Hi and welcome.
This is a gentle sleep session designed to settle your nervous system and help you drift into deep uninterrupted sleep.
You don't need to do anything perfectly,
Just get comfortable and allow your eyes to close whenever you're ready.
First,
Bring the lips together gently,
Not tight,
Just closed.
And now rest the tongue on the roof of the mouth,
The full tongue resting up just behind the top front teeth.
This is the natural resting position and it helps the body relax.
From here,
We breathe in and out through the nose,
Slow,
Quiet,
Gentle nasal breathing.
If your nose feels a little blocked,
That's ok,
Just soften the breath and the nose will often open naturally.
Place one hand on your tummy,
Monitor your tummy as it moves up and down.
Now begin to make your breathing lighter,
Not slower,
Lighter,
As if you have a feather under your nose and you're trying not to disturb it.
Imagine the breath is so soft,
It's like you're barely breathing at all.
Your mouth stays closed,
Tongue resting up and the air moves quietly through the nose.
This kind of gentle nasal breathing sends a message to the brain,
You are safe.
And as you settle,
You might notice a build up of saliva,
You may feel the urge to swallow.
If you do,
Just swallow normally,
That's a good sign.
It's the body shifting out of stress and into rest and digest.
Now,
Bring your awareness to the hands.
Notice the temperature in the palms,
Maybe warmth,
Maybe tingling.
As the nervous system calms,
Blood flow returns to the hands and feet and carbon dioxide increases to a healthier,
Higher level.
So if you notice warmth building in the hands,
That's the body letting go.
Now let the exhale become slightly longer than the inhale.
Soft inhale through the nose,
Longer,
Slower exhale through the nose.
Keep the lips closed,
Tongue resting up and the breath quiet through the nose.
Each exhale relaxing the jaw,
Relaxing the throat,
Relaxing the belly.
Now soften the forehead and unclench the jaw,
Let the tongue stay resting gently on the roof of the mouth.
Relax the shoulders,
Soften the chest and feel the belly rise slightly and fall,
Let the hips feel heavy and the legs heavy.
You might notice warmth spreading or heaviness or a drifting sensation.
Sink into the bed,
Slow,
Soft nasal breathing,
The focus is on the breath,
Clearing the mind,
The past is gone,
The future is not here,
You're just here in the present,
Breathing,
Going to sleep.
At this point,
You don't need to follow the words closely,
Just keep the mouth closed,
Tongue resting up and gentle nasal breathing.
If thoughts come,
Let them pass,
Return to the softness of the breath,
And if you wake later,
Close the mouth again,
Tongue up and return to light nasal breathing.
Remember,
We're supposed to breathe through the nose,
It warms the air,
It cleans the air,
It humidifies the air.
You get to harness nitric oxide produced in the nasal passages,
Which helps with oxygen delivery,
Lowering blood pressure,
Better blood flow,
Better immunity for your body.
You retain more carbon dioxide,
Which helps get more oxygen to the tissues and brain.
You use your diaphragm,
Which is your biggest breathing and core muscle,
Movement of your diaphragm through this breathing triggers your vagus nerve,
Which slows your heart rate down,
Telling your mind you are safe.
I'm going to be quiet now,
And you can drift into sleep.
Softy nail,
Longer,
Slower exhale,
Nothing to do now,
Just sleep.
