I have a confession to make. The title of tonight's episode is a little diplomatic. I called it seven points to sleep because I wanted you to actually listen before deciding whether this technique was for you. But what I'm really going to guide you through tonight is a chakra meditation. And I know some of you just rolled your eyes. Trust me, I get it. Eight years ago, when my own insomnia was at its worst, if someone had told me that visualizing spinning wheels of colored light would help me sleep, I would have politely clicked away. But here's the thing. This technique worked for me better than any other sleep meditation I tried.And I mean any of them. Now you don't have to believe in chakras to benefit from this practice. What you need is a little bit of time, which I think you have right now, and a willingness to follow along with a systematic body relaxation that just happens to use colors and energy centers as focal points. Think of it this way, whether chakras are real or not. This meditation gives your mind something specific to focus on. It's like a very detailed, very soothing guided imagery session that just happens to have roots in ancient wellness. So here's what chakras actually are. The word comes from Sanskrit and means wheel or spinning disc. According to ancient traditions, chakras are energy centers located along your spine. From the base all the way up to the top of your head. And whether you think of these as actual energy centers or simply as useful focal points for relaxation, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that the system gives us a methodical way to scan our entire body, releasing tension as we go. So most people find that by the time they've worked through all seven chakras, their nervous system has shifted into that perfect state for sleep. Calm, balanced, and deeply relaxed. It's like giving your body a complete tuna before bed. And before we begin, my usual reminder, please make sure you're somewhere safe to fall asleep. This meditation is specifically designed to guide you into deep rest. So definitely do not listen while driving, operating machinery, or anywhere you need to stay alert. And if you find the episode helpful, please consider following the show. I know everyone asks for follows and reviews, but the more people who follow, the more I know these techniques are reaching people who really need them. So hit that follow button if you're willing. It takes two seconds, and it means a lot to me. You want to be lying comfortably on your back if possible, with your spine naturally straight, not rigid or forced, but gently aligned. If lying on your back isn't comfortable, that's okay. Find whatever position allows you to feel most supported. Adjust your pillows so your head and neck feel cradled. Shift your legs until they feel heavy and relaxed. And let your arms rest naturally at your sides. Take a moment to really settle in. There's no rush here. This is your time, your space. And bring your attention now to your breathing. Don't try to change it yet. Simply notice how you're breathing right now. Feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest. And maybe notice the soft sensation of air moving in and out. Let's begin to deepen this breath together. On your next inhale, breathe in slowly, feeling the cool air filling your lungs. And then exhale slowly, letting all the air flow out naturally. Feel how that exhale seems to release not just air, but tension and stress, the accumulated weight of your day. Let's do that again. Breathe in slowly, really feeling the expansion in your chest. And then exhale. Notice how even this second breath seems to shift something in your body. Maybe you find yourself sinking just slightly deeper into your bed. Now let your breathing find its own natural rhythm. There's no need to control it. Just let it flow at whatever pace feels right. Notice how your breath has already begun to slow and deepen on its own. This is your body's wisdom at work, naturally preparing itself for rest. With each breath, you might notice your heart rate beginning to slow. That steady, faithful rhythm that's been with you every moment of your life is finding a calmer, more peaceful pace. Your blood pressure may be gently lowering as your body receives the message that it's safe to rest. Let your attention rest on the simple miracle of breath. You don't have to think about it. You don't have to manage it. It simply happens. As natural as waves meeting the shore, as automatic as your heartbeat, each breath is bringing you exactly what you need in this moment. Oxygen for your cells. Calm for your nervous system. Preparation for the peaceful journey we're about to take together. Feel how your eyelids are growing heavy. If they're not already closed, let them close gently and stay closed. Behind your closed eyelids, notice the soft darkness. The perfect quiet that lives inside this moment. As you rest here in this natural rhythm of breath, your body is already beginning the beautiful process of transition from wakefulness to sleep. Your entire being is preparing for the gentle journey through your energy centers. A journey that will leave you balanced, peaceful, and ready for the deepest, most restorative sleep. Bring your awareness to the base of your spine. Where your tailbone meets the earth beneath you. This is your root chakra. Your foundation. Your connection to safety and security. Visualize a spinning wheel of deep, rich, red light. Glowing like warm embers at the base of your spine. With each breath, this red light grows brighter and more vibrant. Feel its warmth spreading downward. Like roots extending deep into the earth beneath your bed. Anchoring you. Grounding you. As you breathe into this red light, feel it expanding slowly throughout your lower body. Down through your hips. Your thighs. Your legs. All the way to your feet. This is your foundation chakra. And when it's balanced, you feel completely safe. Utterly grounded. Deeply at peace. Any anxiety about tomorrow. Any worry about security. Any feeling of being unmoored. All of this dissolves into the steady, earthy strength of this glowing red light. And now shift your attention to your lower abdomen. About two inches below your navel. This is your sacral chakra. The center of creativity. Emotion. And flow. Imagine a beautiful orange wheel of light spinning gently here. Like a sunset. Reflected in calm water. The color is warm and fluid. Orange like autumn leaves. Like flowing honey. With each breath, this orange light ripples and flows through your lower abdomen like gentle waves. Feel this warm orange energy dissolving any emotional tension you've been carrying. Any frustration from your day. Any creative blocks. Any feelings of being stuck. All of this melts into the flowing, graceful movement of orange light. This chakra governs your ability to go with the flow. To feel pleasure. And joy. As it spins peacefully, you feel a sense of emotional balance washing through you. A gentle contentment settling into your body. Move your awareness up to your solar plexus. That soft area between your ribs where your diaphragm sits. This is your solar plexus chakra. Your center of personal power and confidence. Visualize a brilliant yellow wheel of light spinning here. Golden like sunshine. Like the warm light of a summer morning. This yellow light is your inner sun radiating confidence and calm self-assurance. As you breathe, feel this golden light expanding throughout your entire torso. Warming you from the inside out. Any self-doubt you've been carrying. Any perfectionism that's been tiring you. Any anger or frustration. All of this transforms in the gentle heat of the golden light. You don't need to be anything other than what you are right now. This yellow light reminds you of your inherent worth. Your natural strength. Feel it glowing steadily. Filling you with quiet confidence and inner peace. Bring your attention to the center of your chest. To your heart space. This is your heart chakra. The center of love, compassion, and connection. Visualize a beautiful green wheel of light spinning here. Emerald green like spring grass. Like new leaves. Like the heart of a deep forest. This green light pulses gently with each heartbeat. Settling deeper on each exhale. Feel this green light dissolving any hardness around your heart. Any walls you've put up for protection. Any grief or disappointment you've been carrying. The green light is infinitely compassionate. Holding all of your experiences with perfect love. As it spins peacefully, you feel your heart opening. Not vulnerable, but strong in its softness. You feel connected to everyone you love. To all living things. Now focus on your throat. That delicate area at the base of your neck. This is your throat chakra. The center of truth and authentic expression. Imagine a bright blue wheel of light here. Spinning like clear blue sky. Like deep ocean water. Like sapphires catching light. This blue light is calm and clear. Flowing with each breath you take. As you inhale, feel cool blue light filling your throat. As you exhale, feel any words you've swallowed. Any truth you've held back. Any tension from speaking or not speaking. All flowing away on this blue light. Your throat feels open and relaxed. There's nothing you need to say right now. Nothing you need to explain or defend. The blue light spins peacefully. Reminding you that your truth is valuable. Your voice matters. But for now, you can rest in perfect silence. Shift your awareness to the space between your eyebrows. Slightly above in the center of your forehead. This is your third eye chakra. The center of intuition and inner knowing. Visualize a deep indigo wheel of light here. Purple blue, like twilight sky. Like deep space scattered with stars. This indigo light spins gently. Creating a sense of vast spaciousness in your mind. All the busy thoughts of your day. All the mental chatter and planning and analyzing. Notice how they begin to quiet in the presence of this deep, peaceful indigo light. This chakra connects you to your inner wisdom. To the part of you that knows exactly what you need. Right now, what you need is rest. Feel the indigo light expanding behind your closed eyelids. Creating infinite space for your mind to rest. Finally, bring your attention to the crown of your head. The very top of your skull. This is your crown chakra. Your connection to something larger than yourself. Now, imagine a beautiful violet wheel of light here. Spinning like amethyst. Like the soft purple of lavender. Like the last light of sunset. But this violet light doesn't stop at your head. It extends upward. Connecting you to the infinite space above. To the night sky. To the universe itself. Feel this violet light at the crown of your head. Spinning gently. Through this opening flows the most peaceful energy imaginable. Infinite calm. You are not separate from this vast, loving universe. You are held by it. Supported by it. Cherished by it. Take a moment to sense all seven chakras spinning peacefully in perfect harmony. Red at the base of your spine. Blue. Orange in your lower abdomen. Yellow at your solar plexus. Green at your heart. Blue at your throat. Indigo at your forehead. And violet at the crown of your head. Like a column of rainbow light flowing through your body. Each color is distinct, yet blended perfectly with the others. You are balanced. You are aligned. Every part of you is working in harmony for your highest good. Notice how deeply relaxed your body has become. Feel the weight of your limbs against your bed. How heavy and settled you are now. Each exhale carries you further from the busy world of waking thoughts. And deeper into this peaceful space. Where sleep can find you. Feel how your eyelids have grown impossibly heavy. Like velvet curtains drawing closed at the end of a long performance. Behind them, you might notice gentle patterns of light and shadow. There's no need to focus on these images. Simply let them drift and change. Like clouds across an evening sky. Take a moment to appreciate what you've accomplished today. I know the world doesn't make things easy for any of us right now. And yet, here you are. Having navigated another day. With whatever strength and grace you could muster. Maybe today you moved forward. Toward your goals. Checked important things off your list. And made progress that felt meaningful. If so, let yourself feel quietly proud. Or maybe today was one of those days where all your energy went. Into simply staying in place. That too, is an achievement. Staying stable when everything around you feels chaotic. Take strength. And if today brought setbacks. Or moments when you felt like you were sliding backward.well, that's part of being human too. Some days the current is stronger than we can swim. This doesn't mean you're failing; it means you're alive, you're trying, you're engaged with the beautiful, difficult challenge of being human.

Your body is completely at peace now, each chakra spinning gently like prayer wheels sending intentions of healing and rest throughout your entire being. You are floating now in that liminal space between waking and sleeping, that magical threshold where the ordinary world begins to dissolve and anything becomes possible. Time moves differently here. Minutes might feel like hours, or hours like heartbeats. You're no longer bound by the linear demands of day-consciousness. You exist in dream-time now, where healing happens without effort and wisdom arrives without seeking.

There's nothing else you need to do now. Nothing to accomplish, nothing to figure out, nowhere to be except exactly here.