Finding Contentment Through Gratitude ✨ Sleep Meditation

[00:00:10] Hey there, Sleepwavers. Karissa here with a meditation that will not only help you sleep, it might also help you find greater contentment in your life. Before we get to the goods though, I wanted to say thank you to Lucy Pappin for the great review. She shares with us that she used to suffer from insomnia-induced headaches, but since listening to Sleepwave, she sleeps peacefully and is headache-free. We are so happy to hear that, Lucy.

[00:00:35] The key to a happy life is to want what you already have. Billy said this the other day when we were on a walk, and I've been reflecting on it for a few days. I am a person who loves things. I probably have a running list at all times of things I'd like to buy, ranging from a new pair of jeans to art or furniture for my home. But the truth is that there will always be something else to want.

[00:01:02] There will always be something new or better to catch your eye, and in today's world with ads curated specifically to your searches and tastes and likes, it is easier than ever to get lost in a sea of wanting.

[00:01:17] But when I stop and really notice all the things I have right in this moment, my wanting is stopped in its tracks. I begin to see not only my many material comforts, but the people in my life, my health and the health of those I love, the food in my fridge, and the list can just go on and on.

[00:01:40] If you love this show, start a free trial of Sleepwave Premium tonight. You'll relax and sleep easier with no advertisements, enjoy more variety with two premium episodes every month, and unlock the full library of exclusive supporter-only episodes. Join in two taps via the link in the show notes. Cancel any time. But now, a quick word from our sponsors who make this free content possible.

[00:02:06] Hey Sleepwave listeners, Jeffrey here. If you love the bedtime stories on Sleepwave and are looking for even more sleepy tales, this announcement is for you. Introducing my show Night Falls, where I read original and classic bedtime stories, specially crafted to help busy people fall asleep effortlessly. Each story slows gently, guiding you to sleep.

[00:02:33] We'll go on mystical journeys through my series The Falls, where I'll share enchanting tales from my past, exploring the magic of the falls and the unique people I've met along the way.

[00:02:44] I'll also share classic nostalgic stories around the fire, like Winnie the Pooh. With Night Falls, you'll drift off to sleep easily and wake up refreshed. So search Night Falls on all podcast platforms. That's Night Falls. And hit follow. So when it's time to go back to sleep, you'll find the show easily. I'll see you there.

[00:03:08] Hey Sleepwave listeners. With spring right around the corner, now's a great time to refresh your routines and set yourself up for better nights ahead. If sleep has felt out of reach lately, let me introduce you to something that's made all the difference in my nighttime routine. Oslo Sleepbuds. These tiny, soft-as-a-cloud earbuds help block out distractions so you can truly unwind.

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[00:04:27] Want to kick off your week feeling motivated and ready to take on whatever comes your way? I'm Gemma Spegg, host of The Psychology of Your Twenties, and I'd love for you to check out my new podcast, Mantra. Every Monday, I'll bring you a new mantra to help you grow, level up, and stay grounded no matter what life is throwing at you. We'll reshape your mindset, help you move through change, and bring fresh focus to your goals.

[00:04:52] Plus, I'll incorporate actual life lessons from my life and share journal prompts in a weekly challenge related to each mantra. We'll hold each other accountable because I'm going to be taking part too. If you are ready to grow and make life happen on your terms, tune into Mantra and let's take this journey together. Join me, Gemma Spegg, every Monday and start your week with a new episode of Mantra wherever you get your podcasts.

[00:05:20] I invite you to spend tomorrow looking around for all the good things in your life. Anytime you find yourself wanting a new item or a different life experience from what you currently have, look around and notice at least three things that you are grateful for.

[00:05:49] I was well-practiced at this last year at this time when I was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. I was sick much of the time after treatment, so spent a lot of quiet time alone. And whenever I would slip into feeling sorry for myself or wanting things to be different, I would take a moment and find a few things to be grateful for. It went something like this. I am so thankful for this cozy bed. I am so thankful for my loving family.

[00:06:18] I am so thankful for this good-smelling candle burning nearby. Tonight, we are all going to focus on the fullness of what we have, which will allow us to drift off to a peaceful sleep with deep gratitude and contentment. Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.

[00:06:48] Our modern mindset is often prone to a continual striving for things beyond our reach. While desire is a powerful motivator and a constant companion for most of us, it also plays a major role in the stress, anxiety, and feelings of inadequacy that affect countless individuals daily. In modern life, the answer to the question,

[00:07:14] how much, is often summed up in a single word, more. The constant urge for acquiring more can become so deeply ingrained in our thought patterns that we miss out on the joy of not wanting. It's not uncommon to feel a temporary sense of satisfaction when we attain something that we desire.

[00:07:37] On the surface, it may seem that satisfaction comes from the gratifying feeling of getting something we want. In reality, the satisfaction we feel has nothing to do with whatever it is we get. It has to do with the fact that when you finally obtain the thing your mind has been telling you that you lack, your mind suddenly becomes quiet, and at least for that moment, you don't want anything.

[00:08:07] What if the real satisfaction comes from just not wanting anything for a little while longer? Tonight, we'll shift from longing for what's next to embracing the beauty of what already is. Studies have found that people who regularly practice gratitude tend to experience better sleep.

[00:08:33] Gratitude helps to reduce stress and racing thoughts, making it easier to relax and fall asleep at night. By focusing on the quiet joy of wanting what we have, we allow a deep sense of contentment to descend as we drift into sleep.

[00:08:56] Allow your body to soften into your bed and settle deeply into a comfortable position. When the body settles, the mind settles. Feel your arms and legs relax into the support of the mattress. Take a comfortable breath in through your nose.

[00:09:22] And as you exhale through your mouth, release the tension and worry from the day. Release any unfinished business and resolve that, in this moment, you are precisely where you ought to be. In the only place and time you truly can be, in the here and now.

[00:09:51] Understand that this is your time to rest, recharge, and simply be present with yourself. Take another deep breath in, and exhale slowly. With each breath, allow yourself to sink deeper into relaxation.

[00:10:22] Feel the weight of your body resting comfortably, fully supported by your bed. Bring your attention to your feet, feet, feet. Notice any sensations there.

[00:10:52] If you sense some tension in that region, imagine it melting away. Moving up to your legs.

[00:11:42] On each inhale, awareness to spread into the muscles of the body. On each exhale, release any.

[00:12:29] Continue scanning up through your torso. Your shoulder.

[00:12:38] Your jaw.

[00:13:49] Up the head.

[00:14:02] Soften and breathe in.

[00:15:45] Gently bring to mind something in your life that you're grateful for. It could be something simple, like the warmth of your bed. Feel the comfort of your heart. The comfort of a familiar routine. Let this feeling of appreciation fill your heart.

[00:16:14] Notice how it feels in your body. Feel the comfort of your body. Perhaps there's a lightness, a warmth, or a sense of ease. Feel it deeply and allow that sensation to resonate within you. There's no need to label it or describe it mentally.

[00:16:43] Simply feel it and be with that sensation of gratitude for what is here.

[00:17:05] At its core, gratitude involves recognizing and appreciating the positive aspects of life, as well as acknowledging the kindness and support of others. It's an essential part of human connection and well-being.

[00:17:26] And cultivating it can lead to profound benefits for mental, emotional, and even physical health. Research shows that practicing gratitude can lead to greater happiness. When we focus on what we have rather than what we lack,

[00:17:55] it shifts our perspective and makes us more attuned to the positive aspects of our lives. This simple shift can enhance feelings of joy and contentment. Think about the abundance already in your life. The people who have shown you kindness.

[00:18:23] The experiences that have shaped you. The simple pleasures that bring you joy. Appreciate the good things in your life as a warm, pink light glowing gently in your heart. Notice that you don't have to reach for appreciation.

[00:18:53] It's already here within you whenever you partake in a moment of mindfulness and awareness of the gifts in your life. Breathe into this feeling, this warm, radiant light.

[00:19:27] Allow yourself to read. Life has given you so much already.

[00:19:35] If you ever feel a sense of restlessness or incompleteness,

[00:21:45] like you're always chasing something just out of reach, just know that you're not alone. The mind is always projecting us forward in time through fantasies about what might be or backwards to memories of what once was.

[00:22:10] When we compare this present moment to an image of who we ought to be or who we were, we lose our connection to the world of nature and therefore lose sight of our own nature, which is calm and content. Though it may seem sometimes that the most natural state is one of anxiety.

[00:22:39] Really, the body's response to stress is meant to be short-lived. And when there is no immediate stressor, the nervous system returns to a state of rest and restoration. This suggests that a calm mode of being, not an anxious one, is who we are at our core,

[00:23:08] bringing appreciation into the breath itself. As you inhale, silently say to yourself, in your mind, appreciate the gift of this moment. As you breathe out, mentally repeat, everything I need is already within me.

[00:23:41] Again, inhaling, silently say, I appreciate the gift of this moment. As you breathe out, mentally repeat, everything I need is already within me. Once more, breathe in,

[00:24:10] I appreciate the gift of this moment is already within me. Repeating these affirmations.

[00:26:40] With each breath, feel the warmth of appreciation radiating within you. If you find yourself drifting into thoughts or feelings of lack, just gently acknowledge them. The part of our consciousness that we know as the ego or the sense of I as an individual particle

[00:27:06] must always experience itself as somehow unfinished or incomplete. This is a necessary function of the ego since its whole purpose is to define your limits and thereby define your personality. Accepting that this is just what the ego does

[00:27:33] allows you to peer beyond the ego's limitations and intuitively sense that you are more than what you think you are. The ego is like a cup that can hold a small amount of water. When your cup holds this water, you can say, this is my water. Still,

[00:28:02] that water belongs just as much to the vastness of the ocean as it does to the cup. See yourself as part of something greater and partake of the whole universe in order to see that you are not incomplete, but rather the abundance of nature flows through you here and now.

[00:28:32] Breathe in. I appreciate the gift of this moment. It is already within me. Breathe in. I appreciate the gift of this moment. Breathe out. Everything I need is already within me.

[00:29:02] Continue on.

[00:31:05] Picture yourself as you are now, completely at ease. Imagine yourself months or years from now, looking back on this moment with appreciation. What if your future self could remind you that everything was already okay? That nothing was ever truly missing?

[00:31:34] Breathe in to this feeling. The version of you who is fully at peace exists right now. And you can step into that version of yourself simply by embracing the present moment here, now.

[00:34:22] Begin to count the breath beginning at 27 and counting all the way down to 27, navel rising, 27, navel falling, 26, navel rising, 26, navel falling, 25,

[00:34:50] navel rising, 25, navel falling, and so on. All no mistakes. If you lose count, start over at 27. Go.

[00:36:16] Now leave counting at the navel and allow your chest to slowly rise and fall in a similar way. Begin counting at 27 and continue all the way down to 20. Mentally count, 27, chest rising, 27, chest falling,

[00:36:47] 26, chest rising, 26, chest falling, 25, chest rising, 25, chest falling, and so on. All no mistakes. If you lose count, start over at 27.

[00:38:19] Leave counting at the chest and simply allow the breath to flow naturally.

[00:40:28] As you drift into sleep, let appreciation become your natural state of being. Feel the comfort of your bed, the softness of your breath, the quietness of this moment. let any remaining tension matter. There is nothing to do, nothing to fix,

[00:40:57] nothing to chase. You are where you need to be. Here. With each slow breath, feel yourself sinking into deep rest. your mind is calm, your heart is light, your body is at ease. Allow sleep to come naturally,

[00:41:27] carrying you peacefully into a contented, peaceful sleep. I think it's okay to do. You are in love. You are in love. You are not listening to it,