Consider engaging in this meditation at bedtime while lying down and preparing for sleep.
Take several slow, deep breaths. With each exhale imagine that you are releasing the tensions and stresses of the day. See yourself intentionally letting go of whatever you are carrying and placing it in the arms of the Beloved to hold for you.
Drop your awareness to your heart center. Call on the Divine Presence with whatever name you choose. Ask the Source of Life to carry your burdens and worries as you go to sleep and to strengthen you through the presence of the archangels.
Call upon the archangel Michael to stand on your right side. Michael is the warrior and defender of boundaries. Ask Michael to be with you through the night, warding off anything that does not contribute to our rest and well-being. Imagine yourself leaning toward the right into Michael’s strength, and notice the quality of light he brings.
Call upon the archangel Gabriel to stand on your left side. Gabriel is the messenger, the one who summons you to your holy call in life. Ask Gabriel to be with you through the night, making space in your heart for the creative birthings God desires to cocreate with you. Ask that he show up in your dreams and intuitions upon awakening. Imagine yourself leaning toward the left into Gabriel’s presence, and notice the quality of light he brings.
Call upon the archangel Uriel to be in front of you. Uriel is the bearer of wisdom and insight. Ask Uriel to be with you, revealing new wisdom to your heart so that you might gain clarity about your place in the world. Imagine yourself leaning forward slightly into Uriel’s strength, and notice the quality of light he brings.
Call upon the archangel Raphael to stand behind you. Raphael is the healer who helps to remind you of your wholeness and repairs any places of brokenness within your body and soul. Imagine yourself leaning back into Raphael’s embrace, and notice the quality of light he brings.
Call upon the Divine in her feminine presence as Shechinah, which in Hebrew means “God’s dwelling place” and is a feminine noun, or as Sophia, one of the Christian names for Holy Wisdom. Ask that she draw together the light from each of the archangels into one radiant embrace. If there is anything remaining that you are holding onto as you prepare for night’s gift of darkness, rest, and mystery, see if you can surrender it over to her loving arms. Rest here a while, and let yourself drift into sleep.
— Christine Valters Paintner in The Love of Thousands