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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
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In this meditation, we'll scan through our body, inviting each body part to relax and power down for the night.
So as you prepare for this sleep
meditation, just making sure you're
in a comfortable sleeping posture
so that you can drift off during the
meditation or shortly after it ends.
And if it feels okay to do so, you
can invite the eyes to gently close.
And we'll start by taking
a deep breath together.
In through the nose.
And then slowly out through the mouth.
And just feeling the body,
relax with the exhale.
So I'm sure there was
plenty going on today.
Things that needed your attention,
problems that needed to be
solved, but you're here now.
And because you're here, there's really
no place else you need to be, or can be.
And anything that's unresolved from
today, you can pick it up tomorrow.
So see if you can give yourself the
permission to just be here and to
let go and to trust that you really
can let go of your work today.
Even if it didn't go exactly
as you wanted it to, it's okay.
We're all human.
We do the best we can.
And then, you know, we try again tomorrow.
So right now there's no more work to do.
So you get to just rest.
So noticing the thoughts that might
be moving through your mind - any
worries, fears, judgments.
And you can just watch them moving
through like clouds passing through
the sky and notice how everything
else in you can be relaxed.
Even if you're watching an agitating
thought, you can be relaxed.
And that's what we will continue
to cultivate in this sleep
meditation, relaxing as much of
our bodies and minds as we can.
So I'm going to guide you through
a body relaxation exercise.
Moving through each of the body parts,
inviting them to soften and to turn off
the metaphorical batteries of the body.
The body did its work today and
the mind did its work today, and
now you get to rest and replenish.
So let's begin by tuning into the head.
So just noticing what it's like
to bring your awareness here.
And tuning into the sensations
at the top of the head.
The sensations at the sides of your head.
And the back of the head, maybe where
it's resting against the pillow.
And also noticing sensations in your face.
So the face works so much
throughout the day, putting on all
kinds of different expressions.
Sometimes making an extra
effort to look a certain way,
even if we don't feel that way.
It chews food, sneezes, blinks.
It's such a hard working part of the body.
But right now, we give it
the invitation to rest.
We appreciate it.
And we know that it's
done its work for today.
And so see if you can communicate
this to their face and all the muscles
in the face and the head that it's
okay to relax, it's okay to let go.
So feeling the forehead soften.
And the eyebrows.
The eyes.
The cheeks.
The mouth.
The lips.
And the ears.
And the jaw.
And the whole scalp.
All that tension and all of that working
just melting, softening and releasing.
And then sliding that warm, relaxed
awareness down through the neck,
down through the throat, through
the back of the neck and noticing
if there's any tension there.
And saying to it, it's okay to let go.
We're safe and there's nothing
we need to do right now.
So the body knows how to take
care of you while it's sleeping.
So we're just letting all of these
parts of us that tend to be engaged
in daily life be more at ease.
Just reminding them that the day is over.
And as we come down through the shoulder.
Aahh, shoulders, this place where we tend
to hold a lot of tension in the shoulders.
Just what would it be like for the
shoulders not to have to do anything
at all, to finally get a break?
And just feeling the shoulders
soften, feeling that coziness of
the shoulders maybe against your
pillow, against your mattress.
Just letting the shoulders know
it's okay to relax, it's okay
to turn off for the evening.
You can even imagine these parts
of the body just powering down.
And as we slide awareness down through
the arms now, just feeling the biceps and
the triceps, the forearms and the hands.
And as you bring awareness to each part of
the arm, just feel those areas softening.
Bringing awareness to these parts of
the arms, it's as if your awareness
is communicating, I see you.
Thank you.
It's okay to rest.
And the body hears that permission
and powers down for the evening.
Relaxing more deeply
into the bed beneath you.
And then bringing awareness around
to the chest region and notice
what it's like to tune in here.
This is another area we
tend to hold some tension.
And seeing if it's possible to soften.
To bring some ease to
this part of the body.
And you might even start to become aware
of the gentle beating of your heart.
And just feeling the beating
of your heart and inviting
the chest to soften and relax.
And then letting awareness drop
down into the belly region, so you
might be come more attuned to the
feeling of your body breathing here.
And just sensing the softness of
your belly as it rises and falls
with each inhale and each exhale,
like a baby breathing, free, soft and
connected to the rest of the body.
Just feeling the breath moving freely.
And if you notice there's any sense
of gripping or holding still in
the belly region, just let your
awareness invite it to soften.
And then bringing awareness around to the
back region, the whole plane of the back.
So the upper back, the mid
back and the lower back.
And as you continue to breathe, you
might feel the breath moving into the
back, just gently pressing and expanding
the back with each inhale and exhale.
And seeing if it's possible to soften
any tension here that might be remaining.
The back is another area of the
body that really does tend to
accumulate a lot of tension.
So let's just take a moment to appreciate
the back for doing the best it can.
And with this gentle and compassionate
awareness, just inviting it to soften.
Letting it know it doesn't need
to work anymore, at least for now.
And imagining the back, powering down.
And then just letting awareness
travel down into the pelvic region.
And breathing into this area of the body.,
And inviting it to be at ease to let go.
Reminding it that you're safe right
now and just feeling the entire pelvic
region relaxing a little more deeply,
beginning to release into sleep.
And then just letting awareness
travel down into the thighs, into
the hamstrings and the quadriceps.
Noticing what this area of
the body feels like right now.
And as you observe this region of
the body with a soft and kindly
awareness, just let that awareness
communicate an appreciation.
And then an invitation to
release, to relax and let go.
And remember at any point in this
meditation, it's okay to drift off.
It's okay to let my voice
fade into the background.
So we'll continue down through the
legs and down into the knees now.
And the knees that do so much
work, just bending and flexing.
So just feeling the knees.
Take a moment to appreciate the knees.
Give them some love.
And they too long for rest.
They long for rest and sometimes
they need to hear it from
you that it's okay to let go.
So that's how we communicate
to the knees just by saying
mentally to them, yeah, thank you.
Your work is done.
It's okay to relax.
And feeling the knees rest
more deeply and power down.
And then sliding awareness down
to the calves and the shins.
And inviting them to
relax, soften and let go.
And then finally moving
awareness into the feet.
Noticing how they're feeling right now.
They may be tucked into the
covers all the way at the other
side of the bed, cozy and warm.
And with your awareness here,
just having a sense of giving
the feet a bit of appreciation.
And inviting them to soften, and to
relax, and to power down for the evening.
And so now that we've moved through
the whole body, just notice what
it's like to feel the body as a whole
resting in your sleep space, under the
covers, your head against the pillow.
And just giving the whole physical
body a moment of gratitude and
appreciation for the ways it did
its best to show up for you today.
And even though sometimes we might
get frustrated with the body, it's
still here for you, it's still taking
care of you, it's trying its best.
And so we give the whole physical
body this time of appreciation and
we also give it the permission to
relax, to let go and fall asleep.
So maybe taking a soothing, slow
breath that fills the body and
permeates throughout all the
different parts of the body.
Just filling you with warmth and goodness.
And with each exhale, feeling that
any remaining tension is released.
And as we transition from this meditation,
just remember that you can replay it
or revisit it at any point in time.
So it was great to be here with you.
I wish you a night of deep
sleep and pleasant dreams.
And thank you for your
practice and take care.
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