Welcome to this progressive muscle relaxation to help guide you into a deep,
Restful sleep.
To begin,
Take some time to find a comfortable position.
I like to do this on my back.
Resting my head on a pillow with my arms by my side or my hands resting on my stomach.
There's no rush.
Get nice and cozy.
Take your time.
And whenever you're ready,
I invite you to gently close your eyes.
Go ahead and take a few moments to allow yourself to drop into this experience.
Becoming present to this moment right now.
Letting your body and mind begin to soften.
Allowing any worries or thoughts from the day to gently fade into the background.
As you feel the comfort and stability of the surface beneath you.
Noticing the support of the bed holding you without effort You don't need to do anything at all right now.
Just rest in here.
And perhaps releasing the jaw.
Letting the teeth separate if they are touching.
Softening the space around the mouth letting the shoulders drop slightly away from the ears.
And just sensing that you can allow yourself to sink a little deeper now.
There's nowhere to be.
Nothing left to do.
Just this moment.
And your breath and your body resting.
Now gently bring your awareness to the breath.
Just noticing it as it comes and as it goes.
There's no need to change it or guide it simply observing the natural rhythm of breathing.
In.
And out.
Feeling the breath wherever it's most noticeable.
Perhaps in the belly.
Or in the chest.
Perhaps in the nose.
And as you rest here you might begin to notice that with each exhale there is a natural softening happening in the body Nothing you need to force.
Just a gentle invitation to let go a little more with every out breath.
And now as you continue to rest here.
Will begin to move through the body slowly.
There is nothing to get right.
If at any point you drift off,
That is absolutely okay.
Your body knows what to do.
Starting now with the feet.
Bring your awareness down to the soles of the feet.
The heels,
The toes.
Noticing them just as they are.
And when you're ready.
Gently breathing in and very softly tensing the muscles in the feet,
Curling the toes just slightly,
Not too strongly,
Just enough to notice sensation.
Hold in for a moment.
Hold,
Hold,
Hold.
And as you exhale letting go completely.
Allowing the feet to soften,
To release to feel heavy.
And relaxed.
Noticing any warmth tingling or quiet stillness.
Just observing.
Now letting your awareness move into the calves and the lower legs.
Taking a moment here.
And again,
Gently inhaling,
Softly engaging the muscles in the lower legs,
Just a light tension.
Holding.
Hold,
Hold,
Hold.
And exhaling,
Releasing everything.
Letting the legs soften fully.
Allowing gravity to take over.
Now bringing awareness into the knees and the space around them.
Just noticing.
And with a gentle breath in,
A soft light engagement if it feels natural.
Hold a little longer.
And on the exhale release.
Letting everything soften again now moving into the thighs these large strong muscles that support you throughout the day.
Just notice them resting here in this area.
And if it feels okay,
Gently inhaling,
Softly engaging the thighs,
A light activation.
Hold for a moment.
Hold,
Hold,
Hold.
And exhaling,
Letting go completely.
Allowing the thighs to become heavy.
Suck.
Supported by the bed beneath you.
Now bringing awareness into the hips and pelvis.
Noticing any holding here,
Any tightness or subtle effort.
And gently breathing in.
Perhaps a soft engagement around the hips,
Just enough to feel it.
Holding a little longer.
And exhaling letting everything drop allowing the pelvis and hips to feel wide,
Grounded.
Supportive at ease.
Letting go of any need to hold yourself up.
Now moving into the belly and the abdomen Just resting attention here.
And noticing how the breath naturally moves in this area.
And with a gentle inhale,
Perhaps a soft and light engagement in the abdomen.
Hold in.
And as you exhale letting it soften completely.
Allowing the belly to relax.
To become soft.
To be without effort.
And now bringing awareness into the chest.
Noticing the rise and fall of breath.
And gently allowing the chest to soften.
Release.
And settle.
There is nothing you need to hold on to.
Just breathing and letting be.
Now moving into the hands and arms.
Bringing awareness into the fingers,
The fingertips.
The palms,
The wrists.
Gently inhaling,
Softly clenching the hands just slightly,
A very light tension.
Hold in here.
And exhaling,
Releasing completely.
Letting the fingers uncurl.
That in the hands become heavy and soft.
Now the forearms.
The upper arms again gentle breath in.
A light activation.
Hold it.
Hold,
Hold,
Hold.
And exhale to release.
Allowing the arms to rest fully,
Heavy and supported.
Now bringing awareness into the shoulders and noticing if there is any holding here at all.
And with a gentle inhale,
Perhaps a soft lifting or tensing of the shoulders.
As you exhale,
Letting them drop completely.
Letting them melt down and away from the ears.
Now bringing awareness into the neck,
The throat.
The jaw once again.
Softening here even more.
Letting the tongue rest easily in the mouth.
Letting the face relax fully.
The eyes,
Soft behind the eyelids.
The forehead,
Smooth.
Nothing to hold.
Nothing to do.
Now beginning to allow the awareness of the body to become more spacious.
Less focused on parts.
And more on the whole.
Feeling the body resting here.
As one complete field of softness.
Supported.
Heavy.
At ease.
And there is nothing more you need to follow now.
You can simply rest here in this softened body.
Letting the breath breathe itself.
Letting thoughts come and go without needing to engage with them.
And if sleep is coming.
You can allow it to take you.
There is nothing you need to complete.
Nothing you need to finish Just resting.
Thinking.
Letting go.
And slowly the words can become less important now fading into the background.
As you drift further.
Into rest.
And into sleep.
