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Getting Back to Sleep (For Middle of Night)

Melli O'Brien

00:00

00:00

Meditation

4.3

Duration

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Getting Back to Sleep (For Middle of Night)

Is a racing mind keeping you up at night? Here’s a mindfulness practice to get back to sleep.

So just inviting you now to take

some time to make yourself as

comfortable as possible in your bed.

And just have a sense of settling back in.

And beginning now to take

some deep, slow, full breaths.

Breathing in.

And as you breathe out, closing

the eyes, if you haven't already.

Again, breathing in.

And as you breathe out now, just

allowing the muscles of the body

to soften and relax a little.

Just continuing to breathe in that

way, long, deep, slow breaths.

And with each exhale, settling

and softening more and more

fully into this moment.

And just taking a moment to notice

if there's any sense of holding

onto the idea that you need to

or have to get back to sleep.

And seeing if you can

just let that go for now.

And instead of trying to make

anything happen or change things,

just bring your attention gently

into what's happening now.

So now letting go of any

control of the breath.

Letting the breath be natural and soft.

And bringing your focus to the feeling of

the weight of your body, against the bed.

Just feeling all the places where

the body is in contact with the bed.

The heels touching the bed.

The backs of the legs.

The back.

The arms.

The hands.

The head.

And just allowing the whole

physical body to settle into

gravity and to become heavy.

Allowing the bed to

completely support you.

And noticing the feeling of the

breath moving in the belly now.

And notice how the belly rises and

gently falls, like shifting tides.

And just anchor awareness on the

movement and sensation of the belly.

And let you focus, just

synchronize with the movement

and the flow of the breath here.

And with your awareness on

the belly, we'll begin just

mentally counting the out-breath.

So starting at 50 and

counting backwards from 50.

So now each time you breathe out,

mentally counting the breath.

And as best you can, just staying

focused on the breath and the

counting with a gentle awareness.

Just allowing these times for the

mind to rest and the body to soften.

Just gently continuing the

counting backwards from 50 to zero,

without any expectation or agenda.

Just letting this be a time

of restoration and relaxation.

Just continuing to rest in the flow

of the breath and the counting,

knowing that you are giving the

body and mind this time to rest.

Just relaxing into a rhythm with it.

And feeling contented to stay with

the counting and the breathing,

knowing that you might even make

it all the way back to zero.

And if that happens, you can simply begin

again at 50 and begin counting backwards.

And if at any time you find yourself

caught up in thinking, perhaps about

tomorrow or yesterday, or thoughts

about trying to get to sleep, just

notice the thought that distracted you.

Letting it go.

Gently landing your focus once again

on the breath and the counting.

Allowing the counting to be

with just a very light touch.

And allowing yourself to continue

to rest in breathing and counting.

Similar to this

Letting Go Into SleepMeditation by Melli O'Brien
Melli O'Brien

Letting Go Into Sleep

Meditation · 25 mins4.5

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