let your arms rest, 24 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:29,919 Let your elbows be heavy, Let your wrists soften, Let 25 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:38,240 your hands be loose and open. Feel your chest rise 26 00:03:38,919 --> 00:03:47,319 and fall, and with every exhale, feel your bodies sink 27 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:58,719 just a little deeper. Now, soften your belly, Let it 28 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:08,439 be unguarded, did it, Let it rest. Let your hips release, 29 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:17,160 gently shift them if you need to, let your legs 30 00:04:17,319 --> 00:04:27,759 grow heavy, let your knees relax, Let your calves soften, 31 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:38,199 and let your feet fall open, loose and free. You 32 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:44,680 don't need to hold yourself up anymore. You don't need 33 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:56,079 to hold the day together anymore. The day is done now. 34 00:04:56,759 --> 00:05:03,480 If your thoughts are still moving, that's a okay. Thoughts 35 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:10,399 don't have to stop for sleep to arrive. We're simply 36 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:21,199 letting them become less important, like background noise, like distant wind. 37 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:28,439 If a thought appears, you don't have to follow it. 38 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:38,439 You don't need to answer it. Just let it pass by, 39 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:45,639 like a cloud moving across a dark sky, and come 40 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:56,240 back to one simple thing. Each exhale, the soft letting 41 00:05:56,360 --> 00:06:03,959 go as you let go of each breath. Imagine you're 42 00:06:04,079 --> 00:06:13,720 turning the volume down on the day, down and down 43 00:06:16,399 --> 00:06:31,480 and down. Now, picture yourself somewhere safe, somewhere peaceful, a 44 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:39,279 place your body recognizes as rest. It might be real 45 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:48,560 or imagined, or a blend of both. In this place, 46 00:06:49,639 --> 00:06:58,199 the air is gentle, the light is dim, and everything 47 00:06:58,519 --> 00:07:08,959 feels slow, unhurried. Now, imagine in front of you there 48 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:23,519 is a staircase leading down, a soft staircase, wide steps, warm, quiet. 49 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:32,720 Each step leads you deeper into rest. In a moment, 50 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:42,079 we'll take ten steps down, and with each step, feel 51 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:53,000 your body relax, your mind quiet, Allow sleep to become 52 00:07:53,199 --> 00:08:07,600 easier to reach. Step ten. Begin to descend. Step nine. 53 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:15,639 Allow your shoulders to completely soften, letting go of any 54 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:26,920 remaining tension from this day. Step eight. Do the same 55 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:42,799 for your jaw, unclenched, relaxed. Step seven, allow your breath 56 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:57,759 to slow, continue breathing gently. Step six. Allow your thoughts 57 00:08:57,919 --> 00:09:11,240 to drift farther way. Step five. Feel safe and let 58 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:17,279 the day fade as you let go toward a RESTful sleep. 59 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:34,639 Step four, notice the heaviness and calmness of your body. 60 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:49,399 Step three. You're floating calmly. Now, step two, almost there, 61 00:09:54,879 --> 00:10:09,240 Step one deep rest. Now, imagine you've arrived at the 62 00:10:09,279 --> 00:10:15,679 bottom of the staircase and there is a soft doorway 63 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:23,799 in front of you. You step through, and the room 64 00:10:24,039 --> 00:10:32,639 beyond is quiet and warm, a place made only for rest. 65 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:45,120 In this room, nothing is required of you, nothing is 66 00:10:45,279 --> 00:10:54,240 expected of you. You don't need to be productive, you 67 00:10:54,320 --> 00:11:00,600 don't need to be strong, you don't need to be on. 68 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:16,159 You can simply be Now. I'll offer a few gentle affirmations. 69 00:11:18,879 --> 00:11:24,120 You can repeat them silently, or you can let them 70 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:36,080 fade into the background like a lullaby. I release today, 71 00:11:37,039 --> 00:11:48,600 I did enough. I am allowed to rest. My body 72 00:11:48,799 --> 00:11:59,000 knows how to sleep. I am safe, I am softening, 73 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:10,960 I am letting go. And now there's nothing more you 74 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:21,559 need to do. No need to listen closely, no need 75 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:37,720 to hold on to my words, just drift. Rest is 76 00:12:37,759 --> 00:12:47,639 already happening. I must stay and good night.