SPEAKER_01 0:17

Hi everyone and welcome to the guided meditations of Marcus Aurelius. I am your host, John Stillman. This is a nighttime episode about journaling for those that are interested in making journaling a daily habit. If you're new to the podcast, the nighttime episode is meant for you to listen to right before you go to sleep, as opposed to in the morning or in the middle of your day. If you want to listen to the journaling episode and get on with your day afterwards, you want the daytime episode. The main difference between the daytime and the nighttime episode is that at the end of the podcast, when I bring you off out of relaxation, in the daytime episode, I will ask you to feel fully awake. Whereas in the nighttime episode, I will ask you to turn off the podcast and go straight to sleep. So make sure you're listening to the right episode for your situation. Just a reminder this is the nighttime episode. Also, before we get started, I highly recommend listening to the journaling episode on journaling if you haven't already done so. The reason for that is that it'll help you put some definition on how journaling relates to your life. If you haven't listened to episode one yet, you should do that because that will tell you how this whole podcast works. Okay, let's cover some ground rules. First off, understand that this is a kind of meditation episode. This podcast is designed to help you relax to a very deep level. So you should only listen to it in a place where you would feel comfortable sleeping for at least the next 30 to 45 minutes. Do not listen to this while you are driving or sitting on a bus. Otherwise, you can potentially injure yourself or someone else, or you might miss yourself. Be mindful of whether you listen to this and pick a place that is safe for you to do so. I would also highly suggest going to the toilet before we get started because that can become a huge distraction. If you need to do that now, just hit pause and come back after you're done. Honestly, I'm always looking to improve these episodes. So if there's a particular story principle you would like to implement into your subconscious in the future, let me know in the comments and I will do my best to make an episode on that going forward. So with that out of the way, let's get started. So if I'm just going to sit or late in take a deep breath.

SPEAKER_00 2:37

Close your eyes.

SPEAKER_02 2:46

Listen carefully to sounds that you may hear around you. Are there sounds of people? Sounds of animals? Maybe even sounds of wind or traffic. Not all of those sounds are important for you to hear while you're listening to this. Things that are alerting you of an emergency are important. But any other sounds can actually help you sink deeper into relaxation. So let those unimportant sounds drift into the background, away from your awareness, and let them help you reach deeper down into a wonderful, relaxed state. The unimportant sounds fade away into background noise and let them do their job to help you relax. As you continue to relax, I'd like you to imagine your center core. The center core is different for every person, but it is wherever you feel is the center of your body. Some people believe it's in their solar plexus, and some people feel it's in their forehead. But wherever you feel is the center of your body, I'd like you to imagine that spot now. Now imagine what it might look like to pull all of your energy deep down into your center core. Whatever that might be like for you, you decide. Now imagine that you have little bits of energy in different places you've spent time over the last twenty-four hours, and imagine pulling all of that energy back from those places and pulling it deep down into your center core. Now imagine floating up out of your body. And imagine floating to the wall that's in front of you. Imagine touching it and feeling the texture with your fingers. Now imagine floating up out of your body and floating to the wall behind you. Imagine touching the wall there. Now imagine floating back and pulling yourself deep, deep down into your center core. Now imagine floating up out of your body and floating to the wall on your left. Imagine touching the wall there. Now imagine floating back and pulling yourself deep, deep down into your center core. Now imagine floating up out of your body and floating to the wall on the right. Imagine touching the wall there. Now imagine floating up out of your body and floating down to the floor. Perhaps to look up at yourself. Wonderfully relaxed. Now imagine floating back and pulling yourself deep, deep down into your center core. Now imagine floating up out of your body and floating to the ceiling if there is one, or maybe ten feet into the air if there's not. Then imagine floating down back and forth like a feather. Down and down and back and forth as you slowly drift down. And imagine pulling yourself deep, deep down into your center core. And while you may notice that your mind is already doing what it does. Making sense of things in a logical way. There's nothing mysterious happening here. We're a leaf. This is floating past one step leading naturally to the following every sentence. You don't have to try to relax. You can let them wash over. Effort isn't required at all. Like warm water, your only time is to notice. Finding your own way that you're hearing words. Perhaps notice you become aware of your body. Notice that understanding happens automatically. Without effort. Without effort. That's how your mind works. Without instruction. Now, consider the essential fact of settling when your body still snowfalling. The mind has fewer variables to the ground. And when the mind has fewer variables, it becomes more efficient until everything feels more receptive. You may already observe small changes. Your breathing thinking. Longer pauses between thoughts. In the rolling sense of completion as its own natural rhythm. It's not something you need to control. Creating a simply the natural outcome. Your breathing is a good example. Your arm. You don't calculate all the way down. Yet it follows to your predictable rhythm. You might imagine a place where time feels wide and unhurried. Place where nothing is expected of you. Where you can simply be just like breathing. Colours may relax. Or textures. Muscles that are not releasing and comfort that are not required but doesn't need work into the background. Your mind is image efficiency and efficiency feels take its place now. Or not. You may find it interesting because it's an even drifting that while one part of your mind is listening to these words, you may notice that thought another part begins already checking them. Like or accuracy. Everything being said here makes sense. In dissolving. You are in control. And you are simply allowing a temporary shift in attention sky. Nothing is being forced. There's no need. Nothing is being lost. Hold on to anything. In fact, awareness knows how to support. You may notice that feels slightly different. Knows how to carry sound faster or something. Your mind just less important. How to sync. And as each sentence completes itself. There's no notice to hold on to it. A pleasant heaviness. Your mind can release a lightly to the next one. That's how systems work. A quiet, soft that's spread at a time exactly where it's needed. Without analyzing it too deeply, you just recognize this. Where nothing has to be a good idea. Your conscious mind can rest, where nothing needs fixed. Everything is functioning exactly as it should be. And allow yourself to continue as comfort continues to unfold and efficiently in its own as this process continues. And now without needing to do anything at all, you can allow this experience to deepen naturally. Nothing to fix. No longer need to be. And that release can spread not in any particular direction, just everywhere it's welcome. Imagine slowly turning down a dial, just one small adjustment at a time, each turn softening the overall experience, making everything quieter, lower, more subtle. With each breath, you may notice a subtle shift, not dramatic, just enough to feel that you're moving further inward. There's a difference between paying attention and needing to pay attention. And right now, attention can become effortless. Thoughts don't need to stop. They can simply lose importance. Like background noise that fades as something calmer moves into the foreground. Now imagine a gentle downward movement, not physical, more like a feeling of depth. As if awareness is sinking into a softer, quieter layer of experience. Each moment builds on the last, like steps that descend so smoothly, you hardly notice moving until you realize you're already deeper. If numbers come to mind, they can drift downward now slowly, comfortably, each one marking a deeper level of ease. Four slowing three less effort, more comfort, two almost no need to think at all. In the one simply being here in this state, everything unnecessary has already fallen away. What remains is calm, steady and receptive. You're happy to stay right here because this level, this quiet, settled space is exactly right for whatever comes next. And you can allow yourself to rest here now comfortably, peacefully as the work continues. Consider this now gently. There are many things in your life you cannot control. The opinions of others, the past, the unexpected turns of events. There is one thing that always remains in your control. How you meet your own thoughts. Journaling is not a task. It is an act of sovereignty. Each time you write, you choose clarity over confusion, order over noise, intention over reaction. And the mind begins to understand. This is not work, this is freedom. Imagine the end of the day. Not rushed, not heavy, simply complete. And imagine asking yourself kindly, what did I do well today? Where did I respond with reason instead of impulse? What can I do a little better tomorrow? Not perfectly, just a little better. Writing these things down makes you feel lighter. Thoughts written down resolve themselves. Your mind begins to recognize journaling as relief, a release, a clearing of mental space. Journaling is practice, like training the body or sharpening a tool. Some days the writing is brief. Some days it flows. Both are correct. The subconscious learns something important. I do not journal to perform. I journal to align. And because it is simple, because it is honest, because it serves you, it becomes easy to return to. Now imagine a future morning or evening, an ordinary day. You notice a pen, a notebook, a moment. And without effort, without debate, you begin to write. Not because you should, but because it feels natural. Like checking in with yourself. Like maintaining inner order. One page, a few lines. And afterward, you just feel a bit clearer. Just a bit steadier. Just a bit more yourself. And the mind quietly knows this works. We will do this again. Now this experience can begin to gently complete itself. Nothing needs to change very much. Just a small shift, enough to notice the present moment while still remaining wonderfully relaxed. Everything that's been helpful can remain quietly in place, continuing to work on its own without effort or attention. Just allow awareness to float slightly closer to the surface. You may notice the space around you in a soft, distant way. Not sharply, just enough to recognize where you are. In a moment, there will be a simple choice to reach out to turn off the podcast and then let go back to sleep again. There's no rush. And after the podcast ends, there's nothing else to listen for, nothing to follow. You can simply rest, drift, and sleep deeply and comfortably as your mind and body continue to settle on their own. Count slowly from one to three, not to wake you fully, just to bring enough clarity to move comfortably and easily. And nothing more. Three. And as soon as you do, you can allow yourself to think right back into sleep.

SPEAKER_00 26:14

Good night. I will talk to you again soon.