Welcome to your somatic relaxation practice for a restful night's sleep.
Before we begin,
Take a few moments to get comfortable.
Laying down or simply finding a comfortable position,
Allow yourself to gently arrive in this moment.
There is nowhere else that you need to be,
No one that you need to be other than yourself.
This is your time to soften.
Start by taking a few slow,
Unforced breaths in through your nose and then gently sighing it out of your mouth.
Continue to breathe with ease.
Breathing in relaxation,
Breathing out the tension of the day.
Allow your body to feel supported by the surface beneath you.
Feeling into comfort,
Warmth,
The sensation of your body being held or supported.
If it feels okay,
Allow one hand to rest somewhere on your body,
Maybe your heart or your belly,
Or simply keep your hands by your sides.
Allow your body to soften.
Allow yourself to arrive just a little bit more deeply in this moment.
Know that you are safe,
That nothing is required of you other than to relax into ease and peaceful restful sleep.
Sleep and relaxation are available to you.
Your body and your nervous system know how to easily transition into sleep.
As your body continues to relax,
Notice again your breath.
Slowly start to slow down your breaths.
Breathing in deeply through the nose,
Holding for a moment before gently exhaling.
The more we elongate our exhales,
The more relaxed our bodies become.
As you slowly breathe,
Imagine that you are breathing in ease and relaxation,
Breathing out tension,
Worry,
Inhaling softness,
Exhaling fear.
Now imagine a warm,
Soft blanket of relaxation coming up and over your feet and ankles.
Feel the warmth and relaxation and the heaviness of this blanket.
Letting the blanket slowly rise up your legs to your knees.
Feeling your legs soften and release the tension of the day.
Letting the blanket rise to your hips and with it comes the relaxation and warmth.
Breathing in ease and relaxation with every breath and with every exhale,
Breathing out tension.
Allowing your legs to continue to relax,
Feeling heavier and heavier,
Supported,
Easeful.
Letting that blanket of relaxation come up slowly across your abdomen and up to your shoulders.
Wrapping you like a warm,
Relaxing hug,
Allowing the rest of your body to soften.
Imagining now that you are tucked in warm,
Cozy,
Comfortable for your restful night's sleep.
Allowing any tension to be released from your body and muscles.
Each breath becoming more and more relaxed.
Allowing your jaw to soften and the facial muscles in your forehead and around your eyes to just melt into relaxation.
Sleep is not another thing that we have to do.
It's something that we get to allow.
Something our bodies already know how to do.
Your body will drift off to sleep when it's ready.
Continuing to soften.
Continuing to breathe in relaxation and ease.
And breathe out tension and fear.
Allow yourself simply to be held and supported,
Safe and sound.
Until it gently drifts off into peaceful,
Restful sleep.
