Hey there . So this meditation is for you , to help you let go of any thoughts that might be keeping you from falling asleep , or any thoughts that might be waking you in the middle of the night . It's perfectly natural to have raising thoughts and it's so very important to sleep . So what we're going to do is just create an opportunity for you to release these thoughts , and then I'll guide you into a body scan to help you relax your body so that you can fall asleep . Take the time you need to prepare your space . Pay certain attention to everything around you , even if it's familiar . Take a moment to focus on , maybe , your pillow and what it feels like , maybe turning it over or smoothing it out . We're going to get a little bit tactile and elevate our sense of touch so that we can connect a little more deeply to our surroundings . As you continue to prepare your space , start to notice the temperature of your sheets or your pillow and , again , even if it's a familiar space , try to find something new , something that you haven't noticed before about your sleeping environment and , as you start to notice it , go a little deeper and explore . Maybe it's the texture of the fabric , maybe it's a pattern on your duvet you've never noticed before , whatever it might be . We're just drawing your attention here to noticing what is .
Speaker 1When you're ready , go ahead and lie down . Turn out the light if you like , and I just want you to gently take your first finger and your thumb on both hands . Start to gently rub them against each other , maybe in a circular way or maybe across the nail . Start to focus so deeply on your fingertips that you might even feel the ridges Again . Keep the movement going as you explore this very tiny region of your fingertips . Now take a moment to press them against each other as tightly as you can . Maybe notice how the blood shifts and you can feel closer to the bone of your finger or thumb . And then , without losing the connection of your finger or thumb , release the tension , but keep on touching your finger and your thumb . Take a deep breath in your nose and out through your mouth , fingers still touching , and start to notice the pulse in your fingertips , your rhythm , your natural rhythm . Continue to breathe and as thoughts come in , as they inevitably will invite them in , press your fingers together tightly as you can breathe in through the nose and as you exhale and release the pressure , you also release the thought , just letting it go and bringing your attention back to your natural rhythm , your pulse , your life force . Once again , start to explore the region of your fingertips , feeling any irregularities or , where it's smooth , where it's rough , paying very close attention to the ridges of your fingertips . We all have unique fingertips , our fingerprints , our hours , and only hours . How cool is that .
Speaker 1Let's take another deep breath in together , allowing any thoughts to come in that want to come in , as they inevitably do , pressing your fingertips against each other and then releasing when you're ready and letting your thought also simply rush away , floating away , and bring your attention back to the pulse in your fingertips . What we're doing here is developing our focus and we're developing a physical cue that will allow your brain to map eventually , so that when you have these thoughts that are racing , especially when you're trying to go to sleep , you can do this exercise Feeling your fingertips and ridges breathing in deeply , pressing as hard as you can against each other , feeling the bone as the blood displaces your fingertips , then releasing the thought , the breath and the pressure of your fingertips as your blood starts to naturally flow back in and you feel your pulse , your rhythm , your unique rhythm . Feel free to repeat this as often as you like , but now I'm going to start guiding you into sleep . Take a nice deep breath in on four , three , two , one and release three , two and one , breathing in . I am breathing in and exhaling , I am breathing out . I am cleansing my palate for sleep , inviting it in .
Speaker 1I want you to start focusing on your toes , starting with your baby toes on each foot . Feel them together , not one by one . Notice how they are connected through you , see if you can feel the blood and the flow , the tiny pads of your toes . Let that energy flow down through and between your next toe , end up and over , moving inwards on each side of your body as you move in closer together with this energy , eventually arriving at the top of both big toes . Remain there for a moment and imagine that you are making circles with your fingers , like you did on your fingertips , but on your toes . Now you are going to let go and you are going to let that energy brush down your shins from the top of your toes up towards your knees , almost like a wave . And as this sensation moves up your shins , you feel yourself relaxing . Let it swirl around your kneecaps , both kneecaps at the same time , let the energy circle inward , toward each other and also outward , massaging and stimulating your energy and your flow .
Speaker 1Take a moment to tighten your kneecaps , pull them up tightly and hold Three , two , one and then just release . Feel the energy just relaxing . Beautiful , warm energy is now coming up the sides of your legs , on both sides , and then circles right back down the middle through that strong thigh muscle and then back up again , stopping at the hip , and I want you just to squeeze your glutes as tightly as you can here , as you take a deep breath , in Holding at the top , still squeezing your glutes , and as you exhale , release your glutes , release your legs , your feet . Each time you release , you can release any thoughts that are coming in .
Speaker 1We're going to try one more tightening exercise . As we breathe in on four , I want you to slowly tighten everything from your toes all the way up to your glutes , your thighs , your knees . Here we go , ready and tighten Two , three , four . And let go Two , three , four and notice how tingly your lower half of your body might be feeling right now , and if not , that's okay . You might also notice something different . The important thing is to be feeling and noticing .
Take a few more deep breaths and I'm going to slow it down a little bit here so that you can start to drift . Tell me if you like , tightening your stomach muscles as you breathe in Two , three , four and releasing Two , three , four . We're going to let that energy swoop up the sides of your torso , on your ribs , brushing up right underneath your underarms , just like a wave coming back down the inside of your arms through your fingertips . I'm going to have you tighten your shoulders , your elbows , your arms , your fingers and your fists and breathing in four , three , two and one and release it all three , two and one . Breathe in it feels amazing , feel that natural pulse in your body , the spaciousness that you've just created , allowing for sleep .
Speaker 1We're going to bring the wave of energy up one more time . It's going to come up like a wave up the back of your neck , up the back of your skull , and whoosh out from the top of your forehead , allowing you to relax your head and your neck , your shoulders and your spine , your hips and your belly and your thighs and your knees and your shins and your calves and your feet and your beautiful little toes . I feel very heavy now . My mind is clear and I'm ready to sleep , wishing you peace , tranquility and rest . Sleep well , my friends . Namaste .