- [Instructor] In this sleep meditation,
we will count the breath from one to 10
to arrive at a deep state of rest or sleep.
(calm upbeat music)
So before we even begin, it might be helpful just to check
in with how you've brought kind awareness so far today
to your thoughts, heart or body.
And of course the intention today with this meditation is
to fall asleep or to improve the quality of our sleep,
but perhaps notice if there's any other intention present.
Why did you choose this topic?
And what's present physically as sensation,
what's present as an emotion,
or are there any positive or negative stories here.
Whatever it is that you're feeling, remember that
there are many others who feel the same way.
And remember too that your feelings can increase
at any moment, especially with increased awareness.
So we'll begin.
Sleep meditation counting one to 10.
Today's practice will be using the technique of counting
and counting our breaths.
And so we'll do take some time
to get settled before we begin.
Find a nice comfortable posture,
perhaps lying on your back,
eyes at the ceiling or eyes closed,
then you can place your hands at your sides,
or if you're on your back, hands on the belly
or one hand on the chest, one hand on the belly.
Just find a nice comfortable position.
And we'll start with a few deep breaths.
Breathing in deeply
and breathing out slowly.
One more time, deep breath in
and breath out.
One more at your own pace, inhaling and filling the lungs
and exhaling, letting it all out.
Allow yourself to fully relax.
Take a moment just to allow your body to settle
into the cushion or into your mattress.
As if you were a stone dropped into a pond,
slowly floating to the bottom,
finding that final resting place.
Come to a place of stillness in the body,
and come to a place of stillness in the mind.
Become aware of the breath
and use the breath as an anchor point for the mind,
anchoring mind wherever it is that
you feel the breath most clearly.
Notice the rise and fall of the belly,
or expansion and contraction of the chest,
perhaps feeling of breath as it moves through the nostril.
So for this counting technique,
we'll be counting each cycle of breath from one to 10.
And if you get to 10, you start again at one.
And if you lose track of the breath at any point,
if you get lost in thought or otherwise distracted,
just begin again at one.
We'll take a full breath in,
full breath out that's number one,
breath in,
breath out.
Number two
inhale
exhale, that's three,
breath in,
breath out,
that's four,
inhale,
exhale,
number five.
Continuing at your own pace,
following your own breath and your own timing.
Again if you get lost in thought
or find yourself losing count, just begin again at one.
Let go of any judgment or criticism
and start again with patience and with gentleness.
No need to judge yourself for losing track,
simply begin again.
Breath in,
breath out, number one,
breath in,
breath out, number two.
Follow your own breath and your own timing.
And as you count breath,
see if you can stay connected to the feeling
or the sensation of breath in the body.
Allow the counting to become softer
and quieter in the background,
as most of your attention stays
with the physical sensation of breathing.
Feel the inhale.
Feel the exhale.
Counting each cycle up to 10,
and then beginning again at one.
And as your mind begins to settle,
you might start to feel sleepy or drowsy
and just allow it to come.
Let the counting slowly drift away,
and let yourself fall deeply into sleep.