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 melting your body.
And just see without stress,
How slowly can you allow your breath to let go,
How gently can you breathe in,
Just allowing these slow exhales,
This gentle breath to send a signal to your brain that it's time to rest,
That it's ok to slow down,
That it's ok 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 were grateful for from the day,
Take a moment and let one,
Even two,
Three things just come in.
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.
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 visualising 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.
I am safe to tune into my breath,
Breathing gently and slowly.
I am free to let go of parts of the day I don't need.
And just as you breathe,
Maybe feel those parts just start to leave the body.
The body is safe to unwind and let go.
You're just focusing on this,
Really like you're counting sheep.
You wish to count your breathing,
Lightly for three,
Exhaling for six,
Inhaling three.
Find a breath,
Find a count and like you're counting sheep,
Allow every,
Ready for sleep.
And as we allow the brain to slow,
As we allow your body,
Your consciousness to integrate your day,
Just breathing and remembering that this is not something we need to perfect.
And we can use these quieter spaces as time to let go and integrate.
And as you let your brain,
Your body,
Float off into the world of dreams,
You deserve.
