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Drift into a deep sleep by relaxing your body and allowing your thoughts to flow without resistance.

Secular

Sleep

Mindfulness Meditation

Secular Mindfulness

Mindfulness

English

For when you are screaming at the night, worrying about the looming morning or unable to rest at all, here's a guided practice that will take you by the hand and lead you into the comfort of restful sleep. Few people make it to the end.

Worry Free Sleep

 Hi, it's Matt Young, and this is the meditation in which I plan to put you to sleep. I'm pretty good at that. At least that's what my students tell me. Well, they don't actually tell me, but they do often nod off while I'm talking to them. Which amounts to the same thing. Anyway, I won't be offended if you fall asleep while I'm talking. In fact, I'll be happy if you do. Anyway, let's get started. First up, make sure that you're comfortable. It's usually best to start out lying on your back with your legs stretched long. I find it soothing to rest the palm of one hand on my belly and the other on my chest. You might like to try this too. And you can leave your eyes open for the time being. Perhaps noticing what you can see. If your room is pitch black, just enjoy the darkness. Otherwise, notice the outlines and shapes of the things around you. Let the darkness be a comfort. Noticing how the eyes can begin to relax. Listening lazily, free of stimulation. And maybe you can feel the gentle rise and fall of the torso beneath your hands. Perhaps even a subtle sense of comfort. As though through that restful touch, you are somehow reassured or soothed. If there are sounds you can hear from another room or beyond, just leave them be. In fact, see if you can identify a sound with a very low pitch. And another whose tone seems to oscillate. Also, notice if there are moments of silence, or a quality of silence you can tune into. And if there are more obvious sounds, see if you can get a sense of the spaces between them. And the different directions from which they arise. You can do this lazily. Barely any effort is required. You can let the sounds float through your mind. Like a lullaby. Or the soft patter of rain on a tin roof. And perhaps you'll notice your eyelids slowly becoming heavy. You can enjoy that heaviness. Or you can let the eyes gently close. Following the way that signals a transition into a sleepier and more restful state. And lying there. Imagine that your whole body becomes a fraction heavier with each out-breath. Sinking downwards into the mattress. Imagine draining from the limbs, moment by moment. And please remember, it's usually not your thoughts that keep you up at night. It's all the effort you expend trying to keep them at bay. So for now, don't try to switch off or shut out your thoughts. Even though you may be craving a little peace and quiet, just notice what's on your mind. Listening to your thoughts may be the last thing you want to do. But trust that this counter-intuitive suggestion might just be the key to a good night's rest. At any rate, acknowledge whatever thoughts or memories make themselves known. At least for the time being. And know that it's perfectly okay to feel restless, agitated, anxious, fretful or worried. These emotions are normal, everyday experiences for most people. And by attending to them, you open the gates to the world of dreams and sleep. It may be helpful to think of them and any passing thoughts as the doorways through which you must pass in order for sleep to descend. And know that your thoughts and emotions are simply messengers. Bringing you information to sort through, prioritize and digest. If there's something troubling you, some persistent worry or concern, know that you don't have to stop thinking about it. Trust that with patience, things will fade away in their own time. In fact, you may like to see how long you can keep thinking about one issue or concern. Doing your very best to stay awake. As though you were determined to wait up for the new day or the coming dawn. This too might seem like counterintuitive advice. But remember, falling asleep is not something you can do. You can't make it happen. The only thing you can do is to create the conditions in which sleep is most likely. And that's what we'll continue doing. So just out of curiosity, notice how you're breathing. Can you feel the rise and fall of the chest? And the belly beneath your hands? Let that movement be smooth and steady. With no pause between the in-breath and out-breath. And no pause between the out-breath and in-breath. Keep it soft, relaxed and continuous. And as effortless as possible. Let the breath just fall in and out of the body. Loose. Unhurried. And without any pauses. If breathing like this feels awkward or contrived, just go back to listening for a minute or two. Or apply a little less effort. It's okay to do a really poor job of this. Otherwise continue. Mimicking the breathing patterns of sleep. This sends relaxation signals to your nervous system. And will gradually soothe and settle the mind. Remember? Let go completely on the out-breath. And let the in-breath be automatic. Natural. Let breathing happen of its own accord. Feeling the softness of the surface beneath you. Feeling the texture and weight of the sheets or covers. Noticing the entire back surface of your body. The points of pressure. Contact and weight. And permit your body to rest. Your muscles heavy and limp. You might imagine a warm, damp cloth resting on your face. Soothing the forehead and softening the eyes. Let the cheeks and jaw go slack. The tongue resting lightly in the mouth. And then focus on all the muscles of the neck. Feeling that you're massaging them with your attention. Feeling the subtle movements of the shoulders and chest as you breathe. Keeping that breath continuous. Loose. Virtually effortless. Setting your head rest heavily on the pillow. The whole body cozy and snug. Tension slowly dissolving. Training away degree by degree. If you notice any little aches and pains or a sense of discomfort or fatigue. Let that be okay. See if you can sink into those sensations. Letting time and rest slowly massage the tension from your body. As though it were draining away. Like water seeping into the earth. Muscles soft and heavy. Relaxing your whole body as though it were a network of subtle sensations. Warmth. Tingling. Pressure. Pulsing. Weight. Intimate movement. And you might imagine that you breathe not just through the mouth or nose but through the pores of your skin. So as you inhale it's as though you absorb oxygen directly into every cell. And when you exhale it's as though your breath is released from the body and directly into the space around you. And you might imagine that every cell of your body glows as you breathe in. And any remaining tension evaporates as you breathe out. Remaining aware of the whole body. And allowing it to gently soften. Allowing the lungs to gently expand as you inhale. Then allowing the breath to be released effortlessly as you breathe out. Keeping the whole process easy and continuous. With no pauses. And as your body breathes become aware of whatever is happening within your mind. Watch as thoughts or images arise and pass. What will come into your mind next? Be curious about what thought visits. But unconcerned about who or what it's about. Let yourself be surprised by the fact that you can think at all. That ideas can pop into your head unbidden. That you can recall the past as though you had a video recorder in your head. And that you can conjure up a future out of thin air. So just allowing thoughts to flow easily through your mind. Like a breeze gently flowing through the leaves of a tree. And welcome each thought like that breeze. As though each passing thought somehow cools you down. Thought after thought. You might hear them as voices. Or they might appear as images, memories, video clips. You need not worry what they're about. They may be positive or negative. They may come in a rush or a trickle. They may seem important. Or they may seem trivial. Just let them all float by. That's the key here. Not interfering. Not trying to control. Allowing them to come and go of their own accord. In their own time. At their own pace. Let them flow in and out. Just as the breath flows in and out. Automatically. Unconsciously. Watching as they appear in the darkness of your mind. Like stars coming out at dusk. Twinkling and then fading away. Welcoming every thought unconditionally. Just waiting for the next. To catch this educational moment. And as you let your thoughts flow freely, permit your body to gradually become more relaxed. Let the chest soften as you breathe out. Feeling a sense of release throughout the torso. A sense of the whole body lengthening. And feel the breath flowing continuously without pause. Easy, soft and full. Everything flowing naturally. As though you were already asleep and the body was just breathing for you. Sensations and thoughts coming and going without interference. And allowing the breath to continue to be full, easy and continuous. No pause, no holding on to the breath. It's as though you were slipping away. The body sinking downwards. The thoughts moving through the mind like dreams. And perhaps you can imagine that you slip into a beautiful dream. The dream in which you were sleeping peacefully. Breathing easily. Your limbs like those of a rag doll. Completely free of tension. And in this dream space you can sense everything as though you were there. The sights and sounds. And you can hear and smell and feel. All your senses alive. And it's as though you remember what it's like to be in a deep, dreamless sleep. Your breath coming and going so effortlessly. The inhalation just happening of its own accord. The out-breath following naturally without pause. The breath just falling in and out of the body without effort or control. And you might sense that this place in your mind where you sleep soundly allows you to feel more and more relaxed and comfortable. Lying there your body looks so peaceful. And evaporating as you rest. Thoughts floating dreamily by. Perhaps reminding you of some quiet, relaxing place. A place where you can rest comfortably. Undisturbed. Not bothered by the sounds or sights around you. Unconcerned with what passes through your mind. Or even how the body feels. Your breath remaining continuous and quiet. Your body resting easily. As though you were blissfully unaware. As though you might be dreaming. Or thinking. Or just noticing dreamlike images floating through your mind. As you imagine the sensations of falling asleep. And how it feels to drift off. How it feels to be sound asleep.