Finding a comfortable position,
Lying on your back,
Or if you're pregnant,
Lying on your side.
And just let your legs relax,
Your arms at your side,
Maybe seeing if your fingers would like to come a little further away from your wrists,
And your wrists a little further away from your shoulders,
And your heels a little further away from your hips.
You might notice that your shoulders might like to come a little further away from your ears and closer to the earth.
Just adjusting your body so that you feel completely supported.
You can use a pillow under your head or your knees if needed,
And maybe cover yourself with a blanket so you can be all cosy and warm.
If it's comfortable for you to do so,
Close your eyes and just take a moment to settle in,
Letting your body grow heavy and still.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
Filling your lungs completely.
Exhale softly,
Let go of the day,
Releasing any tension or distractions.
Allow your breath to flow naturally,
Without trying to control it.
Feel the rhythm of your breath as it moves in and out,
Like gentle waves on a shore.
Bring to mind a positive intention or affirmation for your sleep.
For example,
I will allow myself to rest deeply and sleep peacefully.
Repeat your intention silently to yourself three times,
With a sense of calm and trust.
We'll bring our awareness to different parts of the body,
And as I name each part,
Simply bring your attention there and relax completely,
Beginning at the crown of your head,
Feel a sense of ease,
Moving to the forehead,
Smooth and relaxed,
Feeling the space around your eyes,
Soft and calm,
Relax your cheeks,
Your jaw,
Allow the tongue to move away from the roof of the mouth,
Bring awareness to your neck and shoulders,
Allowing them to soften and release.
Feel the relaxation flow down your right arm,
To the elbow,
The wrist,
And into your right hand,
All the way to the fingertips,
To your right thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Allowing now the awareness to flow all the way into your left arm,
Your elbow,
Your wrist,
Your left hand,
All the way to the fingertips,
To the left thumb,
Index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
Softening your chest,
And feeling your heart space,
Allowing your heart space to soften and release.
Relax your abdomen,
Let it rise and fall naturally with your breath,
Feeling the weight of your hip sinking into the surface beneath you,
Bring awareness to your right leg,
Your knee,
Your ankle,
And into your right foot,
All the way to your toes,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Now allowing the awareness to come into your left leg,
Your knee,
Your ankle,
All the way into the left toes,
The big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
Fifth toe,
Bringing the awareness into the space of the pelvis,
Allowing the hips and the pelvis to completely release,
Feeling the whole back soften down towards the floor,
All back of the head,
As you feel the back of the head releasing down towards the floor,
Allowing the head space to soften and release,
As you feel the space around the eyes release even more,
Softening,
Now gently bringing your attention to your breath,
Notice the coolness of the air as you inhale,
And the warmth as you exhale,
Feel your belly rise and fall with each breath,
Slow and steady,
Coolness on the inhale,
Warmth on the exhale,
Beginning a soft count with your breath,
Counting down from 10 with each exhale,
Inhale and as you exhale silently think 10,
Inhaling again and as you exhale silently saying 9,
Continue counting down to 1,
And if you lose track it's okay,
Gently start again at 10,
Let your counting fade now,
And simply rest in the rhythm of your natural breath,
Picture yourself lying on a soft warm beach of a beautiful lake,
The sand beneath you is cool and comforting,
And gentle waves lap against the shore,
Creating a soothing rhythmic sound,
The sky above is a deep starry blue,
Feel the vastness of the night sky enveloping you,
Offering a sense of peace and safety,
Imagine each wave carrying away any remaining tension,
Stress,
Or worries,
With each wave feel yourself sinking deeper into relaxation,
With each wave feel yourself relaxing more and more,
Let go of all effort now,
There's nothing more to do,
Simply rest in this state of deep relaxation,
Allowing your mind and body to drift,
Trust that your body knows how to heal and restore itself,
If you're ready to drift into sleep,
Allow yourself to stay in this restful state,
If you need to transition out,
Slowly deepen your breath and gently wiggle your fingers and toes,
And whisper your intention to yourself once more,
I allow myself to rest deeply and sleep peacefully,
Maybe now rolling into your preferred sleeping position,
Or just staying exactly how you are,
You
