Softening meditation for sleep (5 min), on the way in

About this practice

5 minutes to meet sleep with less of a fight. A softening practice, on the way in. A guided session of about 5 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: sleep

Sleep arrives on a downslope, not on command. Arousal has to fall for some minutes before the switch flips, and trying harder keeps it up.

It tends to show up as:

• Getting a second wind at bedtime
• Mind starting up as soon as the light goes off
• Sleep arriving much later than you intended

The practice is to stop steering. Following a slow voice occupies the part of the mind that would otherwise be trying.

Doing this on your commute

• Headphones on, eyes open or closed depending on your comfort
• Keep one part of your attention on your stop
• Do it standing if sitting is not possible — nobody is watching

Commuting time is already dead time. Nothing is being given up.

How softening works

Softening is the practice of releasing held tension degree by degree rather than all at once. It targets the physical grip — shoulders, jaw, gut — that persists long after the stressor has passed.

• Soften one place per exhale rather than everything at once
• Let warmth and gravity do the work instead of muscular effort
• If a place will not soften, leave it and go somewhere that will

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Drop your attention from your head into your chest for a second.
2. 0:13There's no need to try harder than this.
3. 0:24Let your attention drop to the level of your shoulders and stay there a moment.
4. 0:38Let your attention rest on the out-breath. The in-breath can take care of itself.
5. 0:52Let the out-breath be a little longer than the in-breath, without forcing it.
6. 1:05Let the breath be slow enough that you can hear it, just barely.
7. 1:18Let the whole of your left foot be heavy.
8. 1:29Now feel both feet at once. That's a lot of contact with the world.
9. 1:43Feel the middle of your back, the part that never gets attention.
10. 1:56Let your body keep settling.
11. 2:05A few seconds of nothing now. That's on purpose.
12. 2:16Let this be easy, if easy is available.
13. 2:27If nothing much is happening, that's not a problem. Nothing much is often the point.
14. 2:41Imagine the day folding itself up as a room you can walk out of for a minute. The room will still be there.
15. 2:59Let the quiet your mind keeps postponing be exactly as big as it is, and let your breath be exactly as slow as it is. They can coexist.
16. 3:19Let the in-breath be short and the out-breath unhurried.
17. 3:30Each time your mind hands you the heaviness your body already knows, treat it like a leaf on a stream. Present for a moment, then carried on.
18. 3:50If your body wants to move, let it move, then come back.
19. 4:03Silence for a few breaths. Nothing to do in it.
20. 4:15You can be as unimpressive as you like for the next few minutes.
21. 4:28Give your hands a stretch before you go back to using them.
22. 4:41Let it be this simple.

Questions people ask

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