Can't sleep because it's too hot? You have turned the pillow over three times, the cool side lasted about forty seconds, and now your mind has decided the restlessness means something is wrong. It doesn't. This ten-minute guided sleep meditation is built for warm, balmy August nights when the body can't settle and anxiety fills the gap.
Tonight's breath is coherent breathing — also known as resonant breathing or HRV breathing. Five seconds in, five seconds out, no holding and nothing forced. Martin calls it the still breath, because on a night like this everything else is moving and this is the one thing that isn't. Cool air arrives at the tip of the nose and leaves a little warmer, which means every out breath is quietly letting heat go.
From there we settle the body the way it actually cools itself — feet out from under the covers, palms up, jaw unclenched — and move into a soft visualisation of silver-blue moonlight, the light of a night that has already begun to cool. Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett. If you drift off before the end, good. That is success, not failure.
The script
Transcribed from the audio, so the odd word may be off. Tap any line while it plays to keep the words in step with Martin's voice.
You've turned the pillow over three times now. The cool side lasted about 40 seconds and then it was gone. This is for those warm, barmy nights when you can't fall asleep. Tonight is about a hot August night when the body can't settle and the mind decides that this means something's wrong.
This is calming anxiety and for my long time listeners here's something I've been dying to say for seven years. Sponsored by Anchored The app now is live for iOS so please why not enjoy this show within the app that I built just for you. It is still ad-supported as that's the only way I make an income but you can turn them off either yearly for $49.99 or just $5.99 a month and it keeps this show going.
Thank you. I'm Martin, your clinical hypnotherapist, former paramedic and I'm here every day for you.
If you drift off before the end of this one, good. That's the whole idea. That is success not failure. Now lie back down.
On your back if you can, arms a little away from your sides, palms up so the fresh air can reach the skin. Let the feet come out from under the covers and stay out. The soles of the feet are one of the fastest places the body shed seed. A great deal of blood flows very close to the surface there and let the jaw unclench.
Tonight's breath is coherent breathing. You might also hear it called HRV breathing or resonant breathing. It's five seconds in and five seconds out. No holding, no effort, nothing for.
I call it the still breath because on a night like this everything else is moving and this is the one thing that is not. So in through the nose out through the mouth and let's begin. Feel the air arrive slightly cool at the tip of the nose. Ready?
Breathe in two, three, four, five. Breathe out two, three, four, five.
And feel it leaving slightly warmer than when it arrives. And that is it. That is the whole technique. Pull in warm air.
You are literally letting heat leave your body with every out breath. Ready? Round two. Breathe in two, three, four, five.
Breathe out two, three, four, five. Breathe in two, three, four, five. Breathe out two, three, four, five.
We'll do that again in a moment but allow the body to feel heavier as the breath gets lighter and let the back of your head sink a little deeper into the perlite. Ready my friend? Breathe in two, three, four, five. Breathe out two, three, four, five.
Let the hips and the shoulders give their weight to the bed. Now let go of the counting. Let the breath carry on at that slow pace all on its own. Relax with every out breath.
Further and further down. Now let's use a different colored light. Imagine coming over your body. Picture maybe cool silver blue moonlight coming in through the window.
The light of a night that has already begun to cool. It settles on your forehead then across your eyelids and flowing onward down through your neck, over your chest, cool and weightless and completely quiet.
Relax with this and in this moment of peace, of connection with mind, body and soul.
Repeat these wonderful words silently after me. I am safe, I am here, there is nothing to fear right now.
My body knows how to cool itself, I do not have to manage it.
Rest is enough and rest is already happening.
I am heavy, I am cool and I am calm.
One needs to be decided before morning.
Now relax, ever deeper, melt into the surface beneath you. Every exhalation, imagine yourself floating further and further towards sleep, calm and relaxed.
And then once more in the beauty of your imagination, imagine and repeat.
My body knows how to cool itself, I do not have to manage it.
Rest is enough and rest is already happening.
I am heavy, I am cool and I am calm.
And within this moment of peace, of mindful harmony, here are your three daily caring tips to carry with you for the days, weeks and months ahead. One, run cool water over the insides of your wrists for 30 seconds before bed, because the blood vessels sit close to the surface there and it lowers your core temperature faster than a cold shower will. Two, turn the clock away from the bed and do not look at it again tonight so that your mind cannot keep recalculating how many hours are left. Three, damp a cotton pillowcase very lightly, lay it over the pillow and point the fan across it.
The evaporation cools the air reaching your face all night without chilling the room. If you are still with me, let's come back gently and if you are already drifting, simply stay exactly where you are and let my voice go. For those coming back wiggle your fingers and toes. Let a little movement return to the ankles and wrists, one slow, deep breath in and a long sigh out and whenever you are ready let the room come back around you.
You are safe, you are here. The heat will break my friend, it always does and sleep will come again and probably sooner than the anxious part of you currently believes. If you wake in the night, anchored is right there on your phone and it will pick up exactly where you left off, no searching, no bright screen. Just my voice again, forever you drifted away and if these ten minutes gave you relief tonight, please do share the show.
When you know is lying away in the same heat, turning there, do the same arithmetic breathing.
Sleep well when sleep comes rest well if it doesn't, both are enough. Take care of yourself, I'll be right here with you again tomorrow, so in everything be kind.