My name is Jenny,
And this is a practice for just before bed,
Perfect to integrate the day and to get your brain and body ready for the sleep you deserve.
Find a comfortable position,
Really settle into the ground and bring your eyes to a close.
Take a full breath in,
Let it go with a sigh and feel the body melt.
Same again,
Breath in,
Any weight from the day,
Let it go with a sigh.
And allowing a little softness into the skin,
Into the eyebrows,
The face.
Allow your body to get a little heavier and start to tune into your breath.
And allow yourself to really receive your breath for a moment,
Just give yourself that space.
Every inhale,
Perhaps bringing a little warmth or space into your body.
And every exhale,
Gently caressing your body,
Your limbs into rest.
Inhales like a warm,
Gentle hug.
And just see without stress,
How slowly can you allow your breath to let go.
How gently can you breathe,
Just allowing these slow exhales,
This gentle breath,
To send a signal to your brain that it's time to rest.
That it's okay to slow down,
That it's okay to slow down.
And as just one breath at a time,
You allow your brain,
Your body to decelerate.
I invite you to think of something you are grateful for from the day.
Take a moment and let one,
Even two,
Three things just come in.
And take the space to acknowledge them.
To feel the sensations in the body and to breathe with the good of your day.
And what are you proud of from today?
However small,
However big an action or step,
There will have been ways today you showed up for yourself,
Even if today was more challenging.
So take a moment,
What are you proud of?
What can you acknowledge?
And as we integrate the day,
Is there anything that you can learn from today?
Sometimes when things don't go quite right or we behave in ways that we wish were different,
We can allow ourselves to get so caught up in the story of it,
The shame of it rather than what we can experience and learn through the practice that each day offers.
So take a few moments,
What can you learn or reflect on?
As an observer,
Allowing every experience to be a tool.
And if there's anything from the day that feels like it's stuck in the brain or hanging heavy on your energy,
Your heart,
Take a moment to acknowledge that.
Just notice it,
What's on my mind,
What's on my chest?
And perhaps take a few breaths and trust that you'll be able to move with this,
To deal with this,
To land with all of this tomorrow.
Maybe visualizing just putting that busyness or heaviness in a little bowl.
And just knowing that for now,
You are safe to come into rest.
I am safe to come into rest and to maybe put down the things that come weight.
You gently place whatever's not needed just to the side for the moment.
It's okay if it creeps back in,
We can always just let it creep out too.
Just come back into your breath,
Brain,
Into the present.
Your awareness into your body.
Become aware of,
Take a few breaths into your arms and allow your arms to get heavy.
As you breathe,
Your feet,
Into your belly,
Your hips,
Before moving into the chest.
Breathe in there and allow them to get softer.
Before connecting your breath.
As you breathe,
Allow your breath to work.
Massaging,
Caressing your body into a deeper state of rest.
And visualize your feet.
Your feet standing at the top of a flight.
This flight of stairs representing your consciousness.
Exhale,
See those feet take a step down.
And keep working every breath out.
A step further.
A step deeper.
Just let go into that space.
This could be a word that you'd like to invite into the subconscious.
A phrase or even a question to explore.
Trust what comes instinctively,
But if nothing comes.
.
.
Whatever your word or phrase.
As you breathe,
Just say it a few times.
Anchor it deep into the brain.
Welcome it into your body.
And observe what sensations maybe arise.
And take a few moments to get lost into those sensations.
Like you're floating your awareness through your body.
And as we allow the brain to slow.
As we allow your body,
Your consciousness to integrate your day.
This is not something we need to perfect.
And we can use these quieter spaces.
I can take this space.
Allow my deeper spaces to process my day.
You're just focusing on this.
And like you're counting sheep.
Ready for sleep.
Unless you like your brain,
Your body.
