Find yourself lying comfortably on your back.
Close your eyes.
You just completed your bedtime rituals.
You finished brushing your teeth,
Washing your face,
Putting on your pajamas,
And you're now ready to quiet the mind and body and drift into sleep.
Give yourself this moment to begin to unwind.
As if you're turning down the volume of the radio,
Turn down the sound of your thoughts.
Allow the intensity of your day to soften as you bring your awareness inwards,
In towards the body.
Feel your mind and body relax as you bring your attention inward.
Begin to feel your body from the inside.
Tune in to the sensations that you feel beneath your skin.
Do you feel a tingling sensation,
Heat,
A tightness?
Take note of the way you feel right now.
Is there any tension in your body?
If so,
Where?
Can you relax that muscle by bringing your awareness to that area of your body and saying to yourself,
Relax?
If your attention moves to thoughts,
Gently guide your consciousness back to the body.
Feel the heaviness,
The touch of your body.
Feel your body against your mattress.
Be present to whatever sensations you feel.
Now become aware of your breath.
Are you breathing from your nose or your mouth?
Allow your breath to bring you deeper into the sensations of the body,
Letting go of doing and moving into simply being,
Being with each breath as your body becomes more relaxed,
More and more relaxed,
Following each breath back into the body,
Guiding yourself back to the breath,
Back to the sensations of the body,
Moment by moment,
Breath by breath.
Counting each breath,
Starting at 1 and going up to 10.
Inhale and exhale,
Count 1.
And then inhale and exhale,
Count 2.
Continuing in this way until you reach 10.
If you lose your place counting,
Simply go back to 1 and count each breath again up to 10.
And start again at 1.
Do this as many times as you need to.
As you count,
Your body becomes more relaxed.
Allow yourself to let go and float into sleep.
Thank you.
