Relax Away From Stress And Into Sleep

This is a simple breath and body practice to help you unhook from stress, anxiety or burnout as you come home to the breath and the body. Calming, soothing and restful you will find yourself dissolving the stress and resting easily as sleep comes.

Transcript

Welcome, Let's start by finding a comfortable position, Most of us can find a little more ease just by shifting the body, Finding more space, More comfort, Lying down if possible, But wherever you are right now, Doing what you can to create a cosy nest for this practice. When you're ready then, Gently allowing the eyes to close, Taking a minute now to settle in, Now turn your attention to your breath, Not trying to force anything, Simply noticing that you're breathing, Tuning in, In a way, To the natural rhythm of your breath right now, The way your chest rises on the inhale and falls back on the exhale, The coolness as you breathe in and the warmth as you breathe out, Just noticing breath, Tuning in to the slight rise of the chest on the in-breath, The gentle falling back of the chest on the out-breath, Just noticing the coolness of breath as you breathe in and the warmth as you breathe out, Now let's take some slow deep breaths, Breathing deeply from the belly, Filling the lungs and then slowly breathing out, In and out, Slow deep breathing in from the belly, Filling the lungs, And then slowly breathing out, With each exhale try and let go of any tension you might be feeling, In and out, Letting go of the day with each out-breath, Your body becoming heavier as you sink deeper and deeper, Feeling the sensations of letting go, Now let your breath ease back into its natural rhythm, Noticing how fully you can relax when you simply rest in the inflow and the outflow of the breath, Breath coming in, Breath going out, Letting go of the cares of the day, Feeling your body becoming soft and loose, Sinking even deeper, Feeling the sensations of letting go, Breathing in and out, Now as you continue to breathe direct your attention to your head, Soothing, Softening, Releasing any tightness in the whole head area, Softening your forehead and temples, Letting your eyes become heavy, Relaxing your jaw and mouth, Letting your lips and your tongue soften, Your mouth fall slightly open, Now shift your attention to your neck, Noticing any tightness or holding or soreness, On your next exhale, Let it go, Feel the muscles in your neck relax, As your head sinks deeper into your pillow or the surface supporting you, Continuing with your rest, Into your pillow or the surface supporting you, Continuing with your relaxing breath, Move your focus to your shoulders now, Letting the shoulders drop even a little, Feeling as you do so, The soothing, Softness, Releasing, Letting go in the shoulder area, As your body sinks deeper, With your next breath, Gently move to your chest, To your back, Softening your muscles of the whole back area, As you breathe, Soothing, Softening, Creating a little space in the whole back, Any tightness or tension, Melting away, As you bring some gentle awareness to the back, Vertebrae by vertebrae, Breathing in, Breathing out, Sinking deeper, Now turn your attention to your arms, Letting them fall loosely to the sides, Releasing any tightness in the upper arms, Your forearms, Your wrists, Soften your hands, Your fingers, Noticing any tingling or sensations as you relax, Now, Turn your mind's eye to your chest, To your heart space, Feeling the chest expand as it fills with relaxing breath, Feeling your whole upper body, Feeling your whole upper body, Soften as you let go, Noticing your heart in this part of the body, Maybe sensations of warmth around the heart, Or perhaps noticing the heartbeat itself, Soothing, Softening, Sending relaxation and rest all around the body, Next, Move down to your belly, Move down to your belly, Observe how it rises on the in-breath, And falls back again on the out-breath, Letting the whole body area now, Soften with each out-breath, Now, Lower your attention to the pelvis, The buttocks, The hips, Letting your hips fall open, And any tension or tightness melt away, Allowing yourself to sink deeper and deeper, Just breathing, In and out, In and out, In and out, With your next breath, Shift your attention now to your legs, Softening your thighs, Your knees, Your calves, Feeling them become heavy as you let go, Soothing, Softening the whole of the legs, Releasing, Letting go, Releasing, Letting go, Noticing the legs becoming heavier, Continuing to notice the inhale and the exhale, And now, Move your attention to your feet, Letting the feet fall to the side, Your toes relax, Noticing any coolness, Heat, Or tingling, Just sensing what's there, And then gently releasing and letting go, Keep breathing, As you rest safely in the breath, Let your awareness spread now, To your entire body, Heavy and relaxed, Your muscles soft and loose, If there is any tightness or holding still in the body, No worries, Just let it release little by little with each exhale, Imagining it drifting off into the night sky, As your body becomes heavier, Softer, More relaxed, Each time you let go even a little on each exhale, You're safe and relaxed in this moment, In this breath, And now, Peace.