Welcome to this short practice to help us harvest the glimmers of goodness at the end of the day to nourish our nervous system and to prepare for a good night's sleep.
Of course you can do this practice at any time of the day,
But I will guide you as if it's the end of your day.
So are you tucked up nicely in your bed?
I suggest you make yourself really cozy and comfortable,
Whether you do this sitting or lying down,
Give yourself permission to find the best position for yourself,
Using pillows and blankets to support your body,
To be warm and relaxed.
Close your eyes and take a few deeper breaths.
You might even like to sigh on the exhalations a few times to let your body sink a little bit more into the support of the bed,
The pillows,
The chair,
And let go of the doing.
Let yourself simply be as you are right now in this moment,
And then let your mind revisit the day that you've had,
Scanning for moments of goodness,
Of joy,
Of ease or connection.
It doesn't have to be anything big.
It could be as simple as the moment you watched a little bird in the garden,
Or the feeling of the warmth of the sun on your face,
The beautiful evening sky,
A gesture of kindness from a stranger or a friend,
A little moment of connection with a loved one or yourself,
Or something you achieved today of which you are proud.
Allow yourself to visit these different experiences one by one and linger a little with each one of them.
I'm going to be quiet for a few moments so you can really let yourself wander around your day in your mind and gather all the moments of goodness that stand out.
If you need more time,
You can also pause the recording here.
Now choose one of these moments from your day,
One that feels especially nourishing or important.
See if you can bring this moment alive again in your mind's eye.
Paint a picture of it in as much detail as possible.
What happened?
Where were you?
Who was there with you?
You might want to assume with your body the shape that it was in in the situation,
And remember the sensations that were present at the time.
Do you remember what you were feeling in that moment?
Do you recall the thoughts or words in your mind?
As you bring this moment fully alive in yourself once more,
Notice what sensations arise in your body right now,
In this moment,
As you remember.
What parts of your body come alive?
Where do you feel energy,
Or maybe even pleasure?
Maybe there's a particular pose or posture that your body wants to assume in this moment that really helps you to connect to the goodness of this memory.
And then imagine this experience you just recalled in all its detail as a book that you hold in your hands right now.
What might be a good title that helps you remember this moment of goodness in the future?
See this book in your hands,
Feel its weight,
See its cover illustration,
Its title,
And then place this book on an imaginary shelf in the library of your mind,
So that when you need to,
You can reach for it again and resource yourself with the memory of this moment of goodness.
So this completes our mini-practice for tonight.
I wish you good rest.
