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You will guide your awareness through your body, noticing sensations and relaxing each part, preparing for a peaceful night's sleep.

Secular

Body Scan

Sleep

Concentration

Secular Mindfulness

English

This bedtime meditation begins by cultivating feelings of relaxation. It then moves into a comprehensive body scan that will leave you feeling deeply calm, still, peaceful and ready for sleep. (You may not make it to the end!)

Bedtime Body Scan for Deep Sleep

 Good evening and welcome to this bedtime meditation and body scan. I trust that you are comfortable and warm. Before we really settle in, I invite you to gently cast your eye around the space you are in. Just noticing with a gentle eye the elements of this space that allow you to feel safe and secure. Perhaps you notice the door, the roof or your possessions that allow you a feeling of safety. Can you offer this space you are in a gentle smile of appreciation? Can you feel grateful for this safe place you have to experience deep and peaceful relaxation and sleep? This place of yours that holds you as you sleep. Now let's begin to really settle in. Just as a bird adjusts her nest, you too may like to make any adjustments you need. Blankets, dooners, pillows. And as we get comfortable, let's cast aside any ideas or expectations about how we should be or feel during this meditation. Let's surrender ourselves to the healing capacity of darkness and know that it will give us just what we need throughout this meditation experience. And as you settle in a little more, moving your awareness to the sounds around you. Noticing now the most distant sounds. Gradually drifting towards the sounds closer to you. Nothing to do, just noticing. Can you broaden your awareness now to take in all the nighttime sounds both near and far? Noticing the beginning and end of sounds. Noticing the moments of silence in between. And as you lay here all warm in your bed, can you sense your place amidst these nighttime sounds? Your place in the movement of the night. Again, allowing yourself a few moments to feel safe and peaceful here. Just as darkness falls at the end of the day, can you allow this feeling of peace to gently fall over you? Slowly bringing your attention now to your body. Feeling the touch of your clothes on your skin. Noticing the feel of your body as it lays in your bed. Can you relax your body a little more, allowing your bed to really support you? Can you let your shoulders fall heavy, your eyes soften, your hips and pelvis sink a little deeper into the bed? Softening into the idea of your bed and the earth beneath it taking your weight. With each breath sinking a little deeper. The earth is holding you. You are being held. Feeling relaxed and peaceful in this support. Moving your awareness now towards your breath, this gentle life force within you. Noticing the air as it enters your nose. Noticing the air as it leaves your nose or mouth. Noticing the gentle rise and fall of your chest. Noticing the soft expanse of your belly as the air flows in and out. Noticing the way your body moves when you breathe. Spending a few more moments here in the gentle movement of your breath. What a gift it is to cultivate such mindful awareness before drifting off to sleep. Offering yourself a smile of gratitude for giving yourself this opportunity. Just as the tide gently washes over the sand, your breath gently washes over you. Noticing the qualities of your inhale. Noticing the qualities of your exhale. Noticing the pauses in between. In this deeply relaxed state, we invite the darkness and the wisdom of the night to soothe and caress our tired mind, body and heart so that we may wake a new tomorrow, ready to embrace the infinite possibilities that will be. As we move now into our body scan, allowing the healing capacity of the darkness to soothe you and restore you to your natural state of peace, let the night hold you in its tender embrace. During this body scan, use my voice as a guide only. Feel free to tap into your own wisdom and guidance. And of course, feel free to drift off into the restorative world of sleep and dreams, if you so please. So beginning now with your feet, noticing the tops of your feet. Any places they come in contact with your blanket or doona. Noticing their temperature. Noticing your toes, any sensations, offering them an opportunity to wriggle if they like. Noticing the soles of your feet, their feel as they come in contact with the bed that supports them. I wonder, do they feel light or heavy? Noticing the arches of your feet, their temperature, any sensations. Noticing your ankles, becoming aware of the fine bones within. Relaxing both your feet now. Your calves, noticing sensations as they come in contact with your bed. Noticing feelings of lightness or heaviness. Your shins, noticing their temperature. Imagining your shin bones, fine and straight. Relaxing your lower legs. Your knees, noticing the front and the back of your knees. Noticing the space between your bed and the back of your knees. Sensing the temperature of this space. Imagining the details of your knee joint for a moment. Your upper legs, exploring the length of your thigh bones. Noticing any sensations present as your thighs rest against your bed. Relaxing your upper legs. Expanding your attention now to include your entire legs. Taking a nice deep breath in and imagining this air travelling all the way down your legs. As you breathe into your legs, allowing them to sink deeper into your bed. Feeling heavy and relaxed. Imagining your thigh bones as they rest in your hip sockets. Relaxing your hips and pelvis as you breathe the bones softening, feeling heavy and supported. Relaxing your hips and pelvis. Your bottom, feeling the places it comes in contact with your bed. Noticing any places of tension, offering a soothing breath. Your tummy, taking a nice deep breath all the way into your tummy. And with this soothing breath, letting go of tension or worry. Can you feel a softening here? Relaxing your tummy. Relaxing your heart, lungs and chest, feeling the area soften and spread. And within this softness, can we feel a moment of gratitude for the beauty of our hearts and the power of our lungs. Working together each day in providing us the gift of life. Your shoulders, becoming aware of the tops of your shoulders, the sides and the backs of your shoulders. Really exploring any sensations. Your shoulders are a place of tension and of strength. Breathing into your shoulders now and as you exhale, letting go of any physical or emotional tension you are holding. Relaxing both shoulders, relaxing from the inside out. Relaxing your arms, allowing this feeling of warmth and contentment to spread down your entire arms. Aware of the upper arm. Feeling now your elbows, the soft skin on the inside of your elbows. Noticing your wrists, imagining the tiny bones located there. Your hands, sensing all ten fingers now on their own. Feeling all ten fingers together. Noticing the length of your entire spine now. Feeling awareness of the intricate nerves protected and encased by the spine as they branch out like a tree to all different parts of your body. Taking a nice deep breath in to your entire spine and as you exhale, allowing the muscles to ease and experience a state of deep relaxation. Picturing your rib cage now in your mind. Letting it expand and contract with each new breath. Bringing your attention now to your neck and the muscles there. Taking a nice deep breath in to your neck and noticing any feelings of relaxation, of letting go. Relaxing your neck. Focusing now on your skull, noticing any sensations. Feeling the feel of your skull resting on your pillow or bed. Relaxing your skull, feeling your whole head soften. Relaxing your jaw, allowing it to soften just a little. Relaxing your jaw. Your tongue, letting it soften and spread. Your gums. Your teeth. Noticing the feeling as your tongue rests up against your teeth. Letting the landscape of your entire mouth become soft. Your lips, can you turn them slightly upwards into a faint smile. Relaxing your cheeks and your cheekbones. Your eyes, eyelids, eyeballs. Can you relax your eyes? Can your eyes smile? Relaxing your eyebrows and the space between them. Relaxing your forehead. Relaxing your brain, your thoughts, allowing a soft rhythm and flow. Now can you breathe fully into your entire body? And as you breathe in this way, becoming aware of your body as a whole. Letting your whole body to bask in this felt sense of peace and relaxation. Can this sense of relaxation seep further into your body? Picturing your organs relaxing, your bones softening, your blood moving gently around your body. Feeling this feeling of peace and relaxation into your entire being. In this moment, in this stillness, you are complete, you are perfect just as you are. In this moment, you are relaxed, peaceful and ready for sleep. Meditation Music