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Hi everyone, it's Jessica. Because we're in the holiday season, tonight I'm going to be treating you to another episode pulled from the Sleepwave archives. This is called Go Below Your Problems, and it's just a reminder that below all the tension of our minds exists a wealth of peace and serenity and positivity. Right there. So let's go there. Enjoy.
Hi, I'm Jessica Porter and welcome back to Sleep Wave, a podcast where we let waves of relaxation wash over you through original sleep meditations and hypnosis created to help you fall asleep tonight. And please don't worry if you don't hear the end of an episode. That's pretty much the point. We want you to drift off whenever you feel ready.
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So, tonight, getting below your problems. We all have problems. They're part of life. Most problems challenge us and make us stronger. They help us grow. But some problems gnaw at us, and they feel more intractable than others. Some problems cause chronic stress and worry, and they live in our bodies even when we're not thinking about them.
When a problem is big, we feel we should be thinking about it all the time. We attack it with our conscious mind, using the skills we developed in school or at work to analyze and cajole the problem into submission. And sometimes that approach works. But some problems refuse to be picked apart like a ball of knotted yarn.
Some problems require that we, as individuals, are present, loving, and patient over time. Some problems require that we meet them from a level much deeper than the problem itself. I've been an imperfect meditator for over 30 years, and one of the great benefits of meditation for me is getting a break from my problems.
Sure, at the beginning of meditation, my conscious mind will buzz around, wanting me to think about my problems, and it takes a while to quiet down, although it never quiets down completely or disappears. But after several minutes, I find that I'm finally resting in the present, in my body, below the level of all the drama.
I know I'm there when my body gives a spontaneous sigh and my breath drops down deeper in my belly. My conscious mind finally softens and lets go of all the babbling. I know meditation may not solve all my problems, but it refreshes me and sort of repositions me so that I can see them from a different angle after meditating
I bring better, wiser, and calmer resources to the table of life. And some of my so-called problems, the ones that were just the noise of my ego, they actually disappear, at least for a while. Hypnosis is like meditation, but with a guide. With me leading you, you don't have to stay on top of what's happening.
or keep reeling your mind back in like you have to during meditation. You can simply focus on my voice and let yourself go for the ride. Together, we will go to a place that's below your conscious mind, and we will slip beneath the emotional tumult. No matter your problems, there is a place of peace in you. I promise.
So get yourself into a safe and comfortable position and we'll begin. Allow your eyes to close easily and gently. And bring your awareness to your breathing and allow your breath to be normal and natural. But your awareness, your awareness which has been poking around in your life, doing things, thinking things, creating things, just allow your awareness
to come back to your breath. Imagine your awareness is like a little surfer surfing the wave of your breath. It feels so nice to let your awareness surf the wave of your breath. Beautiful. Now I'd like you to bring your awareness up into your eyelids now and imagine that the little muscles of your eyelids are getting heavy.
Like you've been reading a novel for the last 30 minutes and your eyes are so heavy. This heaviness feels wonderful and it's taking over every single muscle in your eyelid. And now your eyelids are so relaxed that they feel like you simply can't open them. So you take the suggestion that your eyelids are so relaxed you can't open them.
And now I'd like you to test your eyelids to make sure that you can't open them by wiggling your eyebrows. Just give them a little tug. Pretend you can't open your eyes. By pretending, by engaging your imagination, you're taking yourself into hypnosis. And by testing that your imagination is stronger than logic, you enter your subconscious mind.
It's a place you visit regularly. You just may not know it. But now that you're learning the skills to take yourself into profound relaxation, you realize you can be friends with your inner mind, help it strengthen and grow and focus. Your inner mind is very, very powerful.
So, coming back to the relaxation in your eyelids, this relaxation around your eyes is the same quality of relaxation that you will soon have throughout your entire body. So let's imagine this relaxation around your eyes moving back into your head.
A warm mist of relaxation is taking over every single cell of your brain, causing your head to sink further into the pillow, causing your scalp to relax, and even the muscles of your face becoming loose and limp and relaxed. As you imagine warmness
warm waves of relaxation lapping up against the beach of your mind. Feel those warm waves of relaxation lapping up against the beach of your mind as all mental tension disappears. Good. You're doing great. Let's imagine that warm mist of relaxation now moving down into your chest.
Let's allow that warm mist of relaxation to surround and hold your heart. Just tune in with your heart for a moment. Just be present for your heart. Allow that mist of relaxation to draw out any tension or discomfort or emotional pain that might have arisen today. Just let it
As the mist of relaxation moves up into your shoulders and the muscles of your shoulders are melting like butter into the bed. And as the relaxation moves down your arms, allow your arms to feel heavy, heavy, like they're made of marble. As the relaxation moves down into your hands now, the palms of your hands feeling whoopin',
Perhaps the palms of your hands even tingle a little. As the relaxation moves down into your fingers, every finger is feeling heavy, heavy, like they're made of marble. You could move your arms and hands if you really wanted to. Now's the time for sleep, for letting go, for drifting and floating and releasing the day.
Allow that warm mist of relaxation around your heart to move down deep into your belly now. Imagine it smoothing and softening the muscles of your back from the inside. Imagine it helping your buttocks to relax into the bed, the muscles of your hips to let go. And allow that mist of relaxation
to relax any muscles in your belly that you may be holding unconsciously. As the relaxation moves down your legs now, allow your legs to be nice and heavy, like they're made of marble. As the relaxation moves down into your feet, the soles of your feet feeling warm and open. Perhaps they even tingle a little.
as the relaxation moves down now into every toe, every toe feeling full, heavy, and totally relaxed, totally relaxed. Imagine now that you are walking through a lush, beautiful rainforest. You walk over roots and small, smooth rocks
and feel the soft soil beneath your feet. As you go down in the rainforest, you discover a waterfall. It's a small waterfall, but powerful. And as you get closer to it, you hear the sound of the... Allow yourself to step under the cascading water.
It hits your head and it feels wonderful and cleansing. Let yourself surrender to the healing power of water. Now that you are under the waterfall, the sound is all-encompassing and it cleanses your consciousness. As you let the water fall down your face,
taste it with your tongue as it cascades down your arms. You can feel the drops at the ends of your fingertips as it moves down your chest, your torso, and falls all the way down your legs. You feel the water splashing at your feet. Tension has gone. The water is
has refilled you. You turn around within the waterfall and notice that behind it is an entrance to a cave. Step down now into a tunnel of rock and walk through the tunnel into the dark for just a few steps until you emerge into an enormous cave.
filled with light. The walls of this cave are covered in gold and from its ceiling come golden stalactites. And from the floor of the cave rise golden stalagmites. You look around and see the glint and glitter of gems
in the walls of the cave. They are sparkling. They are magnificent. This is your inner sanctum tonight. It is your center of love, peace, and inspiration. You can return here anytime you want to, and it always feels good to be here. The energy within this cave
is creative, regenerative, dynamic. In this cave, you are inspired. In this cave, you receive ideas. In this cave, you receive answers. You notice that while you are in this cave, you're feeling a lovely self-acceptance. You accept your strengths,
You accept your weaknesses. You accept your humanity. In this cave, you fill with self-respect, self-esteem, and dignity. Run your fingers along the wall of the cave, and you feel crystals and gems embedded within it. One of the gems falls out of the wall,
easily into your hand. Hold it in the palm of your hand. Look at the gem carefully. What color is it? Notice its shape, its structure, its shininess, how it reflects the light. This gem offers you insights and answers and possibilities. Put it in your pocket.
All these gems are yours. Some will be easy to release from the cave, while others will require a little digging, and some will require patience, but they are all yours to share with the world. The moon shines through in the roof of the cave, and there is a ladder going up to that
that you can use at any time. But tonight I invite you to stay here, to sleep here, to enjoy this inner sanctum. This is a place where you connect with yourself. By being in this sacred place, your spirit brings healing to your life. Notice that there is a little nook in your golden cave.
that contains a bed. It is your perfect bed, ready and waiting for you. You lie down on the bed and get comfortable, closing your eyes. The light dims in the cave, but the gems continue to sparkle from the walls like your own personal star system. Everything is perfect.
In this place, you are safe and open and ready to receive these messages from your inner mind. I feel peace. I feel light. I feel connected to myself. I have everything I need. It's okay to release my problems as I sleep. It's okay to relax.
and renew. Nature is fueling us all as we sleep. I receive solutions. I receive insights. I hear my inner wisdom. I let go. I let go. I let go.