Rediscovering Your Childhood Wonder ✨ Rewind Sleep Meditation

[00:00:12] I'm Carissa Vacker and welcome back to Sleep Wave, a podcast where we let waves of relaxation wash over you through original sleep meditations created to help you fall asleep tonight. And don't worry if you don't hear the end of an episode. I encourage you to drift off whenever you're ready.

[00:00:31] Before we get started on tonight's episode, I'd like to say thanks again for all of the great ratings and reviews you guys have left us on Apple Podcasts and some of the other networks too. Tonight's big thanks goes out to 10-year-old Clara, who could never get to sleep before midnight, but since listening to Sleep Wave is able to get to bed earlier and has amazing sleep. This one's for you, Clara.

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[00:01:22] Finding the perfect bedtime routine is a journey, and by joining me here at Sleep Wave, you're already taking steps toward better rest.

[00:01:30] I haven't always slept as well as I do now, but there's one product that's made a real difference to my nights.

[00:01:36] Oslo Sleep Buds.

[00:01:37] These tiny, soft-as-a-cloud earbuds create a peaceful bubble at bedtime.

[00:01:43] With noise-blocking technology developed by Bose engineers, they help the world melt away, whether it's the hum of the city or even the noise of family members or roommates.

[00:01:52] What I love about them is how they make sound personal to you.

[00:01:56] My husband, Billy, is a light sleeper, and Oslo Sleep Buds let me listen to my favorite meditations, music, or even audiobooks without disturbing him.

[00:02:06] They even have a personal alarm, so if I want to wake up early to take a walk, Billy can snooze a little longer.

[00:02:13] Designed for all-night comfort, even for side sleepers like me, and with 10 hours of battery life, they'll help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

[00:02:21] So if you're ready to elevate your bedtime routine, Oslo Sleep Buds are perfect for your Christmas list.

[00:02:28] Head to oslosleep.com forward slash sleepiest.

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[00:02:38] The link is at the foot of the show notes.

[00:02:40] Thank you for partnering with me, Oslo, and for bringing even more peace to bedtime.

[00:02:45] The difference between ordinary and extra-ordinary is that little word, extra.

[00:02:53] On the Growth Mindset Podcast, I dive into the psychology of human potential and what the science says about self-improvement to give you that little extra.

[00:03:03] According to experts, your potential is not sitting under a rock waiting for you to finally trip over it.

[00:03:10] Destiny is merely a function of dedication and hard work.

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[00:03:23] Take responsibility for yourself and give me a listen on the Growth Mindset Psychology of Self-Improvement Podcast.

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[00:04:02] The details are in the show notes.

[00:04:05] A couple weeks ago, we had a huge storm blow through.

[00:04:08] A day that had been slightly cloudy, but otherwise quite nice, turned suddenly dark and broody.

[00:04:15] And by late afternoon, we were all huddled in the hall with the doors closed and away from windows in case of a tornado.

[00:04:23] While the storm thankfully blew through quickly and with no damage besides some downed branches, it knocked our power out for five hours.

[00:04:33] My two-year-old thought it was a party, reading stories in the closet by flashlight as we were sheltering from the storm,

[00:04:40] then hanging out in the living room with no other light than the fire in the fireplace and candles all around the room.

[00:04:47] It was getting late, definitely time to put him to bed, but I felt slightly lost without our usual bedtime rituals.

[00:04:55] After I read him stories, I usually turn on his white noise machine and turn on his favorite song to drift off to,

[00:05:02] as we rock and cuddle together until he gets sleepy enough to put in his crib.

[00:05:07] But that night, we rocked in the quiet together, listening only to the still-falling rain outside.

[00:05:16] It's wild how quiet it can be when not only your house, but everyone's around you is unplugged.

[00:05:25] After my son drifted off to sleep, I sat with Billy on the couch in front of the fireplace,

[00:05:31] and we both felt the quiet in a deep and lovely way.

[00:05:35] While there are lots of inconvenient and even disconcerting things about not having electricity,

[00:05:42] it was also striking to just be quiet.

[00:05:49] We talk a lot about being quiet and present on this podcast,

[00:05:54] but we usually have the lights on in our home or music playing somewhere or a child running around.

[00:06:01] Unplugging felt calming and maybe even a bit healing.

[00:06:06] Our minds are not meant to have continuous stimuli all the time,

[00:06:10] but we've become so accustomed to it that it feels odd to not have it.

[00:06:17] Meditation is conscious unplugging.

[00:06:20] You're saying,

[00:06:22] Hey, I'm not going to react to my thoughts or my environment or even my physical sensations right now.

[00:06:29] I'm just going to be still with what is.

[00:06:33] Tonight, we're going to embrace this conscious unplugging

[00:06:37] with a cozy visualization meditation where we'll be warmed and comforted by glowing candles

[00:06:44] and a crackling fire as we wind down from the day.

[00:06:49] Take a deep breath into your belly

[00:06:52] and let it out.

[00:06:55] Tonight is all about releasing any need to show up for anything or anyone

[00:07:01] but your own breath in this moment.

[00:07:06] Get comfortable as we meditate to

[00:07:09] Get Sleepy by Firelight

[00:07:12] by Billy Gill

[00:07:22] It's hard to imagine how different life must have been even a hundred years ago in most places

[00:07:29] with no electricity to illuminate our homes, pump our water, cook and store our food,

[00:07:37] provide heat in the winter and cool in the summer,

[00:07:41] much less provide us with constant entertainment and stimulation at the push of a button

[00:07:47] or a flick of a switch.

[00:07:51] Nowadays, with the advent of voice commands,

[00:07:54] a mere word can beckon the entire home to whirr and buzz with electrical activity.

[00:08:01] Scientists have found evidence that ancient peoples may have experimented with electricity

[00:08:07] over 2,000 years ago.

[00:08:10] In 1936, a clay pot was discovered in modern-day Iraq

[00:08:16] that contained copper plates, tin alloy and an iron rod.

[00:08:21] It's possible that it was used to create an electric current

[00:08:25] by filling it with an acidic solution like vinegar.

[00:08:29] No one knows what the device was used for,

[00:08:33] but it suggests that human beings have been learning about electricity for a very long time.

[00:08:40] In 1600, William Gilbert, a physician to Queen Elizabeth I,

[00:08:46] invented the term electricity

[00:08:49] and was the first to recognize the connection between magnetism and electricity.

[00:08:55] Famously, Benjamin Franklin made several advances in his electrical experiments.

[00:09:02] He proved that lightning is a form of electricity,

[00:09:05] though the kite, which she flew into a thunderstorm,

[00:09:10] was not, in fact, struck by lightning,

[00:09:12] but picked up the electrical charge from the storm

[00:09:15] and went on to invent the lightning rod.

[00:09:19] Until his experiments in the mid-1700s,

[00:09:23] scientists had mainly experimented with static electricity.

[00:09:27] But it wasn't until the 1830s that Michael Faraday demonstrated the ability

[00:09:34] to generate electric power through other forms of force,

[00:09:38] a process called induction,

[00:09:40] laying the groundwork for Nikola Tesla's AC

[00:09:43] and Thomas Edison's DC current.

[00:09:46] Though there were several other inventors of the electric light bulb

[00:09:50] in the early 19th century, Edison became the most popular and practical,

[00:09:57] making electricity a part of everyday life in the 19th century.

[00:10:02] Still, it wasn't until about 1925

[00:10:06] that half the homes in the U.S. were lit by electricity.

[00:10:10] Before this, most homes were still lit by gas lanterns,

[00:10:15] as they had been since the late 18th century,

[00:10:18] and candles, which were first mentioned as being used

[00:10:22] as early as 3,000 years ago.

[00:10:26] There's no denying that electricity has made life more comfortable,

[00:10:31] convenient, and progressively more prosperous for modern human beings.

[00:10:36] On the other hand,

[00:10:39] these advances have changed our habits and behaviors so drastically

[00:10:44] that despite the convenience and comfort technology has given to us,

[00:10:49] it hasn't come without a cost.

[00:10:54] People are spending more and more time looking at screens indoors

[00:10:58] and less and less time outside in natural settings.

[00:11:04] The beneficial effects of time spent in nature

[00:11:08] on mental and physical health are well known.

[00:11:12] There's a consistent link between feeling the inherent connection to nature

[00:11:17] and a sense of well-being.

[00:11:20] While spending more time alone and indoors with our devices can be isolating,

[00:11:27] spending more time outdoors and with nature has the opposite effect,

[00:11:31] giving rise to more pro-social behavior in both children and adults.

[00:11:38] The sense that we are connected to something larger

[00:11:42] enhances feelings of belonging to a community of friends and neighbors.

[00:11:49] As social beings, we are adapted to thrive in these kinds of close communities.

[00:11:56] As we connect with nature,

[00:11:59] we connect more deeply with other people.

[00:12:02] As we connect more deeply with other people,

[00:12:06] we connect more deeply with ourselves.

[00:12:10] Tonight's sleep meditation offers insights on how we might connect to our deepest selves

[00:12:16] by consciously disconnecting from technology.

[00:12:22] Life before modern conveniences was difficult in certain ways,

[00:12:26] and while those difficulties may have been relieved through technology,

[00:12:31] it's important that we don't lose sight of the joy

[00:12:34] that our ancestors may have nonetheless felt in their hearts

[00:12:38] with only candles and hearths to light their homes,

[00:12:42] singing and stories to entertain them,

[00:12:46] the sun, moon, and stars to guide their days and nights,

[00:12:52] and the revolving seasons to direct their years.

[00:12:57] As you settle into a comfy position in bed,

[00:13:02] imagine that you have returned to a time

[00:13:05] before electricity was so pervasive.

[00:13:09] Of course, there will still be signs that you are in a modern technological age,

[00:13:15] but allow your imagination to wander into a scene of candlelit rooms

[00:13:21] and a roaring fire.

[00:13:23] Small islands of light provide an area to read,

[00:13:27] or write,

[00:13:29] or knit,

[00:13:30] or play cards.

[00:13:31] If you were to move around the house at night,

[00:13:36] an oil lamp might prevent you from stumbling over the furniture.

[00:13:42] The sounds of friends and loved ones singing favorite songs

[00:13:47] and playing instruments at the hearth.

[00:13:53] For centuries, the hearth was such an integral part of a home,

[00:13:58] usually its central and most important feature,

[00:14:02] that the concept has become a symbol of the home itself.

[00:14:10] To keep the home fires burning,

[00:14:13] meant to keep a home ready to receive someone back

[00:14:17] into the arms of their family and community

[00:14:21] when they returned from being away.

[00:14:26] The hearth was the sacred center

[00:14:29] of domestic happiness and blessings.

[00:14:36] Feel the warmth of that hearth now.

[00:14:40] As you breathe at your own pace.

[00:16:04] In ancient Greece,

[00:16:06] Hestia was the goddess of the hearth.

[00:16:11] Her name means hearth, fireplace, altar.

[00:16:19] The root of the word from which Hestia was derived

[00:16:23] means to dwell, stay, or pass the night.

[00:16:28] The name refers to the household and the family.

[00:16:39] As Hestia was also the goddess of the altar,

[00:16:43] the hearth held the place of the sacred center of a home.

[00:16:53] The word hearth shares its ancestry with the word heart.

[00:17:03] In modern Greek, the word for heart is kardia,

[00:17:08] which also means heart as in cardiology.

[00:17:13] The wider concept of heart refers to the family,

[00:17:23] which in Greek is ekos.

[00:17:27] Eko, as in the word ecology,

[00:17:30] comes from this concept of ekos.

[00:17:35] The sense of being connected to a larger unit like a family,

[00:17:40] or even an ecosystem,

[00:17:43] is central to the meaning of the hearth and the heart.

[00:17:51] As you allow the breath to rise and fall,

[00:17:57] notice the gentle rhythm of your lungs.

[00:18:01] As you grow more,

[00:18:08] you'll notice the belly moving more than the chest.

[00:18:17] Be patient.

[00:18:18] If the belly isn't moving very much in the beginning,

[00:18:25] a little residual tension in the belly

[00:18:28] keeps it from rising and falling with the breath.

[00:18:38] Just notice the waves of inhale

[00:18:45] with a little more emphasis on the pause

[00:18:49] at the bottom of the exhale.

[00:18:55] Ever straining.

[00:18:57] Simply notice that pause

[00:19:04] before yielding to the impulse for a new inhalation.

[00:19:11] Breathe in.

[00:21:03] Your body and mind and whole personality

[00:21:08] have the quality of ekos as well.

[00:21:12] They are an ecosystem too.

[00:21:18] Your heart is your own personal hearth and home.

[00:21:26] Keep the home fires burning for yourself

[00:21:29] to return to the sacred center within you.

[00:23:37] As you breathe in,

[00:23:41] allow your chest to rise and fall in your mind.

[00:23:50] As you breathe,

[00:23:52] silently say to yourself,

[00:23:56] Inhale, chest rising.

[00:24:01] Exhale, chest falling.

[00:24:09] Chest rising.

[00:24:14] Exhale, chest falling.

[00:24:22] Chest rising.

[00:24:28] Chest falling.

[00:24:42] Rising.

[00:24:47] Chest falling.

[00:26:06] Watch your chest rising and falling.

[00:26:11] The energy of the heart expands with each inhale

[00:26:16] and returns home with each exhale.

[00:26:25] Chest rising.

[00:26:28] Exhale, chest falling.

[00:26:36] Chest rising.

[00:26:39] Exhale, chest falling.

[00:26:46] Chest rising.

[00:26:49] Exhale, chest falling.

[00:26:57] Chest rising.

[00:27:02] Chest falling.

[00:27:33] 25.

[00:27:37] Chest falling.

[00:27:43] Chest falling.

[00:27:48] Chest falling.

[00:27:55] Chest rising.

[00:27:57] Chest rising.

[00:28:02] 25.

[00:28:04] Chest falling.

[00:28:10] Level of the chest.

[00:28:12] The level of the heart.

[00:28:24] If you lose count,

[00:28:26] start over at 27.

[00:29:40] Level of the throat.

[00:29:47] As you breathe in, 27, all the way down, 27, exhaling, 26, in, 26, exhaling, no mistakes.

[00:31:06] If you lose count, start over at 27, getting to the level of the nostrils.

[00:32:21] Begin to count the breaths at the nostrils as you breathe in, beginning at 27, 27, exhaling

[00:32:52] at the nostrils, 26, inhaling at the nostrils, 26, the nostrils, 25, counting the breaths

[00:33:25] at the nostrils.

[00:33:37] If you lose count, start over at 27, all to return to the silence of your own heart, your

[00:34:52] own inner sanctum, the sacred center of yourself.

[00:34:58] You are truly connected.

[00:35:05] The Latin word for hearth is focus.

[00:35:13] Hearth is the focus of the home, and the heart is the focus of your meditation.

[00:35:21] We find the hearth and home of our being.

[00:35:31] By focusing attention, in sleep, you come home to rest in that sacred center of yourself.

[00:35:47] Connect deeply to your own heart.

[00:35:52] Imagine the glow of firelight in the home as the only light.

[00:36:03] It is the warmth.

[00:36:11] The love you feel for others emanates from this sacred center.

[00:36:22] Bring those you love into the hearth and home of your inner light.

[00:36:29] Just as they bring you into theirs, you become a focal point for them as a refuge.

[00:36:39] A place to dwell and stay the night is true connection.

[00:36:57] You belong to a community, a home, an ecosystem, a world, a universe.

[00:37:14] See yourself sitting by the fire of your own heart, and taking refuge for the night is the

[00:37:27] sacred center.

[00:37:31] Listen to the silence of the home.

[00:37:45] Listen to the fire as it crackles in the heart.

[00:37:57] To the silence of the earth.

[00:38:07] Listen to the silence of the stars.