[00:00:23] Hey, Carissa here and welcome to Sleep Wave. This is a mini meditation. Just a few quiet minutes to help you slow down and prepare for rest. You can listen to this on its own or if you're in bed, let it gently lead you into one of my longer sleep meditations afterwards.
[00:00:47] If it's still light outside and sleep feels far away, that makes complete sense. Your brain is wired to read light as daytime. It's not that you're doing anything wrong or that something is broken. It's just your biology doing exactly what it was built to do.
[00:01:08] So, tonight, we're not going to fight it. We're going to work with it and create a sense of evening from the inside. Bring your attention to your breath. Inhale slowly through your nose. Exhale gently through your mouth. Again, breathe in calm and breathe out the brightness of the day.
[00:01:45] Just let your breath return to something slow and easy. No effort. Just settling. Now, bring your attention to your body resting in the bed. Your head fully supported. Your shoulders beginning to soften. Your arms growing heavier now.
[00:02:18] Your legs releasing any last tension. Your whole body a little more still with each breath out. Whatever the sky is doing beyond the curtains, your body can still begin its own quiet evening.
[00:02:46] Now, imagine the light slowly shifting. The way it does on a long summer evening. In those quiet minutes just before dusk finally arrives. The sharp edges of the day begin to blur. The colors soften and deepen.
[00:03:12] The air feels a little cooler now. A little quieter. The air feels a little cooler now. A little quieter. The world is still light. But something is changing.
[00:03:25] And here, inside. Evening is arriving. Breath by breath. Repeat softly with me. My body doesn't need darkness to begin resting. Evening is arriving within me. I can let the light outside do what it wants. Notice how your body feels now. A little more settled.
[00:04:11] A little less at odds with the night. Back to your breath. In. Easy. Steady.
[00:04:30] Inhale softly through your nose. And exhale. Just a little longer. Again. Breathe in. And a slow, extended exhale. Let each out-breath last a moment more. Signaling the body to sleep.
[00:05:14] Take one last deep inhale. Your own quiet evening can keep deepening from here. If you'd like to continue our practice, you're welcome to play one of my full-length sleep meditations to guide you into sleep.
[00:05:42] Whichever you choose, sleep well tonight.
[00:06:07] If your family enjoys the stories here on Sleep Wave, and you're looking for something to listen to during the day, I think you'll love this. It's a podcast called The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian. It's a serialized science fiction story about an 8-year-old and his friends exploring space and solving mysteries, told in 15- to 20-minute episodes that are perfect for car rides or for winding down at the end of the day.
[00:06:34] The podcast is recorded by Jonathan Messenger and his son Griffin in the basement of their home, and has a similar warm narrator feel that we have here on Sleep Wave. It's built a whole host of loyal fans, and even a shout-out from Time Out magazine, who pointed out how much fun kids have following the cruise adventures, exploring new planets, meeting aliens, and helping shape what happens next. It's one of those stories kids can get completely drawn into,
[00:07:05] and one I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to with them. So, if you're looking for a story podcast to share with your family, look for The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian on Apple Podcasts, or head to gzmshows.com for more info. And be sure to tell them Sleepwave sent you.