Tara Brach - Meditation: Reducing Anxiety and Getting to Sleep (12 min.)

Episode Date: February 27, 2019

Meditation: Reducing Anxiety and Getting to Sleep (12 min.) - Many of us struggle with anxiety, and spend hours in bed wishing we could turn off our mind and get to sleep. This podcasted series of 3 guided meditations - 6, 12, and 18 minutes long - can help in quieting your mind, relaxing your body, and bringing peace to your heart. Each will support you in either calming yourself during the day, or drifting more easily into sleep at night. For more resources, please visit "Community Wisdom on Sleep" at https://www.tarabrach.com/sleep/.

The following meditation is led by Tara Brock. To access more of my meditations or join my email list, please visit tarabrock.com. Settle yourself comfortably, either sitting or lying down, and then begin this practice by closing your eyes. Now become aware of your breathing, consciously lengthening the breath so that you're taking a long, slow in-breath,

counting to five, filling the chest and lungs and then slowly release the breath counting to five letting go letting go and again matching the length of the inhale and exhale long deep in breath

counting to five filling your chest and lungs and slow smooth out breath counting to five so you can feel the sensations of letting go again breathing in filling the chest in the lungs and releasing the breath a slow long out breath letting go letting go inhaling deeply filling the chest and lungs and exhaling relaxing as you release the breath

outward. Inhale deeply, slow release of the breath, even relaxing outward, letting go, and now allowing the breath to resume in its natural rhythm, sensing how fully you can relax with the inflow and the outflow of the breath just as it is, witnessing the breath, resting in the breath. Continuing with relaxed breathing, begin to scan, through your body with your awareness, releasing tension you might be carrying. You might let your eyes be soft. Let a smile spread through the eyes, lifting up the outer corners, letting your brow be smooth, bringing a slight smile to the mouth and feeling the inside of the mouth smiling, relaxing the tongue, letting the tongue spread through the upper palate.

and relaxing the tongue down to the root of the tongue, letting the lips, gums, teeth be relaxed, allowing your shoulders to fall away from your neck. And feeling the shoulders from the inside out, you might imagine a dissolving of ice to water, ice to water, and water to gas. Let your hands rest in an easy, effortless way. softening the hands, softening again, and feeling them from the inside out, seeing if you can notice the tingling and the vibrating that's there, letting your chest be open.

And you might visualize and sense the felt experience of a smile, spreading through the heart, not to cover over what's there, but to create space for it. And now letting this next breath be received in a softening belly, this breath and this one and again relaxing down through the pelvic region down through the legs and feeling the feet from the inside out sensing the tingling the vibrating there and now widening the attention to feel your whole body at once as if it's floating a field of sensation

safe and at ease. Here you might experiment with gently placing one hand on your heart and the other on your belly, sensing with the in-breath that you're receiving a gentle flow of soothing, healing energy from the universe, allowing it to fill your body, the cells, the spaces between the cells. And with the exhale, letting go into the universe, sensing the sound and space around you,

releasing into this receptive openness. If there's any tension, pain, or fear in your body, feel the tender touch of your hand on your heart and send a stream of caring, soothing energy to the place of discomfort. You might offer a message of care, such as, I'm here, or it's okay, or be at ease. If you find your mind is drifted into thoughts, gently relax open your attention,

listening to the sounds around you, again bringing a slight smile to the lips, letting go through the body by softening the shoulders, relaxing and softening the hands, relaxing your belly, relaxing your heart. and again resting in the natural movement of the breath. Continue breathing in, receiving a soothing stream of energy.

Breathing out, letting go and entrusting yourself to a larger belonging. Safe and at home in this flowing breath, in this moment, in this life. Feeling this life breath as a home base. breathing in healing, calming energy from the universe, and then letting go relaxing outward with the out breath. Letting this life be held in the spaciousness of a larger belonging. Rest in the breath,

like a raft gently moving with the waves, peaceful and at home, moment by moment, in this changing life. You might sense how fully you can let go. Entrusting yourself to the waves, safe and at home in this breath, this moment, this life. Namaste and blessings.