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.