Letting go for falling asleep: 7 minutes, on a slow Sunday

About this practice

When falling asleep shows up on a slow Sunday, this 7-minute letting go session gives you somewhere to put it down. A guided session of about 7 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: falling asleep

Falling asleep is a passive process. The harder you aim at it, the further it moves, because the effort itself is arousal.

It tends to show up as:

• Watching the clock
• Getting frustrated at being awake
• Sleep only arriving after giving up

Attention on something boring and continuous is the oldest trick there is. That is all a sleep story is doing.

Doing this on a rest day

• Do it without a reason or a target
• Later in the day, unhurried, in good light
• Let it be longer than usual if you want

Rest that has to be justified is not really rest. This one is allowed to be pointless.

How letting go works

Letting go is about loosening grip rather than dropping things. It works on the effort attached to a problem — the holding, rehearsing and bracing — which is separable from the problem itself.

• Pick one thing you are gripping and loosen a single finger
• Release the effort with the exhale, not the issue
• Set down temporarily; you can pick it up again after

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Notice whether you're leaning forward. Most people are, slightly, all day.
2. 0:12We are not solving anything in the next few minutes. We are setting it down, temporarily.
3. 0:27Let the breath get a little quieter, as if you were trying not to wake someone sleeping nearby.
4. 0:43You can think about other things. When you notice, come back. That's the whole practice.
5. 0:57Notice if your breathing is faster than you expected. Don't correct it. Just note it.
6. 1:11Let the exhale fall out rather than pushing it.
7. 1:22Feel the skin around your eyes. Let the muscles behind them go loose.
8. 1:35Feel your hips. Wide, heavy, and doing nothing.
9. 1:46Notice your eyebrows. They're probably doing something small right now.
10. 1:58You do not have to win against the surrender at the end of the day. You only have to breathe until the next moment arrives.
11. 2:17There is no correct amount of the slow drift toward sleep to be feeling right now. Whatever is here is the honest amount.
12. 2:35Notice your lower back. Let it curve however it curves.
13. 2:47Let this one be unhurried.
14. 2:56Follow the breath down into your belly and feel it come back up.
15. 3:09Notice the exact moment your attention left. You probably won't catch it. That's normal.
16. 3:23A few seconds of nothing now. That's on purpose.
17. 3:34Ask yourself what you could stop holding for the next sixty seconds. That one is a good start.
18. 3:50If you're thinking about the next thing on your list, that list will still be there.
19. 4:05Notice the difference between the breath at the front of your nose and the breath in your chest.
20. 4:21Let's rest here in silence. It's short.
21. 4:31You are allowed to be unimpressed by the thoughts that keep the light on. Indifference is a legitimate response.
22. 4:47There is a part of you that has handled hard moments before. That part is here now, even if it is quiet.
23. 5:05Notice the first breath of the day versus this one. They're the same mechanism.
24. 5:19If you're distracted by a sound, let the sound be the object for a moment.
25. 5:33Notice if you're waiting for something to happen. Nothing is scheduled.
26. 5:45I'll stop for a moment. Take the pause at your own speed.
27. 5:58You have been carrying this competently for a while. A few minutes off will not undo that.
28. 6:13Roll your neck once, slowly, in whichever direction feels good.
29. 6:25Come back to your body first, and the rest of the day second.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.